Here’s how to remove stains from whiteboards

Dear Heloise: I work at a high school in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. We have whiteboards in the classrooms. Some of them have been used so much or incorrectly that they are stained.

Do you have any hints on how to recondition a dry-erase/whiteboard? A colleague suggested I use hair spray. I would rather check with you before I cause more harm to the board. Any hints you could give would be truly appreciated. Thank you. D. Holt, via e-mail

Nice to hear from you, and thanks for the vote of confidence. These boards may be stained because the wrong type of markers was used. Many times permanent markers are the culprit! So, test this first on a small area using a sturdy paper towel. Go over the stain with only a dry-erase marker and then erase the area using the towel. It may take one or two times.

We also retested using good old cheap isopropyl rubbing alcohol here in the Heloise Central office, and it worked great! Just pour some on a paper towel or old terry cloth and wipe the stains away. Let the board dry completely, and it is ready for use. Heloise

Dear Heloise: When my husband and I travel, I use small, different-colored net bath puffs. I tie them to the handles of the suitcase. This helps us recognize our luggage quickly when it comes down the luggage conveyor belt. The net puffs are very sturdy, and they also come in different sizes. Betty Tijerina, San Antonio

Dear Heloise: My wife came up with this great hint: If you ever must evacuate your area due to bad weather and want to know if your home still has power before returning, call your answering machine. If the machine picks up, your home has electricity. If the phone just rings and rings, you may have lost power. Robert, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I read the hint about putting important sticky-note messages inside a folding cell phone — great idea!

I put them in my glasses case. I always wear sunglasses outside, so I change to my other glasses as soon as I get inside — and there’s the note!

I also do this with medicine that needs to be taken with dinner. When we go out to dinner, the medicine goes into a small plastic bag and into my glasses case. Works every time! Sharon in California

Dear Heloise: We recently remodeled our kitchen and decided to put peel-and-stick tile between the cabinets and countertop. It worked and looks nice, and it was much cheaper than using ceramic tile.

P.S.: Even though it was peel-and-stick, we were told to put adhesive on it, which we did, and it has worked great. Carol Hurd, Capon Bridge, W.Va.

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