HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Are you applying for a new passport? You’ll need the following:

■ A DS-11 application — the post office should have it.

■ A fee of $110, plus a $35 execution fee.

■ Your original (certified) birth certificate and a photocopy of the front and back of it.

■ A picture ID, such as a driver’s license — copy it front and back.

■ A (color) photo of you for the passport.

It will take four to six weeks to get your passport. For more detailed information, call (877) 487-2778, or email NPIC@state.gov.

DEAR HELOISE: If you want to rid your house of cockroaches, use bay leaves. Place bay leaves in places where you’ve seen these insects. Change out the leaves every other month. This method has never failed me.

— Rose S., Terre Haute, Ind.

DEAR HELOISE: My walk-in closet smells terrible. How do I get rid of that funky smell?

— Vernon D., Long Beach, Calif. DEAR READER: Get an empty plastic container, such as a margarine tub or a container like that with a lid. Mix a box of baking soda with 3 to 4 teaspoons of your favorite spice (allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon work well for this project) and put it in the plastic container. Put the lid on the container and poke several holes in the lid, then place the container in your closet. This should help to kill those odors. FYI: To keep pet odors under control, sprinkle baking soda on your pet’s bedding between washings, and also in your cat’s litter box, then add the litter.

DEAR HELOISE: With cold weather approaching, I thought I’d share this hint: Men who work in cold weather know pantyhose will help keep their legs warm.

— Mike A., California

DEAR HELOISE: I love iced coffee all year long, probably because I live in a very warm climate. The way I make it, the drink comes out sort of thick and very tasty.

I make a pot of coffee and pour it into a large measuring cup. Then I add sugar and cream to taste. I pour that into ice-cube trays and freeze, and when I want my iced coffee, I put the ice cubes in a blender until it’s sort of half frozen and half liquid. It tastes wonderful.

— Shirley H., Key West, Fla.