Keeping your home safe

Dear Readers: The holidays are coming up, and now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing, you might be able to travel to visit with family and friends. But don’t assume that your home will be safe from possible criminal activity while you are gone. Here are steps you can take to protect it.

•Set automatic timers that turn lights on and off in several rooms at different times.

• Let your neighbors know that you are going to be away, so they will be aware of any suspicious activity.

•Disconnect your automatic garage-door opener.

•Park a car halfway up the driveway to block the garage door.

• Stop mail delivery if you will be gone for a long time.

— Heloise

Mini-tasking while watching TV

Dear Heloise: I saw a reader tip in August — someone who gets things done at work and home by completing a small task whenever she has a few extra minutes. Instead of watching or fast-forwarding through commercials, I get up and accomplish a small task. I make it a point to get up during each commercial and station break. This is healthy, invigorating and productive. Unload the dishwasher. Fold or put away some laundry. Straighten out contents of a drawer. Scan that picture. Practice a balance pose. Remove your makeup.

— Susan, The Villages, Florida

What to do if you smell gas in your house

Dear Readers: Natural gas leaks do happen. Your home could be affected by underground pipelines or damaged outdoor service lines, which could cause a leak in your home. Here’s how to recognize a leak and what to do.

If you smell an awful rotten egg odor, hear a hissing sound or notice a dust cloud close to a gas line, get your family and pets together immediately and leave your home ASAP. Do not call anyone from inside your house (call for help as soon as you are safely outside) or go back in for any reason, until the gas company gives you the OK to do so. — Heloise

Smelly sponges

Dear Readers: Kitchen sponges get so much daily use in our kitchens. And, boy, do they get dirty and stinky. And then bacteria, mildew and food particles become trapped inside the sponge. Here’s how to eliminate it. Soak the sponges in a bowl of vinegar for 5 to 10 minutes. Then rinse the sponges in cool, soapy water and wring them out completely. Let them air-dry.

When sponges get ratty or torn, toss them out. Buy new sponges when they are on sale.