HELOISE: Caring for your septic system

Dear Readers: Anyone who has a septic system worries about wastewater backing up in the house or backyard, but I have five hints that should help the system operate better and last longer:

Use water carefully. Fix drips and leaks in the plumbing right away! Don’t let water run if you’re not using it. Not only are you saving water, but also you won’t be stressing the septic system.

Take quick showers. A long shower uses a lot of water that goes into the system.

Wash only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.

Don’t put harmful materials such as disinfectants or chemicals down drains. Don’t put cooking grease down the drain, or put cigarettes, cat litter, coffee grounds, facial tissue, dental floss, tampons or hair in the toilet.

Get your septic tank pumped on a regular basis. Every three to five years is a good rule of thumb for normal systems.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I used to have difficulty getting webs down from my 14-foot-high ceilings. I came up with an easy, efficient way to get them down.

They make a long (8-foot), thin-walled plastic tube that is used to protect 8-foot fluorescent light bulbs during transport. I put one of these on the end of my vacuum-cleaner hose and vacuum the webs and spiders down. The tubes are ultralight and easy to maneuver up to the highest corners. They are sold at many hardware stores.

Ray, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: My mother-in-law sends my family care packages or gifts once in a while, and she packs it along with sandwich-size bags of caramel corn. My kids love her homemade caramel corn, so she uses it as packing material. It is a great way to send a gift, surrounded by an edible gift. The item arrives intact and surrounded by a wonderful treat.

Brenda in Washington

Dear Heloise: For the past two years, I have used a child’s plastic swimming pool to tote leaves and other yard waste to the compost pile. I would not trade it for any wheelbarrow.

Simply cut a hole in the side of the pool, reinforce it with duct tape, tie a rope on it and you have a great garden tool. It slides easily over the yard and is easy to put items into.

Dorothy Howell, Potts Camp, Miss.

Dear Heloise: To keep from searching for keys, we hang a key holder just inside the door that everyone uses. The keys are still in your hands from unlocking the door, and the key holder is right there. Everyone has a hook available. Going out, just reach up and get your keys.

Kathryn G. from Mississippi

King Features Syndicate