Convenience gets healthier?
Dear Readers: When you pop into a gas station/convenience store, you might grab a hot dog, a bag of chips, a soda and a candy bar. But now, convenience store merchants are starting to offer fresh fruits and vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt and granola — definitely healthier fare!
Kids benefit, too, if they visit the neighborhood store often (if it’s right down the street), especially during summertime. Experts in the industry say a large percentage of convenience stores are now offering fresh foods, and customers are happy about it. So check out the fresh food options at the convenience store! — Heloise
SPARKLING SHOWER
Dear Heloise: My shower is always sparkling-clean, and I hardly ever have to clean it. How is this possible? After I take my shower, I use a clean bath towel and dry the shower, paying special attention to fixtures, cracks and crevices, the floor and the wall.
A squeegee doesn’t work, because it can’t get the water out of the crevices where mold grows, nor does it polish the fixtures. Daily maintenance takes only a minute or two. — Sharon F., Torrance, Calif.
Great idea, Sharon! Another quick fix is to spray down the shower once a week with a one-to-one mix of white vinegar and water; vinegar has anti-microbial properties!
In fact, vinegar is a workhorse around the house. I’ve used it for my entire career! Vinegar is cheap, nontoxic and readily available. I’ve compiled a collection of my favorite vinegar hints into a handy pamphlet — would you like to receive one? It’s easy! Visit www.Heloise.com to order, or send a long, stamped (71 cents), self-addressed envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. A perfect vinegar-based cleaner: 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 pint rubbing alcohol and 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid. Add enough water to make a gallon, and label a squirt bottle clearly. — Heloise
LETTER OF LAUGHTER
Dear Heloise: I had to laugh at suggestions of what to wash in the dishwasher. I got home one day and my husband was looking very guilty. I caught him washing car parts in the dishwasher. It did an excellent job! I enjoy your column in the San Antonio Express-News. — Maria K., via email
NOT-SO-EASY SQUEEZE
Dear Heloise: I find it impossible to open some containers: caps that squeeze open, flip-top containers, etc. Is there a solution? I realize they are “childproof,” but they also are “elderly proof.” — Carol S., Huber Heights, Ohio
Carol, great point. Dexterity issues affect many people. Manufacturers, are you listening?
The pharmacy has taken strides to make easy-open bottles for homes with no children; maybe other groups can do so, too! — Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.