DEAR READERS: Today's Sound Off is about poorly marked locations:
DEAR HELOISE: It is maddening to drive along looking for a business and you can't find the address numbers. It should be required to have the numbers large enough to see from the road. Not everyone who wants to use your services can drive straight to your location if they can't find your address."
-- Sherry D., via e-mail
How right you are, and most of my readers agree. Business owners: Pretend you don't know where your business is, and try to find the address. I've had to park, get out of the car and walk up to the door or window to be able to read the address and hours of operation. Readers? Business owners? Let me hear from you.
DEAR READERS: Don't toss out those empty baby-food jars or containers. Use them for:
• Storing small treats for pets while at the park or in an auto.
• Holding buttons.
• Storing leftover paint for touch-ups.
• Keeping small items organized in a "junk drawer."
DEAR HELOISE: I've read your suggestions for freezing brown sugar. I do a lot of baking, especially at Christmas, so I buy a 2-pound bag of brown sugar. When I have some left, I reseal the bag and narrow it down using rubber bands to make a smaller package in my freezer. (Heloise here: You might want to put it in a freezer-safe sealable bag.) Believe me, it is soft and pliable the moment I take it out of the freezer, and I can use it all year long.
-- Margaret in California
DEAR HELOISE: My daughter bought an old mahogany dresser for her first apartment. The musty smell is awful, and she can't put her clothes in it. It also looks like there might be a little mold inside the drawers. How do we get rid of the smell/mold?
-- Sharon W., via email
DEAR READER: Here are a few hints to try:
• Move drawers to a well-ventilated site. Spritz the inside of each drawer with undiluted vinegar, then scrub the inside with a cloth and let dry.
• Sprinkle the drawers with some baking soda and let it sit overnight, then vacuum.
• Set the drawers outside in the bright sunshine for an hour or so to let Mother Nature do her thing.
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 08/21/2017