Deter Danger of Unattached Items
Dear Readers: Is the furniture in your home a POSSIBLE HAZARD to young children? Did you know that TVs, appliances and furniture falling on children is an extreme hazard? According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, every two weeks (on average) a child dies from an unsecured item tipping over and landing on him or her.
Here are some hints on how to prevent this tragedy from occurring in your home:
n TVs should be securely hung (on a wall) out of reach, or placed on a stable, secure stand or base, and as far back as possible.
n Keep electrical cords out of reach so children cannot pull them and the objects attached to them onto themselves.
n Anchor ANY furniture, such as TV stands, bookcases and dressers, or any other high, heavy, free-standing furniture or appliance, to the wall so it cannot fall over.
n Don’t place small items on the furniture that a child might try to reach for (such as remote controls).
— Heloise
FREE CARDBOARD
Dear Heloise: At the big warehouse stores where merchandise (especially cereal boxes, etc.) is stacked on pallets, the stores put large cardboard pieces between each layer of merchandise. These make great poster board for kids’ art projects, science reports and other projects. The best part is that they are free! — Gloria H. in California
Gloria, you are right! Two warehouse stores that were contacted said absolutely! One asked that you call ahead so that cardboard can be set aside, because the pieces don’t stay around for long. The other store stated that a customer can just take what he or she finds while walking around the store shopping. The cardboard is free for members, but one store reuses it in the store, and the other recycles it when not needed. — Heloise
NECKLACE HOLDER
Dear Heloise: Years ago, a friend, after seeing all my necklaces tangled in a drawer, gave me an idea: Why not take the “head” off an old-fashioned rake? We did, painted it and hung it on my bedroom wall. The end of it has twisted metal to form a hole, which makes it easy to put a nail through.
Hang it so the “teeth” face out, and then hang your necklaces on the teeth to keep tangles away. — Virginia J. in New Jersey
COLOR-COORDINATED
Dear Heloise: I never thought I would have a hint for you, but a friend of mine suggested that I send you this timesaving one. To get the color top I want, I hang my navy-blue tops on a blue hanger and my black tops on a black hanger. — Neda T. in Pennsylvania
CLEAN BOTTLES
Dear Heloise: I wanted to wash a bottle, but I had no bottle brush. Rice was the answer. I shook a mixture of soapy water and raw rice in the bottle. The rice gave the scrubbing action needed to get the bottle sparkling again. — Bonnie M. in Indiana