HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR READERS: Apartment or condo hunting should take some time to find the right spot to live. You may be there awhile. Hints to help you:

Where do you want to live? Near schools, work or family? Need access to bus routes, stores or medical centers?

Check crime statistics in that ZIP code. Some apartments have police officers who live on-site who work security on their off-hours.

There should be good lighting, and the buildings should be clean and well-maintained. Parking should be lighted and safe.

You must check the apartment you want. Do appliances work? Check the bathroom drains and shower. Hot water slow? Do they drain well? Flush the toilet a few times to see if it drains quickly. Good locks on doors and windows are a must.

P.S.: Chat up residents in common areas and ask how they like living there.

DEAR HELOISE: I read the article about a child thanking their mother on their birthday. As a single parent, college tuition was a struggle. When my son turned 30, he sent me a card that read “30 years ago you gave me life, 10 years ago you gave me a future.” Enclosed was a check for all the tuition I had paid.

— Peg W., via email DEAR READER: Give that man a big Heloise hug!

DEAR HELOISE: I have an interesting reaction to the term “plucking” one’s eyebrows. Chickens are “plucked”; people “tweeze” their brows.

— Sandy R., via email DEAR READER: Sandy, one can “pluck” a chicken and one’s eyebrows, but it’s difficult to “tweeze” a chicken!

DEAR HELOISE: We went to painting workshops at a home-and-garden show. The speaker said to put about ¼ cup of fabric softener in paintbrush cleaning water. I did, and it is so fabulous. Brushes are soft and smell great. — K.M., Grey Forest, Texas DEAR READER: My mother, the original Heloise, printed this hint decades ago. Update: Be sure to rinse well.

DEAR HELOISE: The plastic tubs that hold dishwasher or laundry single-use packs make wonderful storage cans for things you store near a washing machine: stain pretreater, cloths for cleaning and other items.

— Elva in San Antonio

Heloise@Heloise.com