HELOISE: Tip for removing oil stain is on the spot

Dear Heloise: I love your hints I read in The Hutchinson (Kan.) News. My husband has a request. Our van had an oil leak and made a spot on the driveway. Please tell us how to get it off. Our driveway is cement.

Ray and Velda U., Moundridge, Kan.

I sure can try, but it depends on how long that stain has been there. For old stains, there are commercial cleaners available at home-improvement or automotive-supply stores. For a cheaper alternative, you can make a baking-soda-and-ammonia paste, apply, scrub into the stain, rinse and repeat as needed. Baking soda to the rescue, and it’s eco-friendly for the outdoors! For more money-saving hints using baking soda, you can order my pamphlet. Just send $5 and a long, stamped (64 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Another hint: Keep a box of baking soda in your car in case of a fire!

Heloise

P.S.: Say “hi” to my friends in Hutchinson! I enjoyed my visit there a while back!

Dear Heloise: I find it rude and distracting when moviegoers check their cellphone messages or wear earphones while in the theater. Light sources from phones and appliances flash brightly in the darkness. I see every flash of light from the people below me, and find this terribly distracting, especially when it’s constant. I pay a lot of money to watch movies, and I expect to be able to enjoy them without being disturbed. If they are connected to their cellphones like an umbilical cord, they should rent a movie and just stay home.

Had It in Hawaii

Dear Heloise: When my mother was in an assisted-living facility, she was very afraid to take showers for fear of slipping and falling.

I found that a pair of rubber garden clogs was the answer. She could just slip her feet into them when entering the shower and leave them there when done. They can be purchased in most garden centers in bright colors and for only around $5 or so. We found she showered more frequently and was thankful to have the clogs.

Betsy in New Jersey

Dear Heloise: Another way to carry your jewelry with you when you travel is to buy a small fisherman’s lure box. The smaller compartments are just the right size for a pair of earrings or a ring. The larger compartments are great for necklaces or bracelets. Plus, the sturdiness of the plastic keeps your jewelry safe from crushing.

Peggy, via email

Dear Heloise: I have a hint for protecting one’s candy thermometer. I have an old turkey baster that has lost its oomph, so I slide my candy thermometer into the tube part and pop the bulb on to keep it from getting broken in my utensil drawer.

Sharon from Schertz, Texas

King Features Syndicate