Hints From Heloise

Cleaning Chandeliers

Dear Heloise: Is there an easy way to CLEAN CHANDELIERS without taking them down? They have so many intricate pieces, they are very hard to clean. -- Denise, via e-mail

You bet there is! It's as easy as using soft cleaning cloths and glass cleaner or vinegar and water to clean each prism individually. Spray the cloth, not the glass, wipe each piece and then wipe with another dry cloth.

Another hint: Use baby towelettes, without lotion, or hand wipes that are alcohol-based to wipe each piece of glass. If the chandelier is over a table, you might want to put down a big bath towel or old shower curtain to protect it. -- Heloise

WATER CONSERVATION

Dear Heloise: To help conserve water, we put a large bowl in the sink, and every time we rinse something, the water goes into the bowl rather than down the drain. When the bowl is full, we use it to water plants in the yard. It's amazing how much water is used each day. -- Carol Lawrence, Newport Beach, Calif.

CANDLE-SHOP HINT

Dear Heloise: I overheard a very good hint at a candle shop. A lady was telling her friend that when a candle gets stuck in its holder, just put it all in the freezer for a day. The candle will fall out of the container. -- Patricia H., Flagler Beach, Fla.

HEALTHY CUTICLES

Dear Heloise: I've been using liquid hand soap for a long time and noticed that my cuticles were always cracked and sometimes bleeding. I now refill the empty bottles I've saved with store-brand body wash, and no more cracked cuticles. -- Shirley Boucher, Renton, Wash.

PASTA SALAD

Dear Heloise: If you make pasta salads, even if you boil the noodles in water with a little oil added, they still tend to stick together. If you drain them and spray with a little bit of nonfat cooking spray, then toss, it's much easier to mix in the other ingredients and have them distribute more easily. -- Mari, via e-mail