Noodle necklace

DEAR HELOISE >> With my children at home during the summer, I’ve tried to find ways to entertain them with simple projects. One of their favorite things to make is a noodle necklace. Just buy a bag of elbow or tube noodles, some watercolor paint and brushes, and let them paint the noodles various colors. Let dry, and if you have some paste and glitter, you can add that to the noodles. Then string the noodles together with dental floss or string. They love wearing their homemade jewelry, and it keeps them busy while encouraging their creative side.

— Penny B., Phoenix Penny, what a great idea! Children usually enjoy craft projects that let them express their creative ideas.

Heloise

Ladder safety

DEAR HELOISE >> My father loves to do handy work around his home, but recently he got a little careless while on a ladder. His vision isn’t as good as it used to be, so I thought of a way to help him see the rungs on the ladder. I painted each rung a bright color. Each rung is a different color so he can easily see the rung, and not miss a rung on his way down!

— Helen A., Brandywine, Del.

Dryer safety

DEAR HELOISE >> My son and his wife live with us while their house is being built. My daughter-in-law never cleaned out the lint trap, which worried me, because I’m always worried about fire if the lint trap isn’t cleaned after every use. Needless to say, I didn’t want to start a fight, so I just left a note on the dryer door that read: “From Heloise — Here’s a hint, clean out the lint!”

We both had a laugh over it, but at least now she remembers to clean out the lint trap.

— Kate R., Mandan, N.D.

Down comforter

DEAR HELOISE >> I did not keep the washing instructions for my down comforter. How do I clean this thing?

— Dan K., Buffalo, N.Y. Dan, first see if there is an instruction tag on your comforter and follow it. If not, you can machine wash a down comforter, but ONLY if you have a front-loading washer. That is, one with no agitator. Otherwise it should be professionally cleaned. However, if you do machine wash it, dry it on a clothesline or shower curtain rod rather than a hot dryer. Should you decide to use a dryer, use only gentle heat and a short cycle. If you plan to store the down comforter, use a breathable bag made from cloth, not plastic. Plastic can trap moisture and cause mildew.

Messages

DEAR HELOISE >> My husband and I have hectic schedules, so we often leave a note for each other. Yes, I do leave messages for him on his cellphone, but sometimes I’m dashing off somewhere to an emergency, so we started to leave messages on the big bathroom mirror. Odd as it sounds, this worked better. I use the corner of a bar of soap and keep it brief. It’s not for everyone, but it works great for us.