Keep the house cool this summer
Dear Heloise: Our neigh- bor gave us a great suggestion to lower our cool- ing bills this sum- m e r . He installed solar and sun screens on the windows that are on the sunny side of his house. These screens block the majority of the UV rays on the hot side of his home. So, we had a mobile screen company come to install them on ours. Oh, it’s so easy. And I’ll do anything to save money!
I love your wonderful col- umn. Keep it up! — Sara, Orange County, California
A group chat for widows
Dear Heloise: Older women who are living alone can benefit from forming small group chats through text message to check in on each other daily. One of my friends in our group has decided to commit to this. It’s nice to be noticed daily, and it’s a good way to make sure that we haven’t fallen and can’t get up. — Cindy, in Colorado
Disinfecting wipes
Dear Heloise: I use dis- infecting wipes that come in a tall, round, plastic con- tainer. When all the wipes are gone, there is still some liquid in the bottom, so I put a few half-sized paper tow- els in the bottom and use them after they have soaked up the liquid. I usually do this several times until all the liquid has been used. Wi h today’s prices, we need to do whatever we can to save money. — Allen Hendricks, via email
Leather lotion
Dear Heloise: For our leather couch and chair, I use a Gold Class Rich Leather Lotion. It’s for car leather, but works fine on our leather furniture. It cleans and conditions.
The one I use comes in oil form, but there’s also a spray bottle version. I put it on a white cloth, rub the leather to remove any dirt/ stains, then buff the leather with another cloth.
Best regards and smiles. — T.D., in Ohio
Teach kids how to housekeep
Dear Heloise: We have a blended family of three girls and three boys. I taught my daughters how to cook and clean by the time they were 8. My stepsons who live wi h us got a shock when they discovered they had to clean their own rooms, do some laundry, cook dinner once in a while, and help around the house. They complained, but it was a rule that was strictly enforced.
Vacuuming isn’t just for girls. Mopping the kitchen floor isn’t just for girls either. And if they thought doing a sloppy job would make me do it myself, they were in for a surprise because they had to do it over (and sometimes over and over again).
Two weeks ago, our oldest boy got married, and in his brief speech at the reception, he thanked me for demanding that he learn the basic life skill of housekeeping. All children should learn how to do these simple tasks. — homa
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise@ Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally, but will use the best hints received in my column.