It can be dangerous to mix cleaning solutions

Dear Heloise: Are any of the cleaning chemicals you suggest harmful if mixed together? A Reader, via e-mail

This is a really good question! There are many cleaning products that should never be mixed together. Any product containing bleach should NOT be combined with those containing ammonia. This causes a poisonous gas, can make you sick and even can cause death. Always check labels on products! Bleach is in dishwasher detergents as well as products for mold and mildew.

I do have some money-saving formulas for cleaning products that are mixtures of safe household items, but most are mixed with water. For a complete list of low-cost cleaning solutions that you can make at home, send for my really informative pamphlet Heloise’s Homemade Cleaning Solutions. The cost for this six-page booklet is $5. Send your request, along with a self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Cleaning, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. One easy solution for cleaning grout is to mix 1‚Ñ4 cup borax, 1‚Ñ2 cup baking soda and enough hot water to form a paste. Apply this to the grout, scrub with a soft brush and let it sit for 15-20 minutes, then rinse, and clean grout will appear! Heloise

P.S.: However, if the grout is old and crumbling, no amount of cleaning will make it new again.

Dear Heloise: Most people take the telephone number of their credit-card and ATM-card companies when traveling overseas so they can report it if the card is lost or stolen. But, 800 numbers cannot be called from overseas, so make sure you take the card issuer’s non-800 number with you. Ronald Narmi, Alexandria, Va.

Ronald, how right you are! A previous reader hint is to let the card issuer know your travel dates and that you will be out of the country. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Most frozen pizzas come with a circle of cardboard beneath them. Dust this off and cover it with aluminum foil, and you have the perfect base for a round cake if you are donating one to a luncheon or selling one at a bake sale. It’s better than a plate because it’s easier to frost a cake on a flat surface, and you don’t need to get it back. Alexandra Roth, Falls Church, Va.

Dear Heloise: I read with interest your handy uses for a plastic laundry basket. For years, I have kept a large, solid plastic basket in the trunk of my car. I use it when I get groceries or when I am taking several items to a potluck dinner. Della, Colorado Springs, Colo.

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