HELOISE Helpful cleaning hints will keep your car looking good

Dear Readers: Keeping your car's exterior and finish looking good seems to be never-ending. If you don't want to go to the car wash, here are some do-it-yourself car-cleaning hints:
UTo protect the finish, wash it with products specifically made for that purpose.
UBe aware that regular household detergents might be too harsh and can dull paint finishes. Wash your car with cleaners that are labeled "zero pH," and rinse with cold to lukewarm water.
UDon't wash or wax your car in direct sunlight, and never use alcohol-based cleaners or polishes. Avoid abrasive or chemical cleaning solvents on the plastic parts of the car.
URemove bird droppings, splatted insects, tree sap and gasoline ASAP -- before they harden or dry on the paint.
UAfter washing and rinsing the car, wipe it down with an old terry-cloth towel or a chamois. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have a wonderful idea for using those plastic zippered bags that comforters and pillowcases come in. I use the large comforter bags for storing extra blankets, winter hats and mittens.
The small ones I use for children's hair ties, or I use as a travel bag for my cosmetics and hair items. They can also be used for children's markers, crayons or colored pencils. Also, yarn, etc. -- there are a zillion ways to use them. I love those bags. Barb, via fax
Dear Heloise: I've started keeping a little ringed binder next to the phone. It comes in handy when I need to write down a number or a message. And this also allows me to write down messages and then erase them from the machine. Everyone knows to look at the book to see if he or she has any messages. Karen Larsen, Universal City, Texas
Dear Heloise: The supermarkets only sell white French-bread dough ... you know, the kind that you pop open and bake for 30 minutes.
I always wondered why they don't sell whole-wheat. So, the other night I stopped wondering and did something about it!
Before popping it in the oven, I smothered the dough with lots of rolled oats, flaxseed and wheat germ and a bit of olive oil. The warm, healthy bread was delicious! Debbie in Ocean Beach, Calif.
Dear Heloise: This is a hint for the dying breed of folks who like to hang the wash outside on the clothesline. When I hang pantyhose on the line, they're apt to snag on the clothespins. I cut about 2-inch squares from a used dryer sheet and put one between the clothespin and the pantyhose or delicate fabric I'm hanging. Frances Searcey, Buffalo, Wyo.
Dear Heloise: My sound off is going to a restaurant and having a child screaming and throwing food all over the floor, so loud you cannot hear one another talk. Parents should teach a child how to act in a restaurant! E.H., via fax
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate