HINTS FROM HELOISE

Dear Heloise: My grandson loves to save labels of various wines he liked and keeps them in a scrapbook with notations next to the labels. However, he was having a hard time with removing some of the labels after soaking the bottle for several hours. Is there an easier way to get those labels off?

— Wanda-Jo K., Dyersburg, Tenn.

Wanda-Jo, yes, there is an easier way. You’ll need a pan of water and a funnel. Boil the water until it’s very hot. Place the funnel in the opening of the bottle and pour the boiling water inside the bottle.

After a few minutes, try peeling the label off. If the label gives you too much resistance, wait a few more minutes and then slowly, carefully peel it off.

Dear Heloise:

— Heloise

We recently had a very dangerous moment at our home.

While cooking steaks on the grill (on the patio next to the house), somehow a spark must have flown up from a small breeze and caught the side of the house on fire. I ran for the fire extinguisher, and it took us about 10 to 15 minutes to figure out how to operate it. My neighbors turned on their hose and put out the fire, but it was a close call.

Please tell people that they need a fire extinguisher but they also need to know how to work the model they have, before there’s a fire. A house is more than just walls and floors. It’s memories and a refuge.

— Margaret H., Miami, Fla.

Dear Heloise: Three weeks ago I went to a family gathering, and when I was in the bathroom, I noticed the hostess had not put out any hand towels, so everyone had to use a bar of soap and the family bath towels to dry their hands. It taught me a lesson! Now when I have company over I set out liquid soap in a dispenser and a roll of paper towels. Several of my friends have commented that they like this idea very much!

— Nancy W., Fairfield, Vt.

Dear Heloise: My husband and I received a phone call the other night from a woman who said we had won a huge sum of money.

Sounds nice, but I knew I hadn’t entered any contest or give-away deals, so I suspected it was a scam. The woman tried to get information from us, such as our Social Security number, bank numbers, etc., but we didn’t give out any information.

Then she went into some nonsense about how we had to pay a certain amount to claim this bundle of fictitious money. Needless to say, we did not cooperate with her. Please warn your readers about these crooks.

— Phil And Fiona V., Amhurst, N.Y.

Send your hints to Heloise@ Heloise.com or mail them to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000.