Vinegar can remove hard-water deposits

Dear Heloise: What do you suggest for cleaning the inside of a dishwasher? A Reader, via e-mail

To remove white spots caused by hard-water mineral buildup in your dishwasher, you can use good ol’ vinegar.

When the dishwasher is empty (no dishwasher detergent), start a regular cycle. Let the dishwasher run for a few minutes (the bottom should begin filling up with water). Add 2 to 3 cups of cheap white vinegar to the bottom of the dishwasher, close the door and let the cycle finish. Stubborn stains may require another run-through. To keep the hard-water deposits at bay, run vinegar through a complete cycle periodically. This should keep your dishwasher fresh. Vinegar can remove hard-water deposits from chrome fixtures, decanters, drinking glasses, shower heads and many other items around your home. For a list, send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. If you keep vinegar in a spray bottle right under the sink, both kitchen and bathroom, it will be handy for quick cleanups! Heloise

Dear Heloise: This is another luggage-identifying hint. I buy the most garish, colorful skeins of yarn without any thought to matching the colors. I cut long pieces of the yarn, combining the different colors without trying to make any pattern with them, and just braid the yarn pieces directly onto the luggage handle. Use lots of yarn, and it makes a thick braid that cannot easily be undone. I make my braids at least 6 inches long. This is so easy to do. Cynthia, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: For years, I tried many different cleaners to clean the hood above the stove. The results were just a runny mess.

Then a light bulb went off in my head as I was using oven cleaner. Why not use this for the under part of the hood?

Well, it worked very well. I was able to spray and not have most of it drip down on top of the stove. The grime that had accumulated came off with just a little wiping. Pat Zoccali, Warren, Ohio

Be sure to protect the stove top with several layers of newspaper, and it’s probably safest to use a “cold oven” cleaner. Heloise

Dear Heloise: While in college many years ago, I discovered a unique way to “iron.” If I needed a ribbon, collar or other small wrinkle to be ironed, I simply rubbed that item back and forth over a heated light bulb on my desk lamp, and the wrinkles were gone. I often think how timesaving that was, not having to set up an ironing board and heat an iron. I’m hopeful some college kids might find this as useful as I did (and still do!). Casey in Carlsbad, Calif.

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