HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Do you have a child or grandchild who is looking at college or a trade school? If she or he is a sophomore or junior in high school, now is a good time to start doing your homework and researching schools.

Here are some hints from the U.S. Department of Education (ed.gov):

Have the student be honest on the application. Online applications are faster.

Colleges can and do check social media sites.

If letters of recommendation are needed, these can take time to get. Give coaches, supervisors and teachers at least one month, if not two, to get those completed.

The student should showcase his or her individual talents on the application.

Save copies of everything sent out.

DEAR READERS: This time of year, much of the country can be in a deep freeze — brrr! There’s an old hint of my mother’s, the original Heloise (1919-1977), involving my favorite household helper, vinegar, and windshields. This can prevent the windshield from icing over overnight.

Using a mixture of 2/3 cup white or apple-cider vinegar and 1/3 cup water, wipe or spray lightly the outside of the car windshield the night before a hard freeze, if you’re parked outside. This should lessen the effect of ice and lower your defrosting time.

In San Antonio, we don’t often get hard freezes, but the vinegar-and-water mixture will clean the windshield at least, and it certainly is safe.

DEAR HELOISE: I rearranged the linens in my linen closet based on which items I use the most: sheets, towels and other linens.

The layout of the closet has to make sense — my young kids have to be able to reach everything.

Sheets and pillowcases go above the towels, and items that rarely get used go on the highest shelf — luxury towels, tablecloths and place mats.

— Heather M. in Tennessee

DEAR HELOISE: One chore I perform every night before going to bed: wiping out and drying the kitchen sink. Germs can build up there, and I feel like the kitchen and the house itself are cleaner when the sink is clean!

I use repurposed paper towels that I’ve used previously to dry my hands — saves money! — Rebecca L., Utah

HELOISE