Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read your hint about carrying a SPARE CAR KEY to unlock a car door when an expensive key fob stops working. There is no need for anyone to have to pay $100 for a new key.

Take the key case apart, take out the little battery, get the number off it and go to a jewelry department of a superstore and buy a new battery. The cost is less than $10. I fixed the keys to our two cars. — Jane Roger, Fort Smith, Ark.

Many readers suggested checking the batteries. However, the reader carried a spare key because she locked the keys in the car. So, a new battery would be of no help in this case. — Heloise WINDOW WASHING Dear Heloise: Please remind your readers that newspapers are the best for polishing windows and mirrors. I have seen so many people using paper towels, and then they complain about streaks and lint. They need to know that newspaper will pick up all the lint and erase the streaks. — Jean Winn in Michigan

Jean, you are right! It’s a classic Heloise hint to use newspaper to wipe off and dry windows and mirrors. However, some are printed with inks that may bleed, and your hands can get smudged, but it washes off. For a homemade window-cleaning solution, mix 1/4 cup of ammonia with a gallon of water, then transfer to a labeled spray bottle to use.

Be sure to wear gloves when wiping the solution off with newspapers! For more money-saving Heloise’s Homemade Cleaning Solutions, order my pamphlet online at www.Heloise.com, or send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (70 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Cleaners, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. — Heloise HOME HAIRCUTS Dear Heloise: I cut my family’s hair at home and bought a shower-curtain liner to put on the floor under the chair. Works great! I just shake it outside and fold it up for next time. Also makes a cheap dropcloth for painting. — Barb W. in Baltimore, Ohio