Thursday, June 23, 2005
Dear Heloise: How many men read your column? I like it. I'm not much of a help around the house, but I find the hints interesting and like to share them with others.
We recently had a new bathroom sink and cabinet installed and want to protect the floor of the cabinet from spills, drips, etc. My wife wanted something rubber and easy to clean, so we marched to the local discount store, where we found two dish-drainer trays. They fit nicely side by side and are easily removable for cleaning. She's a genius! Alan Allegra, Bethlehem, Pa.
Alan, a lot of men read my column -- it's not just for housewives anymore! This space covers consumer issues, pets, travel, house repairs and even good mental health. Please drop in often. Heloise
P.S. Your wife is very smart, and you are, too. Thanks for reading the column and taking the time to share this hint with us.
Dear Heloise: I use a curling iron daily, and because I also use several hairstyling products, the curling iron has a film on it. How can I clean the wand without harming the curling iron? A Reader, Dallas
Here's a quick and relatively easy way to clean a curling iron or flatiron: First, make sure the appliance is unplugged and completely cooled! Second, dampen a clean terry cloth with plain old rubbing alcohol and scrub the wand, back and forth. This should remove all that hair-product buildup and leave your curling iron shiny once again.
Since you use several hair products and curl your hair daily, clean the curling iron at least once a month to keep the buildup to a minimum -- the less buildup, the easier it will be to clean! Heloise
Dear Heloise: I do lots of arts and crafts projects requiring small amounts of paint. So, I use empty cottage-cheese and margarine tub tops for a palette, then pop the tub over it to seal for later use. The paint keeps for a couple of days. Thank you for all your hints! Susie Wilson, Little Rock, Ark.
Dear Heloise: The suggestion I have comes from being a rather large-bosomed woman whose buttoned blouses have always gapped a little in the front. I was really embarrassed by the gapping, because I had to pull the blouse together when others came up to my desk. Even wearing a larger size did not prevent some gapping. I sewed the front up on my blouses and now slip them over my head. Of course, this can't be done with tapered blouses. When you use thread the same color as the blouse, you can't tell that the blouse is sewn up. I just had to share this. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. I'm much more comfortable at my desk now. Dot, Louisville, Ky.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate