HELPFUL HINTS
HELOISE: I have a DEAR pet peeve when shopping that maybe you can answer. When I’m looking for a specific spice or can of soup, the choices are endless. My eyes go from right to left, top to bottom.
By the time I find what I’m looking for, I’ve got a headache. Why don’t stores alphabetize these items?
— Sharon K., Reading, Penn. READER: The DEAR premium shelf space at the grocery store (which usually means eye level) is where product manufacturers want their goods, and they pay the retailer to have their products placed there.
If you can see it quickly, you will be more apt to grab it and put it in your basket. Although, your alphabet idea does sound like a good way to organize merchandise.
READERS: Grocery DEAR stores place staple items such as bread and milk at the back of the store, which demands that we walk past all the other aisles and shelves of items — more temptation! One solution? Prepare a list and stick to it.
HELOISE: After DEAR cleaning my CPAP (“CPAP” stands for “continuous positive airway pressure.” It’s a medical device that can help keep your nose and mouth open so you can breathe better when sleeping. — H), there was still slime in the corners of my water reservoir. I put it in the freezer for an hour. Did I kill the germs, or did I waste my time?
— Butch, Huntington, Ind.
READER:vNo, you DEAR didn’t kill the germs. Cleaning and drying the unit is important. The American Sleep Association (www.sleepassociation.org) says rinsing the CPAP with plain water is fine, but you must let the equipment dry thoroughly, and the hoses and filters need to be replaced regularly.
P.S. The freezer won’t kill germs; the most it could do is slow reproduction.
HELOISE: I found DEAR a wallpaper sample book. I thought it would make a colorful and fun scrapbook. I’m having fun cutting and pasting old pictures, fabric swatches, buttons and letters. It’s a great memory maker!
— Doris in Ohio
HELOISE: My kids DEAR love spaghetti, but it can be messy to eat, so I cut the spaghetti into small pieces with a pair of kitchen shears before I cook it. No more mess.
— Rachel in Florida Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com