HELOISE: To clean, freshen drain, use this recipe

Dear Heloise: Can you please respond with your drain-cleaning recipe using white vinegar and baking soda? I lost the proportions and don’t like using harsh drain-cleaning products. Thank you.

Suzanne S., via e-mail

Suzanne, this is by far one of my most popular Heloise “recipes” for cleaning and freshening the drain. First, pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then follow with 1 to 2 cups of plain old white or apple-cider vinegar. The chemical reaction will cause lots of bubbling and fizzing! Let this work for five minutes or so. Then rinse the drain well with hot water for at least 30 seconds, followed by cold water to push everything through the plumbing system. One caveat: Letting the mixture sit longer is not better, and this will NOT remove a clog. Vinegar is a workhorse cleaning product, and I have a six-page pamphlet with the best cleaning and freshening hints using vinegar. If you would like to receive one, send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Squelch cooking odors by boiling 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 cup of water on the stove top.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have lots of costume jewelry. To keep it organized, I put each set in a plastic bag, then put the bags into a larger bag, according to colors. This makes it easy to find something to match what I’m wearing.

T.K.D., Tupelo, Miss.

Don’t you just love those zip bags for all kinds of storage? I was in your charming city last year doing a presentation on green living at the Lee County Library, and I met so many wonderful people. Stop in and tell the library employees I said hello! Visit your library for all kinds of help and free resources.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I wanted to pass along a hint that helps me remember to take items home from the office refrigerator. I often do minor grocery shopping on my lunch hour. Many times, I would buy perishable items, only remembering after I got home that I had put the items in the break-room refrigerator. Now, I simply drop my car keys into the bag before placing it into the refrigerator. Voil ! Even if I make it to my car after work, I can’t leave the office without my car keys or my perishables.

Wendy in Kentucky

This is an oldie, but a goodie! I’ve been told every time I print this hint that there seems to be a profusion of keys found in office refrigerators!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a folding two-step stool to reach up to the tree in the back yard. When the ground was damp, the legs would sink in. By putting the stool on a large bathmat or such, the legs can’t sink into the soft ground.

B.C., via e-mail

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate