LITTLE ROCK — DEAR HELOISE: I have some old coins that I believe are worth a little money. Problem is, they are black in color! I have dimes, nickels and half dollars. How do I clean them without destroying their value?
- Ellie in Florida
DEAR READER: Don’t clean them! You may hurt the value if indeed they are old and valuable. If you wantto sell them or have them appraised, place them on paper towe ls, fo ld them up and put them into a bag, and take them to a specialty coin shop or jeweler you trust who knows about coins.
If you have some coins that are dirty but not worth more than face value, you can make a bath of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap, then wash the coins with a soft cloth. Don’t use baking soda or anything abrasive; scratches can result.
DEAR HELOISE: Instead of buying small, expensive, one-serving packages, I buy the large boxes of store-brand one-minute oatmeal, with no additives. I leave a 1/2-cup measure inside the box.
I microwave a cup of water for about a minute, measure out the 1/2-cup serving of oats into a coffee mug, then add a bit of sweetener and a handful of walnuts. The boiling water is added and sits a minute or two, and voila! My healthy breakfast is ready.
- Lee Cate in Houston
DEAR READER: My kind of hint.
DEAR HELOISE: Medicine bottles contain personal information. An easy way to remove the paper label is to wrap a length of duct tape around the bottle over the label. Rub the tape in for a few seconds. When you strip off the tape, the label will come with it. The private information is stuck face down on thetape, which can be crumpled and thrown away.
- Jim K., San Antonio Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail
Weekend, Pages 38 on 10/06/2011