Reader sends in hodgepodge of helpful hints
Dear Heloise: Here are a few hints that I hope you will find helpful:
• I do not have a lot of storage in my kitchen and have to stack skillets, pots and pans, etc. To eliminate noise and scratching my nonstick pans, I use old hot pads as a cushion.
• Our city started curbside trash pickup, furnishing the trash cans. I use my old plastic trash containers to store my water hoses, sprinklers and other yard tools for the winter.
• On the sink, I keep a hand-lotion bottle with dishwashing soap in it for convenience. It looks much nicer and is smaller, too.
• To help with germs and cleanliness in my kitchen, I use a 6- to 8-ounce spray bottle of water with a small amount of bleach kept under my sink. It really is handy, even to freshen my dishrag. Pat D., via e-mail
Pat, thanks for sharing your hodgepodge of helpful hints. I, too, use a spray bottle, but mine has vinegar (full strength), and it kills weeds, cleans windows, plus cuts grease. Heloise
Dear Readers: Here is a money-saving hint on how to get the most out of that tube of makeup or cream.
When you can’t seem to get any more out of the tube or plastic container, place it opening-side down and tap on a hard surface so the contents will move to the opening. Also, use sharp scissors to cut the tube in half, and use a cotton swab, clean lipstick brush or even a swizzle stick to dig out the “goop.”
To keep it from drying out, push the two cut ends together and store in a closeable plastic bag. You will be surprised at how much is left! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Would you please tell me how to clean CDs? A Reader, via e-mail
Be sure to hold the disk by the edges when handling. Use a soft, lint-free or microfiber cloth, start in the center of the CD and work out toward the outside edge as you clean. Wipe in a straight line, and don’t follow the grooves in a circular motion, which can cause scratches and damage the disk. A gentle soap-and-water solution on the cloth will help if all else fails. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I like to keep my shoes in the original boxes. Opening the boxes to see which pair was inside became an annoyance. I decided to organize them. I took photos with a digital camera and printed out two copies on plain paper. One copy went on the lid, and the other on the box end. Wow! What a difference in my search! Doris Ball, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Dear Heloise: I save the liners from cereal boxes and find that they are tough enough to use as a surface for chopping lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage for slaw and grating cheese. Ruth Smith, Phoenix
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