DEAR READERS: Here is this week's Sound Off, which is a follow-up to our column about beds being so high:
"I wanted to add a comment to a recent Sound Off about the height of beds. I couldn't agree more with the reader. I would like to add that the weight of new mattresses makes it impossible to make beds. The mattress is so large and heavy, I find it backbreaking to make the bed. I am fairly strong and fit, but lifting the edges of the mattress to tuck in the sheets is impossible."
-- Diane B., Denville, N.J.
DEAR READERS: Other uses for bread bags:
• Use as a car trash bag.
• Cover your hand for messy chores like painting, etc.
• Put in a gym or beach bag to hold wet swimsuits.
• Keep in a diaper bag for dirty diapers.
• Line a coffee can with one and collect food scraps.
DEAR HELOISE: I have shredding scissors that I have been using to shred the many address labels that I receive from various charities. They are getting all gunked up from the paste. How can I get these clean?
-- A Reader, via email
DEAR READER: Try using a petroleum-based laundry spray that you use to pretreat stains, or an adhesive remover that you find at office-supply stores. Apply it directly to the blades and let it sit for a few minutes, then take a nylon scrubber and rub to remove the gunk. Rinse the scissors with water, then wipe dry.
DEAR HELOISE: I know it's recommended to brush one's teeth for two minutes, concentrating on each tooth as you go, to ensure complete cleaning. I find that after about a minute, I feel that I've surely covered each tooth, and I am bored and ready to quit. So, to combat this feeling, I've decided to switch hands after the first minute.
The less-often-used hand is slower and just about ensures that you brush for the second minute. It's more difficult and, in effect, challenges the brain to successfully accomplish a new task. Also, the reversed brushing angle probably gets the toothbrush into different crevices that ordinarily would be missed.
-- Gerard C. in New Jersey
DEAR HELOISE: I often take a drink (and maybe a snack or two) with me into the bedroom to have when I lie in bed and watch TV. I have had several accidents and spilled drinks on the floor by my bed. I now have a throw rug there. It is a high-traffic area and has a tendency to have things spilled on it. The throw is protection and can be replaced much more easily than the carpet.
-- A Reader in Florida
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 on 05/12/2014