Avoid falling objects
Dear Readers: Tragically, FALLING dressers, furniture, TVs and appliances cause injuries every 17 minutes in the United States, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc. gov).
As you can imagine, many of these victims are young kids and toddlers climbing on the furniture. A number of these accidents result in death.
There are ways to prevent tip-overs. Here are some hints from the CPSC:
■ Flat-screen TVs ideally should be mounted to the wall. The manufacturer of the TV will include mounting instructions; the retailer also should provide professional installation. An older-style TV should only be in a unit designed to hold a TV, and not on top of a dresser.
■ Dressers should be secured to the wall with brackets. Brand-new dressers typically are sold with a bracket or harness system for safety. Ask your sales associate for information on this.
■ Finally, keep tempting items (toys, snacks and remotes) off high furniture.
When the grandchildren are visiting, make sure you have baby gates up, your outlets are plugged, kitchen and bathroom cabinets are latched, and the dressers are secured to the wall. — Heloise
Talk or text
Dear Heloise: My hint is for people who live alone: Find someone to talk to or text daily. The person does not have to live nearby, but should have the phone number of a neighbor, preferably one with a key to the house.
The contact needs to be on a daily basis. My mom and grandma were both found (and survived) after falling by someone who dropped by daily.
I read your column in the ( Jacksonville, Ill.) Journal-Courier. — A Concerned Reader, via email
Gooey news
Dear Heloise: We travel full time in an RV, so keeping a paper shredder isn’t convenient. To destroy papers, I fill my sink with hot, soapy water and bleach. In go the papers, and I let them soak until they turn to mush.
I make big “spitballs” of the paper and toss them out with the rest of the garbage. They are beyond what anyone would be able to get information from. — Jan H., via email
This would work for my non-RVers, too. — Heloise
Hook ‘em
Dear Heloise: I’ve sometimes lost one of my matching underwear sets, until I came up with the idea of hooking the panties into the bra before closing the hook-and-eye. Haven’t lost another pair since! — Lee G., Arlington, Va.
Make ‘alt-ernate’ plans
Dear Readers: Use the ALT key plus the following codes to type these symbols on most PCs (this doesn’t work for Macs):
Degree symbol: ALT + 0176
Cent sign: ALT + 0162 Trademark sign: ALT + 0153
Copyright sign: ALT + 0169
Smiley face: ALT + 1 — Heloise
Household Hints
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, 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.