LITTLE ROCK — DEAR HELOISE: What is the best way to clean laminate flooring?
- Debbie C., via e-mail
DEAR READER: If you are using a cleaner or wax on your floor, that is probably what is leaving the sticky residue. Use a dust mop or electric sweeper to remove dirt and grit frequently. Then using a damp mop every so often should be all you need. Be careful about the amount of water you use. Too much can warp the laminate. Use a clean, dry cloth to go over the floor after you mop to remove any excess water.
Never use wax, polish or anything that can scratch the floor, like a scouring pad. Check with your manufacturer for what it recommends. Some market-specific cleaners for laminate floors clean without leaving a film.
Some manufacturers say to use vinegar and water, and others say not to, so you should check so that you don’t void the warranty.
DEAR READERS: Have these items on hand for easy meal fixes:
Chicken or beef broth
Canned tomatoes
Rice or instant potatoes
Onions
Bread crumbs
DEAR HELOISE: I have a pair of pants for which the zipper will not stay up. My friend taught me a trick. Take an old key ring and thread it through the zipper pull on your pants. Then when you zip up your zipper, loop the key ring around the button before you button your pants. The key ring is hidden, and your zipper stays up all day.
- Shayna from Colorado
DEAR HELOISE: I have a favorite department store moisturizer. I always wait to buy it until the store is having a “free gift with purchase.” Not only do you get the product you love, but you get new products that you might not have tried otherwise.
- Toni, via e-mail
DEAR HELOISE: What has happened to common courtesy? I am a capable woman, but I still find it nice when someone holds the door for me. I have been walking behind someone and have had a door slammed in my face because the person didn’t have the courtesy to hold it open. It especially irritates me when I have my baby with me and am pushing a stroller. It is hard to hold open a door and get the stroller through.
- Peggy from Indiana
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
ActiveStyle, Pages 26 on 03/26/2012