HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I enjoy your column and saw your comment on berries today. We have a much better solution. We wash all fruit in three parts water and one part vinegar. Soak for 10 minutes, rinse completely and then, most importantly, dry completely on the counter before placing in a bowl in the fridge. Berries are one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. We eat a lot of them, and they last perfectly for a week with this method.

They are also the most vulnerable to holding pesticides, so it’s best to get organic, if possible. Either way, the magic of vinegar comes through again. — Michelle Jacobson, via email

DEAR HELOISE: I just wanted to follow up and pass on a time-saving hint to the person who came back to a flooded house after a vacation. We do the following when we leave our home for vacation or just an overnight stay: We first turn off the breaker to the [electric] water heater, and then turn off the water on the outside of our home. [Most gas water heaters have “vacation” mode, which lowers the water temperature to 50 degrees, saving energy and reducing utility bills.] This way we won’t have any floods, and the water heater heats up pretty quickly for showers, etc. Thanks for all your great advice.

— Pamela V. in Texas

DEAR READER: This should be on everyone’s checklist before they leave on any trip. DEAR HELOISE: I have a folder on my cellphone called “Products.” When I buy certain items in the store, I will take a picture of it and include the bar code. I store this information in the folder on my cellphone.

Many times I have gone back to the store and tried to describe the item I am looking for. Usually the employee gives me a blank look, until I show a picture of what I am looking for. With the bar code, they can quickly check if they have it in stock. — D. Hansel, Houston

DEAR HELOISE: I had an energy audit done, and the best advice I got was to put blank plugs in all my unused electrical outlets in the house, but especially the outer walls of my house. These are available quite cheaply at many stores, including foam pads to complete the seal. Try holding a finger in front of an unused plug (but don’t touch it). You’ll quickly feel how much cold air is leaking in without a plug. Thanks for all your good advice.

— Sylvia Kelty, via email Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email