HINTS FROM HELOISE

DEAR READERS:

Most of us have experienced the problem of invasive cockroaches. Take action right away when you discover them. If you don’t want to apply chemical pesticides to get rid of them, use this nontoxic, homemade remedy to get rid of these common household pests.

Mix equal parts boric acid powder and one of the following: flour, cornmeal or sugar. Then pour this mixture on yogurt or margarine lids and place them where you see the roaches. They will run through the mixture, and then when they clean their feelers and legs, they will ingest the poison. The boric acid powder will kill them, but it takes a little time.

Warning: Make certain that your kids (or pets) do not come in contact with this powdery mixture. Let them know that they should stay away from it.

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I have a couple of ways to save: When bread is near the end date, make French toast or croutons. Use croutons as a snack or in soup or salad. You can make your own garlic bread and add it to a meal or two to stretch your money.

If you have leftover eggs from French toast, go ahead and scramble it. And it will taste sweet from the bread. Saute leftover onions and scramble an egg or two into the onions, and it will have an oniony taste. Add a piece of toast, and you have a nice breakfast or snack.

In a hurry, make a piece of toast, put a slice of cheese on top and place under your broiler to melt the cheese for an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich.

When you have leftover spaghetti, you can drizzle with olive oil, red pepper flakes and parsley. Need a kick? Squeeze a little lemon in it and mix. You also can add a little grated lemon rind. Leftover chicken is also a good addition.

— Jan Hepner, via email

JAN, THESE ARE tasty ideas, and it will help save on your food costs by not wasting leftovers. Repurposing them can make some delicious food creations.

— Heloise

DEAR READERS: Windows in our homes do get dusty and dirty and need to be cleaned, a task we might dread doing. But here’s a way to make them sparkle again. To clean, just mix 1/2 to 1 cup of white household vinegar with 1/2 gallon of water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray the entire window surfaces with a liberal mount of the vinegar mix. Then dry well. The windows should be streak-free. You also can use this solution for the mirrors in your house.

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: Struggling with clean pillowcases has always left me frustrated. Trying to get the corners exact is exhausting. Try this: When removing a used pillowcase, just unfold it, making it inside out. Leave it this way when you launder and dry it. When putting it back on the pillow, do the reverse. Take the short seam of the case and align it with short seam on the pillow. Then unfold or fold it over the pillow. Those far angles will be in place without a struggle.

— Janet B. Wood, Rutland, Vermont

DEAR HELOISE: I saw a letter in your recent column where a lady had a problem finding her car in the parking lot. I’ve had that happen to me as well, but I have figured out a way around that!

When I park my car in an unfamiliar location, I try to remember to take a photo on my cellphone of something nearby, such as a street sign or parking lot indicator/location. It helps tremendously when trying to get back to my car. Maybe this could help someone else in the future.

— Patty, Waco, Texas

PATTY, ANOTHER GOOD way to use your cellphone!

— Heloise

SEND A MONEY-SAVING or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 782795000, or you can fax it to 1-210HELOISE or email it to Heloise@ Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.