HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I had been hunting for an easy solution with some serious cleaning power to get my son’s shower back to sparkling clean. I used some white vinegar, and put it in a spray bottle with a few squirts of grease-cutting dish washing soap. My son sprayed the walls and tub thoroughly, let it sit for an hour, then scrubbed it down with a plastic scrubber, followed by a rinse of hot water. His shower was cleaner than mine! This definitely is a household hint we’ll be using more often.

  • Faye D., North Dakota

DEAR READER: There is almost nothing vinegar can’t do around the house, plus it’s cheap and safe. After you clean the shower, wipe down the bathroom fixtures with vinegar to remove water stains.

DEAR HELOISE: I clean houses professionally and have a hint about cleaning out kitchen cupboards. So that items get put back in the way they were, I line them up on the kitchen counter directly in front of me, exactly as they were in the cupboard. I do one cabinet at a time. I take those items out, right to left, front to back, and put them on the counter. No memorizing on my part.

  • Donna in Florida

DEAR HELOISE: For mascara when you get low or think it is empty: I set the tube in the bathroom sink and run a little bit of hot water over it. You will be surprised how much mascara is really left.

  • Susan in California

DEAR HELOISE: A relative and I were riding in the back seat, and her little dog stepped on the window control, and the window went up. He had his head hanging out the window, but he was little enough that the window slid under his chin, which just pushed him back in. If it had been a bigger dog with his head hanging out the window, it would have been a terrible thing. So the master lock in the “off” position is a great idea.

  • A Constant Reader, Columbus, Mont.

DEAR HELOISE: This is a travel hint that my brother gave me. He has a large suction cup with a hook for each family member. They use these to hang their swimsuits on, in the shower, to dry. Keep the hooks in your travel bag so they are always there.

  • Bonnie L., North Dakota

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

HomeStyle, Pages 36 on 01/11/2014

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