Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read your column in my daily Houston Chronicle and pass along all of your very good hints. In a recent column, you published a letter about not flushing wet wipes down the toilet, and I heartily agree.

I live in a small aging condo complex built in the 1960s, and I’m a board member of the complex. We have many plumbing problems, including old cast iron pipes falling apart because of their age. Putting the plumbing snakes down the old pipes too often is not good for them.

Every time the plumbers come to unclog a pipe, their large snake comes up with tangles of flushable wipes. So, yes, it takes a very long time for them to break down. We have sent letters to our residents about this, with hints on what to do with wet wipes.

We have mostly suggested these two things: First, keep a small spray bottle of water next to the toilet and spray a bit on clean toilet paper, if you feel the need to be “fresher.” This also helps save on toilet paper.

The second hint is, if you need to use a wet wipe, fold it up and put it in a plastic zip-close bag (cheapest ones are at the dollar stores). Seal it and put into the trash bin, or like me, keep an empty-lidded coffee can with the bags on the back of the toilet tank to put used and bagged wipes in. Empty every few days into your trash. It really cuts down on plumbing calls, which are very expensive.

I like the wipes, as they keep me feeling much fresher, so I do this small, inexpensive thing, which helps to save our aging pipes and our budget! — Rusti Stover, Houston

CURING TEAPOT STAINS

Dear Heloise: For teapot stains, I suggest putting diluted bleach in the teapot. Let it stand for an hour or so and clean it thoroughly with soapy water. This method works on plastic and many other surfaces. I have enjoyed your column for decades! — Fan from Alabama

SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES

Dear Heloise: In a recent article about smoke alarms, Patricia Roberts of Bellaire, Texas, mentioned that there are no batteries to change in wired-in smoke detectors. But hardwired smoke detectors have always had “backup” batteries inside them and will take over powering the smoke detector if the power in the house goes out. If she, or any of your readers, have hard-wired smoke detectors in the house, they’ll need to pop them open and change the batteries as needed. — Steve Sdao, retired home inspector, Lima, Ohio

USING AN APP FOR SMOKE ALARM BATTERIES

Dear Heloise: Several days ago, a suggestion was made that a smoke alarm’s battery could be tested with an app. Assuming I correctly understood the suggestion, it should have been mentioned that the smoke alarm needs a “smart” battery — a battery with a chip — for the app to work. Best regards and smiles. — Tim Davis, Kettering, Ohio

TRAVELING WITH LUGGAGE

Dear Heloise: When traveling in an SUV that is loaded up with luggage, we put a fitted sheet over the contents so nothing can be seen through the windows and tempt anyone! — Deborah Prusik, via email

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.