Keeping keys organized
Dear Readers: We all have mislaid or lost keys at some point in our lives. Use these hints to help prevent you from losing them:
■ Put all the keys in a central spot for hanging or put the keys in a bowl near the front or back of the door.
■ Put your keys on or near anything you need to remember to take or check so that you will not go out the door without them.
■ Give teens their own set of keys to family cars when they start driving. Color-code the keys or key chains for each family member. — Heloise
Watch your diamond rings
Dear Heloise: People who wear diamond rings should be aware of the damage they can cause while doing household chores.
When cleaning any type of glass or mirror, care should be taken not to scratch the surface. The same holds true for filters in dryers. New filters are expensive, so people wearing rings should be careful when removing lint. — P.A., in Texas
Moving time
Dear Readers: If you are moving to a new location, this is the time to do a deep dive into everything that you have in your home. Sort everything out. Be ruthless. What do you really need? Then organize everything into piles or areas.
For example, here are five things you should put into a garage sale or sell online:
■ Unwanted furniture
■ Sports equipment you no longer use
■ Old appliances and kitchenware
■ Books
■ Toys and clothing that your children have outgrown — Heloise
Storing schoolwork
Dear Readers: Use this hint for storing paper and artwork that your children bring home from school. You can buy a jumbo-sized plastic storage bin for each child and label them with their names.
As the papers come home, they can all get displayed on the refrigerator for a week, but then they’ll be stored away in their own bins, which should be kept in a place in your home that has easy access. — Heloise
Garage storage
Dear Readers: The garage can become one giant place that ends up containing a lot of stuff everywhere in it. If you find yourself needing more room, use up all the air space in the top half of the garage.
You can build or get storage shelves for the side and back walls. You also can buy peg boards and ready-made shelving. — Heloise
Denting the garage door
Dear Heloise: After having dented the framework around the garage door a few times, it finally dawned on me to measure the space between the door, mark it and put a long strip of blue masking tape in the center of the floor.
I now align the car using the insignia, and
I’m confident when I drive the van into the garage. I have room to walk around, and there are no dings in the framework.
I wish I’d have thought about doing this a few years ago. It would have certainly saved me a lot of money! Love your column. — B.H., via email
Removing pet hair
Dear Readers: To remove cat or dog hair from upholstery, using a rubber glove, swipe over the upholstery, and the hair will roll into a pile with each glove stroke.
To minimize pet hair, brush them regularly. Some dogs even like to be vacuumed. It may take time for your pet to get used to combing and brushing. — Heloise
SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise
Box 795001
San Antonio, TX 78279-5001 Fax: 1-210-HELOISE