HINTS FROM HELOISE

DEAR HELOISE: My husband wants to get an electric car now that we have a new baby. He feels an electric car is safer than a gaspowered vehicle. So, are electric cars safer than gasoline-powered cars? — Bayleigh H., Yarmouth, Maine BAYLEIGH, GASOLINE IS A flammable substance, so of course the risk of fire is a possibility after an accident. Electric cars are fairly new, but the data available at this time seems to indicate that they are less likely to explode or catch fire. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates car safety in a series of simulated tests. Electric cars have done well in these tests. They also have a lower center of gravity, which means they are less likely to roll over. If you are considering an electric car, I urge you to carefully research your choices.

— Heloise DEAR HELOISE: I just finished college, and I want to do some traveling. Where should I start?

— Mike R., Greenville, N.C. MIKE, FIRST, make a list of places you’d like to see: Hong Kong, Hawaii, Peru, etc. This will be your bucket list. You can add to it or delete places that no longer interest you. Next, investigate the places you want to see first. Go online and look for travel sites, travel newsletters and bloggers who have been places. Read all that you can about the place you’re traveling to and, if possible, learn some of the language before you go.

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I had a difficult time with slugs and snails in my garden. A neighbor told me to bury a pie tin so that the edge of the tin is level with the ground, then fill the tin with beer. It works! I set it in my garden and overnight it killed about a dozen slugs and a couple of snails.

— Holly D. in San Antonio DEAR HELOISE: Regarding your question about brushing and flossing, my dental hygienist told me that you’re supposed to floss first, brush second and rinse with mouthwash last. Flossing loosens particles, brushing removes the particles, and mouthwash does the final rinse.

— Rodney B., Temple, Texas DEAR HELOISE: I’ve found that using dryer sheets tied to bushes and plants outdoors can repel deer. When it rains, the scent is revived, and it still works to keep deer away from that strong, perfumed scent. Of course, these need to be replaced every so often, but it works well to save my flowers from the deer.

— Lillian K., Rock Wood, Colo. DEAR HELOISE: How long is a hard-boiled egg safe to eat? I read your column every day in the Republican-American in Waterbury, Conn.

— Carolyn A.M., Canaan, Conn. CAROLYN, AREN’T hardboiled eggs yummy? A convenient and delicious snack. Use refrigerated hard-boiled eggs within one week of cooking.

— Heloise WANT TO KNOW my recipes? Order my pamphlet Heloise’s Main Dishes and More. Send $3 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Main Dishes, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

Copyright 2019

King Features Syndicate Inc.