Little things cut down on big cleaning job

Dear Heloise: I keep a microfiber cloth on a small hook under my bathroom sink. In the morning when getting ready for work, I grab just one or two things that need to be cleaned, like my perfume bottles, makeup, etc., and wipe them off. It only takes a few seconds and cuts down on the big cleaning job.

I do the same at night and even give my makeup mirror a wipe-down. It’s amazing how dirty and dusty things like this can become. Nancy M., Arlington, Va.

Nancy, I do exactly the same thing! Every day, I try to wipe off at least two or three things. If I have time, I do more. It’s a good time to give a swipe to some of those out-of-the-way places we tend to overlook, too: the tops of the door frames, a dusty picture frame — whatever is in my eyesight. Then a quick rinse and the cloth is ready for another use.

Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, for more fabulous microfiber-cloth hints. Folks, if you don’t have some of these fantastic cloths in your home, you should! They trap dust, wipe away fingerprints (without having to use cleaning products), and I even have one that I use on Cabbie, our mini schnauzer.

And here is one more great bathroom quick-clean hint: When cleaning the bathroom, pour a little perfume from a sample on a tissue and drop it into the wastebasket. It’s a nice little surprise to walk in and find a different scent every few days. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I don’t keep rewriting my shopping list. I save my receipts, and then when I need to go to the store, I look at one and cross out what I don’t need. I put a dot by what we need and then add new items on a sticky note. I keep them week after week and just start a new one. Sally M., Nashville, Tenn.

Dear Heloise: Word games and puzzles in the newspapers are some of my favorites. If I can’t get to them in the paper, I tear out the page and save it. I put several in by my travel bag, and then when stuck in an airport or on a plane, I pull them out and work them. Also, I put several in my purse (I cut out just the puzzles, etc.) to do when sitting in a doctor’s office or waiting for my daughter while picking her up from school or sports. A few minutes here and there, and I try to keep my brain working! Casey’s Mom, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I use rubber bands that have been removed from the daily newspaper to hold the folded end of the toothpaste tube rolled up. These bands take up no room on my medicine shelf. J.D., Colorado City, Texas

XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279 or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate