Use grout cleaning method carefully

heloise

Dear Heloise: What should I use to clean dirty tile grout? I would like to not have to do a lot of “crawling.” A Reader, via e-mail

I have two “recipes” for grout cleaning. Unfortunately, I don’t have a solution to the bending and crawling problem!

1. Mix a solution of 1‚Ñ2 chlorine bleach and 1‚Ñ2 water and apply to the grout using an old toothbrush or cotton swab. Leave the solution on for about 20 minutes (longer may not work better), then rinse.

2. Three percent hydrogen peroxide applied directly to the grout also works. Use an old toothbrush to apply, let sit for an hour or more and then scrub. Rinse with water. Note: For both of these methods, you should wear rubber gloves and old clothing or an apron. Both can bleach color from carpet, clothing, towels, etc. So use caution, and be sure the room is well-ventilated. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Since the airlines now limit the amount of liquid that can go in carry-on bags, I prepare bottles of liquids to go in with my clothes, and I came up with an idea to reduce leakage.

The bottle should be only 3‚Ñ4 full, due to the possibility of expansion. I put it in a zip-top plastic bag. Before sealing the bag, I fold up four to five paper towels and place them in the bag along with the bottle. I seal the bag, and then the whole thing goes into a second plastic zip-top bag. Hopefully, if any liquid were to leak out into the first bag, it would be absorbed by the paper towels and would not go any farther. The paper towels also provide a little bit of padding for the bottles. Debbie Carlson, Omaha, Neb.

Dear Heloise: When I moved into my 80-year-old house, I was glad for the tiny half-bath. The problem was that there wasn’t much space for a towel rack close to the sink. Since we pop in and out often during the day, I wanted some small towels. I put a garment hook on the wall about 12 inches above the edge of the sink, alongside the mirrored medicine cabinet. I bought a bundle of inexpensive washcloths in assorted colors and used my sewing machine to make a buttonhole in one corner of each washcloth to fit the hook. It can be used as it hangs or easily lifted off and returned. Suzie Q., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Dear Heloise: I read your hints on being a perfect houseguest. You spoke about stripping the sheets. A 5-year-old could handle that.

We have a lot of summer guests at our cottage. The night before guests leave, I tell them there are clean sheets in the dresser, and to please bring their sheets down when they come to breakfast. Never had a complaint — really, it’s a simple way to say “thank you.” Anna Timmons, Mackinac Island, Mich.

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