Cleaning hard tile floors
Dear Heloise: We recently had hard tile floors installed in the kitchen and dining areas of our home, and after it was installed, we were told to never use bleach or vinegar on the tiles. So, what should I use to keep our new tile clean? — Joan F., Suffolk, Virginia
Joan, the best thing to use on hard tile floors is sudsy ammonia. The difference between non-sudsy and sudsy ammonia is the detergent. Be sure to wear gloves when working with ammonia of any kind. You can mix 1 cup of sudsy ammonia in a gallon of water to clean the floor, but since your tile is brand-new, be sure to give the grout at least a week or more to set firmly.
If you need answers to your cleaning solutions that don’t involve expensive cleaners, then you’ll love having my pamphlet “Heloise’s Homemade Cleaning Solutions.” It has money-saving solutions for cleaning nearly everything. To get a copy, go to www.Heloise.com or send $5 along with a stamped, self-addressed long envelope to: Heloise/Cleaning Solutions, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You’ll wonder how you ever got along without this handy little pamphlet. — Heloise
SEND A GREAT HINT TO:
Heloise
P.O. Box 795001
San Antonio, TX 78279-5001
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: Heloise@Heloise.com
COMPACT FIRST-AID KIT
Dear Heloise: I have four boys all under the age of 10, and it seems no matter where we go, someone is always getting hurt. A sliver in a finger, a scraped knee or a bruised elbow are everyday events around here. So, I cleaned out a tall potato-chip can and stuffed it with all kinds of first-aid items that I now carry in my car.
My sister loved the idea so much that she did the same thing and even used another can as a sewing kit. — Colleen N., Independence, Missouri
NO MORE BUTTONING
Dear Heloise: My father is very independent, but when he developed arthritis in his hands, he had trouble buttoning his shirts. So, I took his shirts and sewed self-gripping fabric tape on the underside of the buttons and over the button holes. Now he can wear his shirts closed, but they appear to be buttoned up. It’s made it much easier for him to get dressed in the mornings and remove his shirt at night. — Cynthia E., Ponca City, Oklahoma
FILING MAGAZINES
Dear Heloise: I used to have stacks of craft magazines that collected dust and made my home begin to look like a hoarder’s heaven! Finally I bought a two-drawer filing cabinet. I cut out the craft projects that I’d like to do someday and file them alphabetically. As I went through those stacks of magazines, I couldn’t remember why I’d kept them. There was nothing in them I wanted! Now my home looks and feels much cleaner and organized. — Linda R., Elkhorn, Wisconsin
SCHOOL DAYS
Dear Readers: Just a reminder that in some states, school will be starting again in August. Always be careful driving around school zones for the safety of the children — and to avoid a very expensive fine. — Heloise