Wet dryer sheets clean bugs from car

DEAR HELOISE: After recently returning from a vacation in Florida, the front bumper and grill of our vehicle was completely covered with dead bugs. My wife came up with a quick and easy method to remove them. She put several dryer sheets in a small bucket of water, and we simply wiped the mixture on the front of the vehicle.

To my surprise, the bug remnants practically jumped off the bumper and grill. It was amazing. Afterward, we washed and rinsed. Everything looked brand new again.

— Matt, China Spring, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: We only use one or two sandwich buns at a time. I find they keep better if, upon opening a fresh package, I wrap each bun in plastic wrap and return them to the original bag before storing them in the freezer. This also makes it convenient to pull out individual buns as needed.

— S. Phillips, Columbia City, Ind.

DEAR HELOISE: Two recent visits to doctor’s offices proved to me that customer service is a thing of the past. The person checking me in and the medical assistant both spoke at machine-gun speed. When asked to repeat what was said, they did, but one gave me an exasperated look.

They must remember that when dealing with someone who is ill and speaking medical jargon, if they have time to say it twice, there is time to say it once clearly.

—Rosemary in California

DEAR HELOISE: You recently had a hint from someone about using coffee grounds to repel slugs and snails. Please let everyone know that coffee, in any form, is poisonous to both dogs and cats.

I had to quit putting coffee grounds in my compost because my Husky loved coffee.

— Fran Rich, San Antonio, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: My sons use a split ring attached to a dogleash clip to fasten their keys to a belt loop. I use the split ring and clip to fasten my keys to the strap of my handbag.