HELOISE: Hints, elbow grease help out

Dear Heloise: Many years ago, I asked my (new) mother-in-law how she kept such a beautiful home. She always had a clean and tidy home, and she seemed effortless in her kitchen and her dealings with her family’s day-to-day events or occasional “crisis.” Her answer: “A couple of hints from Heloise and a little bit of elbow grease.” I’ve never forgotten her advice.

M.A. Castillo, Washington, D.C.

How nice of her to give you good advice. Thanks for writing, and please know I’m here to help.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: Whenever I am planning a vacation, I look into the area to make sure we get to see all the neat local things that the area has to offer. I search online and try to get all the information I can. I also call the chamber of commerce to see what it has to say about the area. Most of the people who answer the phone are more than willing to tell what the locals enjoy doing in the city.

H., via e-mail

Dear Heloise: We have a wood-burning stove with glass doors, and the easiest way to clean them is using the ashes in the fireplace. Dampen a scrubbie-type pad (plastic, not metal of any type) and dip it into the cold ashes. Scrub the glass and wipe up the residue with a paper towel. It is amazing how fast this is.

Trudy Lally, Hopatcong, N.J.

Dear Heloise: Here is my hint for microfiber cloths: I cut a 12-inch square cloth in two, using my pinking shears so it doesn’t unravel, then I sew two narrow pieces of elastic on far enough apart to fit on my dust mop. This way, I can turn the cloth over when it gets dirty on one side and use it some more before I wash it. This saves on buying the cloths for the dust mop, making it more “green.”

Lois, Prescott, Ariz.

Dear Heloise: My husband recently lost a lot of weight and had numerous T-shirts he liked but couldn’t wear. I covered square couch pillows in the T-shirts with the logos showing in the center. Now we have several throw pillows that show his interests that the grandchildren can use to watch TV or to provide extra floor seating.

Also, I use a microfiber floor broom that has a slipcover on it. After I sweep the linoleum, I clean the broom by running the vacuum cleaner over it. That leaves it ready to use for next time and cuts down on washing the microfiber cover.

Robin Davis, Richmond, Mo.

Dear Heloise: When I am reading a book, magazine, etc., I place my bookmark front side for the right side of the book, or turn it backward if I need to continue my reading with the left side of the book.

T. Durham, Tupelo, Miss.

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