HELOISE: Winterize your home and save money, prevent damage

Dear Readers: Here are some hints to help winterize your home and save on heating bills, plus prevent expensive winter-related damage. Check the following areas:

•Examine all doors and windows for leaks. Replace old weatherstripping, or caulk where needed.

•Check the roof for loose shingles, and the flashing around the chimney and dormers.

•Inspect the outside of your home for cracks or areas that need repairs. You want the exterior to be secure from freezing and thawing damage.

•Review the insulation in your attic. Do you have enough?

•Bring in a service professional to clean and inspect your heating system. This is a must! It is vital to be sure heating units run in a safe manner.

•Get the chimney cleaned and checked out. Keep the damper closed when you are not using the fireplace to keep warm air in and cold air out. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Since my dryer is just off my kitchen, when I vacuum, I take the lint filter out and vacuum it and then use my under-the-fridge attachment to get under the dryer. I have a duster that has a long handle to reach under and get the dust and lint out, and then I just vacuum it up. Plus the duster is great for reaching those socks, etc., that fall between or behind the washer or dryer. You can find the flat dusters and the fridge attachment in most home catalogs. A Montana Reader, via e-mail

A great hint to prevent a home fire, too! Heloise

Dear Heloise: My son left for college and traveled by plane. I didn’t feel comfortable without his luggage being locked because of theft, but I knew that for security reasons, it might be checked. My son put a metal key ring through the two zippers. It worked great. Cheryl, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I read about dusting with a can of pressurized air. I have been dusting curtains, silk flowers, pleated lampshades and such for years. I use my hair dryer set on “cool and high.” It works great and at no extra cost. Eileen, Kermit, Texas

Dear Heloise: I had a hard time finding a utensil to stir with while cooking (yes, this guy does a lot of the cooking around here) because everything was shoved into a drawer. Nobody ever said that you had to put the utensils in the drawer with the handle facing the front. I put ours in backward so the head of the spoons, spatulas, etc., are to the front of the drawer and can be easily seen. Chuck S., Cortland, Ohio

Dear Heloise: I am always running out of “twist’ems” for the various products that need them. Solution: Take a rubber band, pull one end through the other and pull it as tight as needed. June Dunn, via e-mail

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