Distilled for the dogs

Dear Heloise: I am responding to a suggestion in the paper (The Villages Daily Sun) about wiping the tear stains from a dog’s eyes. I have a better suggestion.

I learned this from a friend who has a small white dog. As do many white dogs, hers had tear stains much of the time. My friend started giving her dog only distilled water, and none from the tap. After about a week, the tear stains nearly stopped.

I am a dog sitter, and I tried her hint on the next white dog I sat for. It worked! Not only did the staining improve, but so did his beard. It had previously been a little yellow. It went back to a bright, clean white.

I told his “parents” about it, and they have been giving him only distilled water ever since. They thank me for the hint every time I see them, because it works. — Shelley P., The Villages, Fla.

Pet Pal

Dear Readers: Meet Molly. George and Judy in Cypress, Calif., have this mixed-breed, cute, white, lovable dog. Every time she gets a chance to “escape” from her home, she takes off running!

However, George discovered that if he gets in his car and his car keys start to jingle, she will come back to the car and jump inside!

Check out Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.” — Heloise

Container Safety

Dear Heloise: I am a woodworker, and I reuse plastic containers in my workshop. I buy fasteners such as screws in 1-pound boxes. I use lunchmeat containers to store them, and I tape the cardboard box tops to the plastic lids.

These containers are also good for storing leftover paint for touch-ups. In this case, I put a piece of foil over the tub and put the lid on. The paint lasts a lot longer than leaving it in 1-gallon cans. A dab of paint on the lid identifies the paint color.

I write the mix number from the paint store and the date purchased on the lid for future reference. — Noel P., Stafford, Va.

Storage Solution

Dear Heloise: To save cupboard space, I store my dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher between loads. After I run a load, I leave the bottle on the counter until the dishes have been put away. On the counter means the dishes are clean. In the dishwasher, the dirty dishes are waiting to be washed. — Susan H., Fillmore, Calif.

Convenient Calendar

Dear Heloise: Regarding a recent hint about what to do with the extra wall calendars you receive, we found that the people who use the services of our agency, which helps low-income families, love the extra calendars. — Nancy S., Winchester, Va.