Car-related hints
Dear Heloise: I have some driving and parking hints:
1. I park in a garage. In order to avoid hitting the wall, I keep an orange construction cone in the garage in front of the car. I also used a marker to draw a line on the floor near the driver’s door so I know how far to pull up.
2. From the driver’s seat, I cannot see the trunk or the front end of my auto, so I taped a bright orange pencil to the front bumper, so that it sticks upward just enough so I can see it. (I can’t see the back either, but the car has a camera.)
3. My car is a very popular color, so I added a few inexpensive auto decals to catch my eye. For people who live or work in high-rise buildings, putting a decal on the car will help you find your car before you exit the building. -- R.B., via email
RECYCLING HINTS
Dear Heloise: In this age of recycling, I find that using a coffee filter to cover food in the microwave to keep it from splattering all over is very useful. There’s not so much waste, and they should disintegrate fairly quickly, too. Coffee filters are a lot cheaper than paper towels or paper plates, and it’s better for the environment. -- K.B., South Vienna, Ohio K.B., recycling is so important for our environment today, and this hint offers a great suggestion. -- Heloise
SMOKY HAIR
Dear Heloise: Here’s a hint for if you are ever in a smoky situation and your hair has that smoky smell after you leave. Take some vinegar and put it in a spray bottle. Spray your hair and fluff it up. It will take the smoky smell out of your hair, and you won’t smell like a pickle. -- Elizabeth F. in Ohio
Elizabeth, vinegar is a safe household product that can be used for cleaning, deodorizing and cooking, as you have found with the smoke in your hair. To learn about more uses, get my sixpage pamphlet full of vinegar hints. Go to www. Heloise.com or send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Heloise/vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: Occasionally pour 1 cup of white vinegar in the final rinse water to make laundry soft and fluffy. -- Heloise