Crib sheets work great on dog beds

DEAR HELOISE: I just read about the woman who sewed old sheets together to make a cover for her dog bed, eliminating the need to launder the entire bed in the washing machine. I’d like to add my solution to that.

I buy crib sheets online that work great as a cover. When it gets smelly, just remove, shake off any fur outside and launder. Really easy!

— Irene, Kingston, N.Y. DEAR HELOISE: I always have a large container in my sink with soap in it to drop items in to soak. At the end of the day, there is cold, soapy water in it. I turn on the disposal with cold water running and dump water from the container in the disposal. Since most stuff we put in our disposals have protein in it, the cold, soapy water helps loosen the debris in the disposal. If done daily, this keeps the smelly debris from building up.

— Beth, via email DEAR HELOISE: I hope you can print one more letter in response to “Frustrated Shopper,” who disagrees with the good parking spots for “armchair shoppers.” These parking spots aren’t really for the benefit of the “shoppers.” They are for the benefit of the store and the store employees. The employees have to bring out the groceries/items to the car of the shopper. They need to do this quickly and efficiently, so the spots do need to be fairly close. Stores don’t want to “waste” any hours.

Also, take into consideration Northern states that have bad weather, like snow and ice, in the winter? I think everyone who lives in these climates has experienced trying to push their carts, or even walk, on slippery parking lots. No matter how hard the stores try, sometimes they can’t keep up with the weather.

Now, imagine the poor store employees having to traverse these bad conditions several times an hour. The further they’d have to walk, the more chance of a slip, trip or fall. This would increase the chance of on-the-job injuries and workers’ compensation claims.

— L.M., Spokane, Wash.

DEAR HELOISE: Last year, I sprung a hole in my kitchen gloves while washing dishes. I had not yet purchased a backup pair. Then, I remembered when I helped clean out an apartment condo my son had bought. There was a package of nitrile examination gloves, which offer examgrade protection, left behind. I used a pair, and have continued using these instead of buying standard kitchen rubber gloves.

They are thinner, which makes my hands more agile; they provide a firm grip on slippery dishes; and they last a couple of months or more before needing a new pair. They come in packages of 100 for around $10-$12.