HELOISE Remote sensors reach farther than expected

Dear Heloise: If your vehicle has a remote door-lock release, do not park too close to your motel room. Buttons can get pushed in a pocket or purse without your knowledge. We looked out at 11 p.m. before turning in and saw our car trunk open. It could have been the doors and would not have been so obvious. Luckily for us, the area we were in has a low crime rate. Jerry and Jo, Texarkana, Texas
Jerry and Jo, I thought this was an unusual occurrence, but guess what? It happened to me when I was at a restaurant. I luckily looked out to see the lights flashing and heard the horn honking. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My friend just became a grandmother for the first time. Her son has a cat, and his wife had concerns with a new baby coming. Their solution was to replace the door on the baby's room with a screen door, allowing all to hear the baby without having her closed in and still keeping the cat out.
As it turned out, the cat didn't bother the baby, but the door is staying on. The baby has learned to sleep with ordinary household noises. Great idea, and it looks good, too. Jan Hargadine, via e-mail
A screen door will help keep most unwanted visitors from the baby's room while still allowing the parents to peer in and check on the baby without having to open a squeaky door. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Last December, I opened the battery compartment of an exercise machine and found it to be corroded. That same day in your column, you gave the formula for removing battery corrosion. I want to thank you for printing that formula and especially for choosing that day to print it. Quite a coincidence, but it worked wonderfully for me. RGB, via e-mail
I call that timing "synchronicity" -- and I'm glad it helped. Isn't it amazing what a paste of baking soda and water will do? Heloise
Dear Heloise: Sometimes finding a box for an odd-shaped present or a gift where there are several items together can be difficult.
Several times I have purchased a clear, plastic storage container for the gifts. I wrap colored tissue around the gifts to hide them, place them in the container and then fill the rest of the container with more colored paper. I then tie on a ribbon or add a bow.
Obviously, the plastic storage container can be used by the recipient as well. Kelly Epperson, Hannibal, Mo.
Dear Heloise: Here's a quick electrical-cord hint. When rewinding a cord back onto the appliance (vacuum cleaners, especially), try to rewind it in a different direction each time. This helps to minimize those wear marks that can turn into dangerous cracks, which expose wires. Betty B., Lead, S.D.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE, or e-mail heloise@heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate