DEAR HELOISE: Here is some feedback relative to recent subjects in your column.
Walking: 1. Wear light-colored and/or reflective clothing, especially during dusk and at night. This applies to bicycle riding as well. 2. When walking with a group, get in a single file line when a vehicle approaches and stay to the side of the road facing the traffic. Carrying a flashlight at night is also a good safety idea.
Prescription drug bottles: Getting the label off has always been a challenge for me. Now I use a black permanent marker to fully hide all relevant information.
Wax on windshield: If, after leaving a car wash, you find tiny spots of wax on the windshield and rear window, try using a glass cleaner that you would use on a glass-top stove. It has worked for me. Using a blue non-scratch scrubbing pad with the cleaner sort of speeds up the cleaning process.
Stainless-steel appliance cleaning: After we installed our Bosch dishwasher, I contacted the Bosch customer service center to find out what it recommends for cleaning the stainless-steel door. I was told to use Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser. The bottle says it is safe for porcelain, stainless steel, ceramic, tile and copper.
And to quote Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that." Best regards and smiles.
-- Tim Davis, Kettering, Ohio
DEAR HELOISE: Love your column. I've found that the best way to store my earrings, rings and other small jewelry is in a plastic tray used for storing fishing lures. They have itty-bitty cubicles with plastic dividers, and some have lift-out dividers, so you can merge a couple of cubicles to accommodate larger broaches or hoop earrings. Get the boxes that are transparent or translucent, stack them, and you can always see which box you want.
The best way to store necklaces is on one of the cheapo tie racks with little "fingers" that stick straight out. You can store multiple necklaces on each "finger." I've mounted the tie rack on the back of my closet door (swing door, not a slider) so I can select my jewelry as I select my clothes.
For bracelets, use little hooks stuck to a vertical surface. Again, I use the back of my closet door.
-- Sheri, via email
DEAR HELOISE: I park my car next to a grassy area that is between the sidewalk and the street -- a favorite place for the dog poo. Even when people pick up the waste, there is a residue left behind. My solution: Sprinkle old spices from your spice rack on the grass in that area. The smell puts the dogs off and they hold it until they get to the next yard. This also works great in the garden, where the feral cats have made their litter box.
-- Susan, Torrance, Calif.
DEAR HELOISE: A recent item about orange juice brought back memories of my mother's technique for frozen juice concentrate. Instead of allowing the concentrate to melt, she made the juice in the blender using concentrate straight out of the freezer. She would even add a few ice cubes and reduce the amount of water accordingly. The result was a frothy, cold glass of orange juice first thing in the morning -- a wonderful way to wake up.
-- Marcia Keeth, via email
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