HELOISE: Grease fire hint saved the day

Dear Heloise: I read your article in the Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal about using baking soda on grease fires. Well, I was making candy, and it boiled over and started a fire.

Thanks to your article, I grabbed my baking soda and put it out. Saved my kitchen — not sure about my candy, though!

K.S. in Texas

Yikes! Making candy should be fun, not dangerous! Grease fires can be terrifying and, of course, hazardous. Keep a box of baking soda close at hand when cooking on the stove top. If there is a flare-up, first turn off the heat, stand back from the stove and lightly pitch a handful or two of baking soda at the bottom of the flame; don’t pour the baking soda on top of the fire, as this could cause the flames to spread. If the fire is in a deep-fat fryer, don’t use this method — the situation might get much worse. Turn off the heat and cover the appliance with a big metal lid to smother the flames. In either case, stove top or deep fryer, if the fire gets out of control, call 911 — right away! Baking soda is a workhorse around the house and can save you money. For more helpful hints about baking soda, order my six-page Heloise’s Baking Soda Hints and Recipes pamphlet by sending $5 and a long, self addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

FYI: Adding 1‚Ñ2 cup of baking soda to your regular laundry detergent will boost cleaning power, and added to the rinse cycle it will remove odors.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read your column every day in The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review — thank you! Here are a couple of my hints:

Black and navy pants look similar. Clip the corners from the tag in the back of the blue ones. Makes it easy to choose the correct pair when they’re on a bathroom hook.

Clear silicone caulking dots are good on cupboard doors, inside or out, to prevent contact with the frame or with another cupboard.

Annie Shiffer, Spokane Valley, Wash.

Dear Heloise: A reader suggested, when setting your table days in advance, putting coffee filters on top of the glasses. I just put the plates and glasses upside down.

Chickie, The Villages, Fla.

King Features Syndicate