Take the time to get everything out of medicine cabinets

DEAR READERS: Several times a year, take everything out of your medicine cabinet. This includes over-the-counter medicine, prescriptions and makeup. Go through everything. Remove outdated medicine and makeup. Clean the shelves and use soapy water to get rid of grime or spills. Then wipe off each jar or bottle using a damp paper towel or microfiber cloth. Rubbing alcohol works great on makeup bottles. After completing these steps, put everything back in an organized fashion, by need or use.

Heloise

DEAR READERS: When you notice that the shower curtain and liner are getting dirty from so much use, take them down. If it is a plastic liner and washable plastic shower curtain, wash them on the highest water level with your normal amount of detergent and add two to three bath towels for cleaning agitation. Then hang to dry or place in the dryer on air only or low heat.

If the shower curtain is decorative or fabric, wash by following the care label, or put it in the dryer on air or fluff with a fabric softener sheet to freshen it up.

Heloise

DEAR READERS: Oh yes, these pests thrive on or near fruit. And they may have already laid eggs on the skin of the fruit before you bring it home from the supermarket. In that case, they will hatch right away in your kitchen and then lay eggs in the sink drain or in the garbage.

Here’s how to get rid of them:

1. Remove the garbage and garbage can from the kitchen so it does not become a breeding spot.

2. Do not ripen a lot of fruit on the kitchen counter.

3. Instead, eat the fruit as soon as you can or store it in the refrigerator.

Heloise

DEAR READERS: With summer coming, when we pull out our white plastic furniture that has been stored, it probably will need a good cleaning to look new again. Use this mixture to clean it up:

Mix 3/4 cup of household bleach with 1 tablespoon of powdered or liquid laundry detergent. Test on a small area first to be sure it will not discolor.

Then put on rubber gloves and rub with a sponge or scrub brush. Allow it to work on the chairs for around 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse completely.

Heloise

DEAR READERS: If you are making many cookies for a birthday party or an event, here’s how to speed up the time once you have made the dough. Buy a large melon baller or a small ice cream scoop. Use it to pick up the dough and put on the baking sheets. And, best of all, the cookies will all be the same size.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you fax it to 210-HELOISE. Email heloise@heloise.com.