HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: There is a huge scam taking place that you and your readers need to be aware of to protect yourselves. The callers are scammers who claim to be from the Social Security Administration. They might tell you all sorts of things, such as new cards are being sent out and they just need to check your Social Security number to make certain that you get your card.

Always remember, Social Security will never:

■ Threaten you.

■ Suspend your Social Security membership.

■ Demand payment immediately.

■ Require any kind of payment by cash, wire transfer or gift card.

If you receive a call, text or email that is suspicious: 1. Hang up.

2. DO NOT return a call, text or email from unknown sources.

3. DO NOT give out any financial or personal information, no matter what.

4. Report all suspicious calls, text and emails to oig.ssa.gov/. This is the office of the Inspector General, where you can get even more information. — James R., N.Y. DEAR HELOISE: I’ve had my natural bristle hairbrush for about seven years and never washed it. I know that sounds gross, but it’s my favorite hairbrush, and I want to finally get it sparkling clean. I tried soaking it in a gentle liquid soap, but it had little effect on my hairbrush. Can you help me?

— Lauren K., Springdale DEAR READER: To keep your favorite hairbrush in good order, you really need to remove the hair from it daily. Use a fine-tooth comb to get the hairs out. At least once a month, wash your brush by filling a bathroom sink with warm (not hot) water and a few drops of shampoo. Get the bristles wet, but not the entire brush if it’s a wooden hairbrush, for about one minute. Plastic brushes are fully immersible. Use an old toothbrush and scrub between the rows of bristles. With proper care, a hairbrush can last many years.

DEAR HELOISE: My mouse pad became ruined, and I had to get a couple of projects done. I searched around to find something to run my mouse over and found I had a large piece of felt from the craft store. I cut out a big square, and it worked beautifully! If it gets dirty, I can toss it out and use another piece of felt.

— Lisa T., Bend, Ore.