Thursday, March 23, 2006
Dear Readers: Compact discs sound great, but they scratch so easily. However, don't toss a scratched CD until you try my homemade scratch remedy.
Many scratches can be wiped away with ordinary white toothpaste. Gel will not work, so be sure to use only plain white toothpaste and follow these steps:
Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto a clean sock or any cloth that is lint-free.
Then, on the shiny, nonlabeled side, rub the toothpaste on the CD, starting from the inside of the CD and working outward like the spokes of a wheel. Remember, wipe it on inside out, never back and forth.
Once the entire underside is coated, take a clean, dry part of the sock and wipe away the toothpaste, again using spokelike strokes -- from inner edge to outer edge.
Don't use water. Just continue wiping until the paste is gone.
This process works great for minor scratches on DVDs and game CDs, too. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I hate to throw away the bags that sheets or pillowcases come in, so now I have found various uses for them.
They make perfect traveling bags for toiletries, and they are also good for storing supplies in my toiletries cabinet. I put all the allergy medicine in one bag, all the bandages, gauze, ointment and tape in another, and all the lipsticks in another.
Also, I can prepare an emergency first-aid bag and a travel bag with miniature toiletries for last-minute trips. Bianca, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: My family reads your column in The Maui (Hawaii) News and loves it! We read a suggestion regarding reinforcing the holes in wall calendars that rip when the entire weight of the calendar hangs from just one hole. This occurs usually at the beginning of the year, when most of the months hang down. What we do is simply fold up the months not being used behind the month being used, so that the only weight hanging down is the one piece of paper with the current month. Chauncey Watsuss, Haiku, Hawaii
Dear Heloise: When my granddaughters were little girls, they came to visit and stay over. I provided them with a choice of solid-colored bath towels, which I had trimmed with narrow decorative tape purchased at a fabric store. They enjoyed selecting their favorites, such as little bunnies and other designs for different seasons. Nancy, Laureldale, Pa.
Dear Heloise: I could not get the seal off the opening of a new bleach bottle and grabbed the nearest instrument, which happened to be a pencil, and punched a hole in the center of the seal. Now I'm in control of the flow. It's so ideal to have a small amount come out instead of a slush, which can splatter on and ruin some fabrics. Carol Fitcher, Parkersburg, W.Va.
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