Use baking soda from fridge as a cheap cleaner

Dear Heloise: I have a question: What do you do with all the baking soda that you replace in your refrigerator? Do you throw it away, or do you reuse it for cleaning? Shar, Farmington, N.M.

Don’t throw it out! Use it as a cheap, nontoxic cleaner. It’s safe to use around your home, children and pets. Put 1‚Ñ2 cup baking soda, along with the regular amount of laundry detergent, in the wash to give a cleaning boost, and when added to the rinse cycle, it helps remove odors. It cleans sinks and bathtubs as well as pots and pans. To stretch your money and learn how to use baking soda all around your home, get a copy of my baking-soda pamphlet by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Sprinkle baking soda in coolers before storing. The next time you open them, they won’t stink! Heloise

P.S.: Keep a small box in your camper or RV, too.

Dear Readers: Don’t throw out old bedsheets — here’s how to use them around the house:

•As dust covers for furniture.

•As tents for child’s rainy day.

•As a tablecloth for picnics.

•Use to make costumes to play in. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Deciding not to use a long-distance carrier on our phone system, we bought a prepaid calling card. Dialing all the numbers was time-consuming and cumbersome, and quite often we made mistakes and had to redial.

I decided to use the phone memory. I programmed the 800 number in memory No. 1 and listened for instructions. Then I programmed memory No. 2 for my card number, waited for instructions again and dialed the number I wanted to call. Once the system is set up, it works quite smoothly. Roz from Delray Beach, Fla.

Dear Heloise: Noticing that my hand-held dryer’s air-intake screen was clogged with lint, I tried picking it off with a sharp object, but it was tedious and not too productive. Then I tried a dampened cotton swab, and it came right off — the dryer was unplugged, of course! Carolyn Allen, Benbrook, Texas

Dear Heloise: When finished with a stick of butter or margarine, put the wrapper in a small bag and refrigerate. Use it to grease baking pans when needed. Victoria, via fax

Dear Heloise: I turn the comforter on the bed, putting the bottom to the head so the down inside the comforter gets even wear. Jean, Carlsbad, Calif.

Sound off

Dear Heloise: Is there any way you can address the food industry to let the companies know that they are messing up recipes by changing product sizes (making them smaller — H)? I’m not the best at adjusting recipes.

They aren’t fooling anyone by changing the size (and leaving the price the same)! Joan Balducci, West Hyattsville, Md.

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