Taking precautions in case of falls

DEAR HELOISE >> I recently saw a hint that someone had sent in regarding the elderly taking their showers and being unprotected should they fall. The person said that what she does is take her phone in the bathroom with her. When I thought of this, my only concern was that if I have fallen, I will not be able to reach my phone on the sink counter. So, what I have started to do is put my phone on the floor next to the door! If I were to fall, I would most likely be able to scoot toward the phone.

— M.B.

Two helpful hints

DEAR HELOISE >> As useful as the idea about keeping a tissue box on the dryer is, I wanted to offer another idea instead.

Empty tissue boxes stuffed with lint can make for a great fire-starter. So, if there’s any stray hair, that can just go outside; birds delight in that for their nest-making. Dryer sheets are not healthy for you, and you should use dryer balls instead. Plus, if you use dryer sheets on towels, it makes them less absorbent.

Another hint: Finding hair and other things in drains can be very preventable with the wire mesh drain catchers. I use them everywhere --kitchen, laundry, bathtub and bathroom sink. It sure helps and beats having to unclog the pipes with chemicals or having to call a plumber.

— Sister Yaskiw, in Canada

Saving a soap-filled scouring pad

DEAR HELOISE >> I keep my soap-filled scouring pad from getting rusty simply by wrapping it tightly in aluminum foil. I used it yesterday, and after one year, it still had soap in it — and not a speck of rust!

I read your column every day in the San Antonio Express-News.

— Marge Moore, Bulverde,

Texas

Parchment paper

DEAR HELOISE >> When freezing homemade bread or other items, I slice them in sections, and then put parchment paper between the sections. That way, I am able to easily remove each section. They come right out, with no sticking.

PS: I enjoy your columns.

— Martha S., Rutland, Vermont

Organizing coupons

DEAR READERS >> If you have lots of coupons that you want to use, to make it easier on yourself, organize them beforehand in one of these three ways: by expiration date; by categories, such as dairy, canned goods or cereals; or by store aisles. This will help to make your shopping trip easier and faster.

Get bread crumbs fast

DEAR READERS >> If you discover you need bread crumbs for a recipe, and you don’t have any, you can use these substitutes: Take commercially packaged croutons, corn flakes or non-sugared breakfast cereal, and crush them for your recipe.