Heloise

Dear Heloise: I always love it when I can do two or three jobs at once. (I wear rubber gloves for this to protect my manicure.)

Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of automatic dishwasher soap in a bathroom sink. Run hot water to dissolve it and fill the sink. Use a cloth to gently scrub around the sink and fixtures.

Next drop all your combs, brushes and even hot rollers in the sink. Swish around and let sit for a couple of minutes. Then rinse thoroughly and let dry on a towel. Then rinse the sink. –Audrey B., Rickreall, Ore.

Audrey, your method of cleaning is fine except for one thing. You are placing your combs and brushes in dirty water, where you have just cleaned the bathroom sink. Remember, the bathroom sink is where we wash our hands, face, brush our teeth and spit out the toothpaste left over from brushing. Maybe things like a hairbrush and comb should start with clean water. –Heloise

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise

P.O. Box 795001

San Antonio, TX 78279-5001

Fax: 1-210-HELOISE

Email: Heloise@Heloise.com

NO BUGS

Dear Heloise: As I recall, you once had a good hint for keeping insects away from food that is outside. We’re having a garden wedding here very soon, and I’d like to keep the wedding cake free of bugs while the ceremony is in progress. Could you repeat that hint? — Mary Jane D., Danville, Ky.

Mary Jane, put the wedding cake on a table of its own and make sure you can cover the wedding cake with a loose covering to keep flying insects from landing on it. Place each leg of the table in a pan or can of water, without letting the legs touch the sides of the water container, to keep crawling insects from climbing up to the cake. I learned this lesson many years ago when I lived in Hawaii. — Heloise

WEEDING OUT THE CLOSET

Dear Heloise: My bedroom closet is fairly large, but it’s always crammed with clothes. I hate to throw anything away just in case I might need it again in the future. How can I weed out my junk and keep only what I need? — Connie S., Amhurst, N.Y.

Connie, I know it’s hard to let go of things, and reorganizing a closet seems monumental, but try this: Take a section of your closet and remove all the hanging items. Lay them on your bed and ask yourself, “Do I wear this often or never?” The “nevers” go in a pile to either be tossed out or given away. And be honest with yourself. Do each section like this. Next, hang all the dresses together, all the slacks together, long-sleeve tops together and short or sleeveless tops together, and so on. Do the same with your shoes and purses. Be ruthless in your editing. Before you know it, you’ll have a beautiful, well-organized closet. — Heloise

THE PRICE OF ADMISSION

Dear Heloise: Someone told me I need to give the bride and groom a gift or money equivalent to the price of the dinner served at a wedding. Is this true? — William L., Marysville, Ohio

William, no, not anymore. People give what they can afford. — Heloise

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