For a brush with cleanliness, try baking soda

Dear Heloise: Can you tell me how to rid my hairbrush of all the mousse buildup that occurs while blow-drying my hair? I have read that there is something one can soak the bushes in, but I don’t remember what it is. D. Morgan, Placentia, Calif.

A dirty hairbrush doesn’t usually get attention until it’s really grungy and needs major cleaning. First, remove the hair that’s trapped in the bristles. Use a comb and run it through the brush to grab the hair, or cut it with scissors, then pull it out.

Cleaning the buildup is as easy as filling a large glass with a solution of warm water and a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, then soaking the brush (not wooden) for at least an hour. Be sure to completely submerge the bristles in the solution and scrub with another brush to clean, then rinse and let dry. Baking soda can be used as an inexpensive, environmentally friendly cleaner for a multitude of things. For money-saving, safe cleaning and deodorizing hints in a six-page pamphlet, please send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You also might want to try to avoid a heavy hair-product buildup on your brush by rinsing it after you blow-dry your hair. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I use both the personal-size and the commercial-size coffee filters:

•I use them between plates and bowls when stacking those items to store.

•I line baskets with them before putting fruit in the baskets on the counter.

•I cover bowls or small plates with them in the microwave to eliminate the mess that can be made. Julie Hebert, Hillsboro, N.H.

Dear Heloise: When I have many small gifts to wrap, I cut the roll of wrapping paper in two. The roll can be cut through at any point, depending on gift sizes. This saves a lot of time and inconvenience. Tina Carpenter, Columbia City, Ind.

Dear Heloise: After decorating my bathroom, I took a piece of the wallpaper border, found a frame to match the woodwork and framed the piece of wallpaper border. It matches perfectly and was inexpensive! Dawn Kinney, Bronson, Iowa

Dear Heloise: In reference to the person in Maine who put her address label on her cane, I use my first name and phone number only. Maybe I am overly cautious, but since a cane implies a handicap of some sort, I would rather have someone call than show up on my front porch. Lynn, Kerrville, Texas

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: Why do manufacturers put such strong coverings over pills, bottles, even groceries? I get so angry trying to open them. I mean pills in containers that are absolutely impossible to open without knives and scissors. Sally Hille, Williamstown, 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