HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I am responding to a suggestion in the paper about wiping the tear stains from a dog’s eyes. I have a better suggestion.

I learned this from a friend who has a small white dog. Hers had tear stains much of the time. My friend started giving her dog only distilled water, and none from the tap. After about a week, the tear stains nearly stopped.

I am a dog sitter, and I tried her hint on the next white dog I sat for. It worked. Not only did the staining improve, but so did his beard. It had previously been a little yellow. It went back to a bright, clean white.

I told his “parents” about it, and they have been giving him only distilled water ever since. They thank me for the hint every time I see them.

— Shelley P., Florida

DEAR HELOISE: I am a woodworker, and I reuse plastic containers in my workshop. I buy fasteners such as screws in 1-pound boxes. I use lunch meat containers to store them, and I tape the cardboard box tops to the plastic lids.

These containers are also good for storing leftover paint for touch-ups. I put a piece of foil over the tub and put the lid on. The paint lasts a lot longer than leaving it in 1-gallon cans. A dab of paint on the lid identifies the paint color.

I write the mix number from the paint store and the date purchased on the lid for future reference.

— Noel P., Stafford, Va.

DEAR HELOISE: To save cupboard space, I store my dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher between loads. After I run a load, I leave the bottle on the counter until the dishes have been put away. On the counter means the dishes are clean. In the dishwasher, the dirty dishes are waiting to be washed.

— Susan H., California

DEAR HELOISE: Regarding a recent hint about what to do with the extra wall calendars you receive, we found that the people who use the services of our agency, which helps low-income families, love the extra calendars. — Nancy S., Winchester, Va.

DEAR HELOISE: I wanted to go on a nice vacation last year but I couldn’t afford it. I put every $5 bill I received into a jar, and when the jar filled up, I put it in my savings account. I did this for a year, and by the time the year was up, I had enough to take that vacation.

— Sandra S., Tyler, Texas

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com