Neighbors band together to make their residences safer

Today’s Sound Off is a happy idea that benefits residents on a suburban street: Dear Heloise: I live on a cul-de-sac, and as it turns out, everyone on my street is over the age of 56. We look out for one another and provide help to each other whenever it’s needed or asked for.

Every Fourth of July, we have a street party with just the residents of our street. We all bring food, drinks and usually barbecue something on a grill. It’s a lot of fun.

It’s also the time we all share information that helps other people on our street, such as the name or number of a good plumber who doesn’t overcharge, the name of a handyman who can do just about anything or details of a scam that someone fell for or avoided. And thanks to you and your staff for providing information on various scams, because many of us have been alerted to tricks that scammers play.

Most of us now have a sign on our doors that says “No soliciting.” That’s due to a group who came through here offering to paint our houses for a low fee. We called the police, and it turned out the police had been looking for these people. They were scammers who asked for money upfront and never came back to paint the homes.

Thank heavens that none of us employed them, but we decided not to because you had warned us in your column about offers that were too good to be true. So, from all of us on our cul-de-sac, thank you many times over.

— Gracie, Gloria, Frances, Doug, June, Michael, Ruth and Lois Michigan

Cotton swab uses

These are some additional uses for cotton swabs:

• Clean around computer keys.

• Blend eye makeup or remove too much eyeliner.

• Clean crevices on knickknacks.

• Remove nail polish from cuticles.

• Paint scratches on furniture.

— Heloise

Repurposing yoga mats Dear Heloise:

Two of my friends and I took yoga classes and, after a few months, became disinterested. The other two friends didn’t want their yoga mats anymore, so I asked for them and found that the mats had several uses. They are easy to cut up, so I used them to line the cupboard where I keep my lead crystal items. I also used them as mats to kneel on while gardening in my flower bed, and I even made coasters from them. Yoga mats are fairly cheap, so I buy a few whenever they’re on sale.

— Ashley M. Fresno, Calif. Ashley, thanks for the yoga mat hints. I cut up a couple of yoga mats and used them to line some cupboards that hold very old antiques and family treasures, such as an old porcelain clock from Germany, delicate dishes and silverware.

Remembering groceries

Dear Heloise: I used to go shopping for groceries without a list, figuring I would just remember what to get. Well, I always managed to forget two or three items that I really needed. Now, I make a list, take that list out to my car and place it on the passenger’s seat. No more forgotten items or a forgotten list at home.

— Kelly F. Greenville, SC

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.