HINTS FROM HELOISE

By Hints From Heloise
Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Dear Readers:

Here are some candle hints:

Use a long piece of uncooked spaghetti to light candles, especially those deep in glass holders.

Clean dusty or dingy candles with a soft cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol.

To prevent a votive candle from getting stuck in a holder, put a little vegetable cooking spray in the holder.

Plastic wrap or a small amount of modeling clay will steady wobbly candles. Put a piece of modeling clay inside the candleholder and then press the candle into the clay. To use plastic wrap, put it around the bottom part of the candle and then place the candle in the holder.

Dear Heloise:

A co-worker said his mother used to put some of their clothes, rolled up, in the freezer. What was the purpose of this? He doesn't remember.

Patti Bustamante, via e-mail

In the '50s, my mom used to sprinkle the ironing with warm water. She would use an empty glass soda bottle that had a stopper with holes. This made it easy to sprinkle the warm water over the clothes and linens to be ironed. Then she would roll the items into an old, cut-up plastic shower curtain and put them on the bottom shelf of our refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. This allowed the moisture to dampen all the items and made it easier to iron out the wrinkles. Putting the items into the refrigerator delayed mildew and sour odors from developing until she had time to iron. It worked.

Dear Heloise:

I program into my cellphone numbers for things like refrigerator filters, vacuum-cleaner bags and belts, etc. When I'm at the store, I don't have to try to remember the numbers.

Cathy, via e-mail

Dear Heloise:

I keep an address book near my computer. I put in the names, in alphabetical order, of the Web sites I frequent. Then I put my logon name and password next to the addresses of my favorite sites.

Sometimes I change my password; I mark it out with typewriter correction fluid. I have found this a great timesaver. I always know how I logged in and my password is easily available.

Barbie Zobian, Wyomissing, Pa.

Keeping track of passwords for all of the Web sites we visit can be difficult. Love your hint.

Send a money- or time-saving 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 when faxing or using e-mail.

2008 King Features Syndicate