HELOISE: Baking soda gets a toast

Dear Heloise: Recently, some toast caught fire in our toaster oven. My husband came from the other end of our home, and I told him to get the box of baking soda from the freezer door. We were able to put out the fire with three handfuls of baking soda. It appears that we should always keep the box of baking soda in the front of the refrigerator or freezer instead of letting it get buried in the cabinet. It saved us time and immediately put out the flames.

M.K. in Florida

Wow! A close call! I, too, have had toast almost catch fire in the toaster oven — a relatively new one, too. It does seem to really heat up quickly! So now, I do not leave the kitchen when I’m making toast. Baking soda should be handy in every kitchen, just for emergencies such as this. Baking soda can be used to put out small fires (not electrical), freshen a carpet and clean the sink! For more money-saving hints, you can have my six-page 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. Buy two or three boxes at a time, and keep one in every bathroom, too, for quick cleanups.

Heloise

Dear Readers:

Other uses for dental floss:

As a clothesline for lightweight clothes when traveling or camping.

Cut through food such as cake, cheese, jellied cranberry sauce, hard-boiled eggs, etc.

Sew on a patch.

Clean between cracks in furniture.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I use washcloths from economy packs sold at big-box stores. They are handy around the kitchen sink, as polish cloths and for emergency cleanups. It makes shining up appliances after cleaning super easy. You don’t have to worry about ruining a sponge or dishcloth. Most of the time, the cloth dries between uses or overnight. It can be washed repeatedly, and the washcloths are so inexpensive, you can have several in order to use a clean one daily.

Lois Belcher in San Angelo, Texas

Dear Readers: Have you ever noticed how books get a musty odor when you store them? To help prevent this from happening, store them short-term in a dry place, and make sure they are in an airtight plastic container. Add a sock filled with activated charcoal to the box to help reduce odor.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have arthritis. I had to struggle to get on pantyhose, so I have switched to thigh-highs. They are more comfortable and come in all sizes.

Mary in Dana, Ind.

SOUND OFF

Dear Heloise: One of my pet complaints is when my husband and I go out to eat and we find that the salt and pepper shakers have not been wiped clean. Maybe a public request through your forum to the restaurant managers to remember to wipe the salt and pepper shakers could be made for a more sanitary eating experience.

Kay, via e-mail

Send a 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