Hints From Heloise: Strip it out!

Dear Heloise: For those of us who are allergic to the PERFUME STRIPS put in our favorite magazines, did you know that you can request that the publishers send you issues without fragrance? I can’t be in a room with a magazine that smells so potent that it gives me an instant migraine. -- Bill in Maui, Hawaii

Bill, thanks for sharing this good hint. You are right on target. By calling the magazine’s customer-service department and requesting a “fragrance-free” copy of the magazine, you will get one without the perfume and cologne sample strips. Look for the customer service toll-free phone number in the front of the magazine, or look up the number on its Web site. -- Heloise

P.S.: Visit my Web site, www.Heloise.com, for links to my Facebook and Twitter pages -- hints, fun facts, and more! Come see photos and check out what’s happening!

DON’T BUG ME

Dear Heloise: My son and I traveled across the United States last summer. We noticed that the windshield was covered with bug residue. The windshield-washing fluid in the car and at the gas stations didn’t clean the bug residue. Out of desperation to see out the windshield, I tried my hand sanitizer. I rubbed it on the windshield and then washed it off with the wiper/wash provided by the gas station. It dissolved the residue. -- Cyndi, via e-mail

Cyndi, how enterprising! In a pinch, as you have discovered, you can clean the windshield with it since hand sanitizers are mostly rubbing alcohol. -- Heloise

COMPUTER COVER-UP

Dear Heloise: I wanted something thin and tightfitting to wrap my tablet computer in that also would slide in and out of my handbag easily and not be bulky. I couldn’t find anything close to what I wanted until I ran across a book cover that was made of stretchy material. It slips on one side of my computer, then the cover wraps around the computer and slips over the other side. It is perfect! -- Kim, via e-mail

EASY ANSWER

Dear Readers: If you have to call a company’s customer-service number and speak to a representative, be sure you get the answer you want, or one that is at least fair and satisfactory. If you are not happy, call back and speak to another representative until you are happy.

The company owes you an explanation, and it is in business to satisfy its customers. Many telephone representatives have a lot of leeway in things they can do to help customers. They may not even have to check with a manager for approval. -- Heloise

DON’T SIT ON IT!

Dear Heloise: After my husband had some spinal surgery, his physical therapist advised him to NOT keep his wallet in his back pocket. He said that sitting on the bulky wallet creates a situation where his spine could be out of alignment. -- Karen in Texas

Tell your doctor I applaud his good advice. -- Heloise

Send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Tex. 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. Please include your city and state.

2012, King Features Syndicate