Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
HELPFUL HINTS
DEAR HELOISE: I am moving for the 41st time! I want to share some hints:
Send out notices of address change as soon as possible.
Cut the elastic waistband off pantyhose. Great for keeping boxes closed.
Use small wastebaskets for small stuff.
Wrap dishes and glassware in towels.
In a large tote bag, pack your medications, checkbook, credit cards, tissues, bottle of water, a roll of toilet tissue and other small stuff so you won’t have to hunt for it. Keep this bag in your hands until you are sufficiently moved in and settled.
I love moving. I get rid of old, not-needed things, get a new start and make new friends. — Frances in Kane, Pa., aka Galloping Granny! DEAR READER: Wow, you have it down to a system that works.
DEAR HELOISE: What is the best product or homemade “something” to clean stains inside the rim of the toilet?
— Nancy, via email DEAR READER: If the stains are inside the rim — meaning coming out from the holes where the water flows — it’s a water problem. It could be iron in the water (is the house on well water?) or high calcium mineral deposits, also known as hard water.
If the stains are orangey-looking, that means there is iron in the water. You probably need a product with oxalic acid or an iron/rust remover.
A Heloise Hint is to soak toilet paper in full-strength vinegar. Push the tissue up against the “stains” until the tissue sticks. Let sit for several hours (don’t let them dry out), then scrub with a stiff plastic brush or synthetic sponge (no metal — do not scratch the porcelain surface), and poke through the holes where the water flows with a toothpick. DEAR HELOISE: Here in California, we’ve had a drought for four years running. Now water rationing is mandatory.
My family takes three-minute showers. The first minute is for collecting the water in a bucket until it warms up. The second minute is to get yourself wet. The water goes off while we lather up with soap and shampoo. The last minute is for rinsing off. The water in the bucket is used for the toilet or to swab out the sink.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com