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Hints with Heloise 

Dear Readers: Today's SOUND OFF is about texting:
"Dear Heloise: It irks me when someone expects me to text an entire conversation, wasting up to an hour of my busy life, when a simple phone call would take care of it in less than 10 minutes." - Kaye S., Springfield, Ill.
Kaye, I know how you feel. I've seen people driving and texting, looking down at their phones while crossing a busy street or ignoring a date while they text someone else. Cellphones are handy, but they should not take over our lives. -- Heloise

FAST FACTS
Dear Readers: Here are some other uses for back scratchers:
• Reach things on high shelves.
• Pull out items from the back of a cabinet.
• Remove leaves from gutters.
• Reach under a bed.
- Heloise

LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR
Dear Heloise: HELP! I went to kiss my husband and missed. I got lipstick on the side of my husband's shirt collar How can I get it out? - Sherry L., Cocoa Beach, Fla.
Sherry, immediately place the stained area over an absorbent towel and saturate with rubbing alcohol (test a hidden area first to determine colorfastness), then dab the area with a cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol. You also may have luck with a pre-wash spray. Rinse and launder the shirt as usual.
In my Handy Stain Guide for Clothing pamphlet, you'll find quick and easy methods for getting rid of the most common stains, such as baby formula, blood, grass, grease, wine and many more. You can get a copy by sending a long, stamped (70 cents), self-addressed envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Stains, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Considering what clothing costs today, it's always better to try removing the stain rather than disposing of an otherwise usable garment. - Heloise

COOKIE MISTER
Dear Heloise: My husband loves cookies, so I bake them fairly frequently. I've found that if I make a lot of dough, I can form the dough into one long roll, then freeze it. Anytime I want cookies, I cut off the desired amount I want to bake.
Also, if your cookies end up too brown on the bottom, lightly rub the bottom with your vegetable grater. - Marcie H., Apopka, Fla.

IRON KEEPS CLOGGING
Dear Heloise: I still iron my clothes, although my daughter says it's old-fashioned. However, my iron keeps clogging up. Any hints for this? - Anne M., Bettendorf, Iowa
Anne, to keep your iron from clogging, use only distilled water, and make sure you empty your iron after each use. - Heloise

BABY JAR LIDS
Dear Heloise: I have a terrible time getting the lid off a baby food jar. I've tried banging it on the edge of my countertop and running the jar under hot water, but I can't seem to get some of the jars opened. - Emma Y., Westover, Tenn.
Emma, when a baby food jar won't open, try puncturing a hole in the lid. It will break the vacuum seal, and the lid will twist off easily. - Heloise

CIRCLE STORY
Dear Heloise: This memory clue helped my math students: There are three measurements for circle distances: radius, diameter and circumference.
Radius is the shortest word - the shortest distance in a circle from center to outside. Diameter is the next longest word — distance all the way through the circle (must pass through center). Circumference is the longest word, and it is the longest distance - all the way around the circle. - Roxanne, 32-year elementary teacher, via email

EASY ICE
Dear Heloise: I take the small plastic cups that gelatin and pudding come in, wash them out, then fill them with water and put in the freezer. I use these on sore spots for muscles and on the bottom of the feet, etc. Physical therapist offices use small ice rounders this exact size during therapy. These can be simple to have on hand at home. - Susan in Huntington Beach, Calif.


LID LOGIC
Dear Heloise: We have always had problems keeping our containers and lids organized. Our solution is to take each container and lid and write the same number with a felt pen on both. Then when I select a container, I look for the corresponding numbered lid. Problem solved. - Tom Ackmann, Fort Wayne, Ind.

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