Hair-raising issue

Dear Readers: If your dog is shedding excessively and leaving hair everywhere, including all over the carpet, here’s how to deal with this hairy problem.

There are several ways you can take care of this. First, vacuum the carpet thoroughly using the brush attachment, going over hairy areas a couple of times, which should help grab the hair. Or you can wipe a lightly dampened sponge over the area to lift off hair. Another tack you can take is to roll several lengths of duct tape around your hand to pull off smaller amounts of hair.

And finally, you can try to vacuum your pooch, very gently and carefully, to get rid of loose hair. It might take a bit of time to get your dog used to this approach! And, of course, you can prevent a lot of this problem simply by brushing your dog often. — Heloise

Baking soda as fire extinguisher

Dear Readers: When baking soda is on sale, buy a couple extra boxes to keep in your kitchen. Baking soda can be used to curtail small oil or grease cooking fires. Here’s how to use it the right and effective way in most situations.

The minute you see small flames, turn off the stove. Then back away from it and throw a handful of baking soda on the base of the flames. If needed, add more baking soda. And, if possible, put a big metal lid over the frying pan, which will help put out the fire.

Never toss baking soda in a deep fryer, because it’s likely to splash and spread the grease. And if the fire is spreading fast and growing bigger, leave the kitchen immediately and call 911.

Baking soda is a safe and cheap household product that has a lot of uses around the home. For more help- ful hints about baking soda, order my six-page pamphlet Heloise’s Baking Soda Hints and Recipes by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (75 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: If the gar- bage disposal is stinky, pour several tablespoons of bak- ing soda down the drain to freshen it. — Heloise

Gum melted in the clothes dryer?

Dear Readers: Oh yes, this laundry disaster hap- pens. It’s a trying task to get rid of that sticky gunk from the inside of the dryer. Take these steps. Put several old towels in the dryer and turn it on to warm for a couple of minutes. This will soften the gum. Then mix 1 tablespoon of powdered laundry deter- gent with enough water to make a paste. Apply it with a cloth and rub over the gum inside the dryer, then wipe out. Before putting clothes in the dryer again, run it again with several damp rags to ensure that all of the gum is gone. — Heloise

Zap hard brown sugar

Dear Readers: If the brown sugar in your kitchen cabinet has gotten hard as a rock, you can solve this problem by placing the brown sugar in a micro- wave-safe dish. Cover it tightly and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Check and repeat, if needed. To prevent this from happen- ing, store brown sugar in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep it from getting hard. — Heloise

Pet pal

Dear Heloise: This is Coco. She is a 12-year-old calico that is sweeter than pecan pie. — Gary Philips, via email

Readers, to see Coco, go to www.Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”