Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have three suggestions that I hope you will find useful to increase the usefulness of some common household items. I found that a grapefruit spoon is great for removing the tops of strawberries. It’s quick and reduces the amount of strawberry lost. I use a loose leaf tea infuser ball or spoon — the spring-loaded kind that looks like two spoons with holes put together — as a mini flour or powdered sugar duster, which gets into small areas easily. And when my grill brush is too worn to be safely used for the grill, I use it to clean the mud off of my garden tools after a day’s work. Thank you for taking the time to consider these suggestions. — Gregory Mack, Fayetteville, Arkansas

TONG HELP

Dear Heloise: May I offer a different perspective to R.M. in Red Oak, Texas? His wife took tongs to the store so that she could reach items on high shelves from her rider cart. A good friend told me that one person’s need is another person’s blessing. I often use a rider cart, too. Even standing, at 5 feet, 3 inches tall, there are many items I cannot reach in the grocery. I patiently wait for an employee or taller shopper to pass by. I politely ask for help. I have never been refused. I hope my need has been a blessing to a perfect stranger. — L.H., Arcanum, Ohio

BAKING SODA SOLUTION

Dear Readers: If kitchen appliances, counters or a stainless-steel sink needs cleaning, sprinkle baking soda onto a wet sponge and rub well. Then rinse off. — Heloise

READING GROCERY USE-BY DATES

Dear Heloise: As we age, it gets harder and harder to read the very small print that says “best if used by” or use-by dates on dairy, meats, cheese, yogurt, lunch meat, etc. After I have found it with my trusty magnifying glass, I either write it on top of caps or across the clear package with my black permanent marker so that I can see it in a flash. Problem solved, and I save myself five to 10 minutes looking for the dates. — Patty Flores, Granada Hills, California

SAFETY PINS

Dear Heloise: I have a small bulletin board with safety pins in my laundry room that I use to pin into or next to where I’ve pretreated a stain. That way, I can verify it’s gone before tossing the item into the dryer. A tip I learned from my dry cleaner. — Jenny C., McKinney, Texas

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.