One reader plus a bevy of hints equal success

Dear Heloise: Your column is a great teaching tool. Here are more hints and a heads-up:

• Old nylons can be safely used to dust fragile lamp shades and get into tight corners.

• Many tall pieces of furniture (wall units and china cabinets) have rough surfaces on top, so it’s difficult to get all the dust off. Use clear, adhesive-backed plastic or other sticky-back plastic on top to make dusting a snap.

• Use the same plastic to protect wood from spills and leaks on the bottoms of cabinets under kitchen and bathroom sinks.

• Be prepared for cold and flu season. Use liquid hand sanitizer on a cloth to disinfect doorknobs, phones, remotes and even keyboards and mouses!

• Warning! Those lightweight extension cords should not be used with electric appliances. I now use a safer extension cord for my clothes iron after a thinner extension cord melted in my hand! Ouch! Beverly Nickens, Fairfax, Va.

A bevy of good hints from Beverly. Thanks for sharing. Heloise

Dear Heloise: If you have a candlestick that’s too big for your candle, place a flower-shaped sticky note over the opening and push the candle in. It helps hold the candle upright and looks pretty, too. Nancy Smith, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I found a wonderful way to spot-check or polish unusual-colored shoes. I have a beautiful pair of coral-colored shoes that never had a matching polish. I realized I had a lipstick that color, and it did the trick like magic! The bruised and faded areas colored completely, and with a buffing, the shoes are like new. Joan Bennett Clancy, Tracys Landing, Md.

Dear Heloise: When my husband switched to an electric razor, I found a use for the shave cream and gels he no longer used. They make wonderful hand soap. I bought a pretty container to hold the can, and I keep it on the sink all the time now. My hands love it, and the foam is fun to use. Susan Beigbeder, Anaheim, Calif.

Dear Heloise: I hate the creases that ordinary hangers leave on the shoulders of hanging sweaters. I used to cut shoulder pads from new dresses and wrap them around the tops of hangers, then pin.

We moved to a new home and needed padded hangers. I thought, Why wouldn’t bubble-filled packaging work? I certainly had lots of it. I cut it into strips and wrapped them around the tips of the hangers, then taped well with masking tape. This works better than the dress pads I had always used. Jennifer N., Pekin, Ill.

Dear Heloise: At work, I often drink bottled water or soda, and sometimes I find the screw-off tops hard to open. I have found that a rubber band wrapped around the lid provides enough additional grip for me to open the bottle. Susan Elliott, Mansfield, Ohio

SBlt 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