HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Here is this week’s Sound Off, about new car models:

“Why do car makers make the front of the cars so low? I can’t go down a steep drive.When parking the car, I can’t get close to the curb, or it scrapes the bottom of the car. I can’t drive up a steep drive without scraping the front bottom of the car.” - A Reader in Ohio

DEAR READERS: Here are other uses for stale bread:

Feed the ducks at a park or pond.

Make breadcrumbs or croutons.

Use as a meatloaf thickener.

Make a bird feeder with peanut butter.

Use in bread pudding.

DEAR READERS: Here are some of your responses to a Sound Off about public bathrooms having only air hand dryers:

Chris in Magnolia, Texas, wrote, “Although the air dryers now are pretty good, did you ever think about how you are drying your hands with ‘bathroom air,’ which, in some situations, is pretty awful?”

Mary M. in Lake Jackson, Texas, wrote, “I detest them for another reason: Some of them are so loud!”

Ellen N. in Florida wrote: “When air dryers are used, they deposit all the airborne bacteria/viruses back on the hands of the person who has just washed. If there is no paper-towel dispenser, it is more prudent to just let your hands air-dry.”

A very interesting point. Some research shows that it may depend on the amount of time one uses an air dryer. Ten seconds or longer? Just warm air, or really hot air? There are many, many types of germs, also. If you don’t like the idea of using an air dryer, grab some toilet paper or a tissue cover and use it.

P.S.: As a road warrior who uses a lot of public restrooms, my best defense is hand sanitizer! Even if I wash my hands, I still use it when I get out of the restroom.

DEAR HELOISE: We all know that brushing your teeth is important. When my son was small, I gave him a toothbrush to chew on (under supervision, of course) so he would get used to having a toothbrush in his mouth. When it came time to switch to a regular toothbrush instead of the gum brush, he wasn’t scared of it and transitioned fine.

  • A Reader in Tennessee Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com

ActiveStyle, Pages 26 on 12/09/2013

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