Dear Heloise: I have a question: What do you do with all the baking soda that you replace in your refrigerator? Do you throw it away, or do you reuse it for cleaning? — Shar, Farmington, N.M.
Don't throw it out! Use it as a cheap, nontoxic cleaner. It's safe to use around your home, children and pets. Put 1/2 cup baking soda, along with the regular amount of laundry detergent, in the wash to give a cleaning boost, and when added to the rinse cycle, it helps remove odors.
It cleans sinks and bathtubs as well as pots and pans. To stretch your money and learn how to use baking soda all around your home, get a copy of my baking-soda pamphlet by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
Sprinkle baking soda in coolers before storing (after they have been washed, rinsed and dried). The next time you open them, they won't stink! — Heloise
P.S.: Keep a small box in your camper or RV, too.
FAST FACTS
Dear Readers: Don't throw out old bedsheets — here's how to use them around the house:
As dust covers for furniture.
As tents for child's rainy day.
As a tablecloth for picnics.
Use to make costumes to play in. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: Deciding not to use a long-distance carrier on our phone system, we bought a prepaid calling card. Dialing all the numbers was time-consuming and cumbersome, and quite often we made mistakes and had to redial.
I decided to use the phone memory. I programmed the 800 number in memory No. 1 and listened for instructions. Then I programmed memory No. 2 for my card number, waited for instructions again and dialed the number I wanted to call. Once the system is set up, it works quite smoothly. — Roz from Delray Beach, Fla.
Dear Heloise: Noticing that my hand-held dryer's air-intake screen was clogged with lint, I tried picking it off with a sharp object, but it was tedious and not too productive. Then I tried a dampened cotton swab, and it came right off — the dryer was unplugged, of course! — Carolyn Allen, Benbrook, Texas
Dear Heloise: When finished with a stick of butter or margarine, put the wrapper in a small bag and refrigerate. Use it to grease baking pans when needed. — Victoria, via fax
Dear Heloise: I turn the comforter on the bed, putting the bottom to the head so the down inside the comforter gets even wear. — Jean, Carlsbad, Calif.
Dear Heloise: Is there any way you can address the food industry to let the companies know that they are messing up recipes by changing product sizes (making them smaller — H)? I'm not the best at adjusting recipes.
They aren't fooling anyone by changing the size (and leaving the price the same)! — Joan Balducci, West Hyattsville, Md.
Dear Heloise: I send my husband's shirts to the cleaners, and after a while, I end up with lots of wire hangers. Any suggestions on what to do with these? — Jessie, via e-mail
Ask if your dry cleaner takes them — many do.
Give to a thrift store.
Take to a coin-operated laundry.
Check a homeless or battered-women's shelter.
Call a local school's art or drama department.
Contact Scout troops or summer programs. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: I live on a farm, and we have flies. I hate them in my house, and especially in the kitchen. It seems like they know when you pick up a fly swatter, too. I keep some type of spray cleaner on the counter at all times, and I use it to "disable" the fly while I grab a paper towel or napkin to pick him up with. Water probably would work, too, but I like the fact that I'm cleaning the spot where the fly was last seen. — Tammie Frenzel, Westphalia, Texas
Yep, many times spraying them will kill them. Try aerosol hair spray — it really works. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: Another idea for using great calendar photos is to laminate them for use as place mats. The size is appropriate, and often you have an entire calendar of one subject, such as flowers, animals or even Chinese scenes (great for celebrating Chinese New Year!). — Eleanor Lewis, Weyers Cave, Va.
© King Features Syndicate Inc.
