You can wash that gunk right out of your brush

Dear Heloise: What is the best way to clean hairbrushes? Pat Womack, via e-mail

Hairbrushes are something we use every day, but they usually get cleaned only when they really start to look grungy after accumulating hair spray, gel, mousse — not to mention all the hair that gets caught up in them.

First, remove any hair from the bristles using a comb to go through the brush. Then submerge the brush in a solution of baking soda and water until the teeth or bristles are completely covered. Soak for at least 30 to 60 minutes, then rinse well in hot water. The gunk should be gone.

Want to learn more baking-soda hints for personal care, like using it as a natural deodorant or a facial scrub? Simply send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (58 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

The above solution also works great on combs, too. And as long as we’re talking hair — a solution of baking soda and water (4 tablespoons to 1 quart of water) will remove product buildup if you pour it directly on your hair and massage it into the roots, then out to the ends. Rinse well, then shampoo and condition as usual.

And here’s a hint from Debbie Hayes of Middletown, Ohio, about hairbrushes. She says: “Since I have arthritis in my hands, it’s hard to pull the hair out and clean hairbrushes. So, I take a pair of scissors, open them up and run one blade through the brush. It pulls the hair right out with very little work. Fast and easy.” Heloise

Dear Heloise: Your column in the (Lancaster, Calif.) Antelope Valley Press is the one I always have to read. I have a hint: When I write an e-mail that I feel is important, I either send a copy to myself or copy it to a file. That way, I know I can verify that I sent it to certain people. Anna Williams, Lancaster, Calif.

Anna, I’ve done the same! Simply “blind cc” yourself, and the receiver does not even know. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Greetings from Lebanon, Ky. You might be interested in this: With all of the various class 2 chargers available to recharge a myriad of appliances, I finally have learned that you need to identify each one, since all receptacles are of different sizes. Just get a permanent marker (my color is silver) and label each one. Problem solved. By the way, there is no “charge” for this information. Charlie Lancaster, Lebanon, Ky.

Dear Heloise: Many times when on the road, I find that I need a phone number. After delivery of the newest phone directory, I put the old one in my car. Mine can fit into the pocket of a door. This makes it easier to look up a number. S. Thompson in Arkansas

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