Table salt makes it easy to remove nasty residue

Dear Heloise: I keep water dishes inside and outside for my dogs. I live in an area where the water is very hard, and the dishes become crusty and quite nasty-looking, especially the outside one. The easiest way to clean them is to pour out the water, then shake plenty of table salt into the dish and scrub with a sponge. The abrasive action of the salt cleans off the mineral residue in no time. Heavy deposits might require a couple of cleanings. K.M., via e-mail
I decided to give your hint a try, and you're right -- it worked wonderfully on those pet dishes. Heloise
Dear Readers: Mrs. Ann Ray of Florence, Ala., sent a photo of her cat, Callie, nestled in a plant pot. Ann says, "We thought you would enjoy this picture of our little calico -- we think she looks like meringue on a pie when she curls up in the top of our flowerpot." Visit www.Heloise.com and click on Pet of the Week to see Callie in the flowerpot. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Owners of pet birds should find this hint helpful. My husband and I own three pet birds (two parakeets and a cockatiel). When we go out of town, the birds go to my parents' house.
It's cumbersome enough to tote the birds' cages, but in the past, we'd also lug over all their different seeds, treats, pellets, mineral supplements, etc., in all their different containers, and I would leave my parents with specific instructions on which foods to feed which bird on which day, with measurements and amounts.
I developed an easier way. Now I pre-mix their diet and put it in a sealed plastic bag marked for each day with the bird's name on the bag. This way, there's no measuring or mistaking which species gets which food.
I also write any other instructions for a specific day, such as "add some fresh parsley" or "add a wedge of fresh apple," etc. I always make a few extra bags in case we get detained. Linda R., Columbus
Dear Heloise: We live in the country and have several pets. We usually buy pet food from the feed store in large sacks. The problem is that rodents love the food, too! Do you know what it's like to scoop out some food and get a mouse, too? Not good, especially first thing in the morning! So, now I store the food in larger metal trash cans with lids. The food lasts, and I haven't had a mouse surprise since! Trish, Howard, Colo.
Send 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