DEAR HELOISE: My car gets so hot in the summer. Do you have any hints on how to cool down a car quickly?
-- Jessie in Alabama
DEAR READER: As soon as you get in the car, roll down the windows. Then turn the AC on high. You need to get the air moving to get all the hot air out. You also can open and close the door quickly to create airflow. This should help cool the car quickly.
When you live in the South and have many days over 100 degrees, the following hints can help make sure that your car doesn't get that hot. First, when parking, try to park in the shade as much as possible. Use a sun shade to block the sun's rays and keep the dash and steering wheel cooler. You also can crack the windows slightly, if you feel comfortable doing so.
DEAR HELOISE: When I go on a trip, I pack an empty shoe box in my suitcase. This leaves room for souvenirs or other things I might buy. It also can be used to protect breakables. On one trip, the insole of my shoe wore out, and some of the nails were poking through, so I traced my foot on the cardboard of the shoebox, cut it out and slipped it into my shoe. It worked fine for the rest of the trip. I'm sure your readers can think of even more things to use a shoe box for.
-- Shoshana S., via email
DEAR READER: What a great hint! Readers, what do you think? What other uses can you come up with for an old shoe box?
DEAR HELOISE: My husband is a golfer. He had a lot of extra golf-club covers. I decided to use some to cover faucets. I cover the outside faucets, not only in winter, but year-round. My small children love to play outside, and I like knowing that they can't hit them and get hurt, or turn them on. The covers also work on the inside tub faucets. After filling the bathtub, I slide one over to pad it in case one of the kids slips in the tub.
-- Paula in Texas
DEAR HELOISE: I've had issues with items getting tangled in the washer, mostly drawstrings and cloth belts, etc. I found a solution: I fold the belt (or other item) back and forth a few times and stick a safety pin through it. It becomes short enough to not tangle, and the loops are small enough to not wrap around anything. Unlike a rubber band, a safety pin doesn't prevent it from getting clean. Also, a good safety pin will last longer than a piece of rubber.
-- Mark in New Hampshire
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
MovieStyle on 06/13/2014