DEAR HELOISE: I have a hint for facial-tissue boxes. When the tissues are about halfway down, I put two clean golf balls in the box. Their weight keeps the box from jumping off the counter as the last tissues are pulled out, and the golf balls don't snag the tissues.
-- Jack in Little Rock
DEAR READERS: A recent reader question about donating stuffed animals brought a lot of wonderful responses. Here are just a few:
Sharon W. wrote: "Many police and fire stations accept donations of stuffed animals. They pass them out to children in crisis situations as a comfort in their time of need. Hugs!"
Tom emailed from his cellphone: "Consider bringing them to the highway patrol. They like to carry cute toys to give to children at the scene of an accident. It can be comforting to have something to hug after the trauma of an accident."
V.P. in Colorado Springs, Colo., says, "Our ambulance service also accepts them."
Dr. W. in Houston writes: "Check with police, sheriff and fire departments. The stuffed animals are carried in the trunks of the officers' cars. Should there be a devastating situation (violence or fire), they give toys to children to comfort them at a time of crisis."
Shirley in Florida agrees: "When a car is pulled over and it has a child in the back, the child gets frightened and cries. The stuffed animals help to calm the child."
Karen notes: "In Meadville, Pa., a judge collects the stuffed toys and hands them out to children who must appear in his courtroom."
Thank you for the suggestions -- I knew my readers would help out! Hugs!
DEAR READERS: So many of you keep asking for the Heloise shower-cleaning formula, here it is again:
Mix a half cup of vinegar (white or apple cider), one pint of rubbing alcohol and one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Add enough water to make a gallon. Pour some into a spray bottle and label it clearly. Spray, let sit for a few minutes and then wipe. While in the bathroom, clean a hairbrush or two. Clean out the hair using a comb, then spray with this Heloise multipurpose cleaner. Scrub two brushes together to clean, then rinse the solution off with hot tap water.
DEAR HELOISE: I have short arms; therefore, I have trouble getting clothes out of the back of my dryer. I have a mechanical grabber to pick up things. I use that, and no problem!
-- Reba in Bowie, Md.
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
Weekend on 03/19/2015