HINTS FROM HELOISE
Dear Readers:
This time of year, much of the country can be in a deep freeze — brrr! There’s an old hint of my mother’s, the original Heloise (1919-77), involving my favorite household helper, vinegar, and windshields. This can prevent the windshield from icing over overnight.
Using a mixture of 2⁄3 cup white or apple-cider vinegar and 1⁄3 cup water, wipe or spray lightly the outside of the car windshield the night before a hard freeze, if you’re parked outside. This should lessen the effect of ice and lower your defrosting time. Dear Heloise:
One chore I perform every night before going to bed: wiping out and drying the kitchen sink. Germs can build up there, and I feel like the kitchen and the house itself are cleaner when the sink is clean!
I use repurposed paper towels that I’ve used previously to dry my hands — saves money! Rebecca L., St. George, Utah Dear Heloise: I arranged the linens in my linen closet based on which items I use the most: sheets, towels and other linens.
The layout of the closet has to make sense — my young kids have to be able to reach the towels and washcloths, and fresh bars of soap.
Sheets and pillowcases go above the towels, and items that rarely get used go on the highest shelf — luxury towels, tablecloths and place mats. Heather M. in Tennessee