DHéloïse ear: When the sneakers smell bad and you don’t have time to do a full wash, here’s my hint for instant good results. Take a can of bathroom freshener, spray it inside the shoes on the insoles from heel to toe, then let it dry. Your shoes will instantly smell fresh.
—Thomas Lawson, Long Beach, California.
Dear Heloise: A standard “can” of ground coffee weighs just under two pounds, depending on the grind. Most “boxes” of this size will yield 100-200 cups of brewed coffee, with the cup in question ranging from 12 ounces all the way up to 6 ounces.
I just bought a few such “boxes” on sale from a major brand for $7.99 each. That’s about $0.04 per cup for a 6-ounce pour — or about $0.007 per ounce.
Meanwhile, a pack of 12 K-cups for coffee machines can cost between $0.25 and $1.00 per cup, or more depending on the brand.
—Jeff Tolliver, Columbus, Ohio
Dear Heloise: As my mother got older, she needed help getting out of bed. We bought a wireless doorbell kit and mounted the button on a small piece of wood. We then tied him to my mother’s bed. We made sure to put the chimer in the room we were in, so when mom needed help, she just rang the bell.
Dear Heloise: When I travel for several weeks and I don’t have the availability of laundries, I take a salad spinner with me. It acts a bit like a spin agitator in a washing machine. My items dry much faster, with fewer wrinkles than hand wringing, and are more quickly packable. Granted, the spinner takes up space in my suitcase, but I store items like rolled up underwear, stockings, or sundries in it, so its interior becomes a packable space.
In fact, I now carry fewer of these items with me, leaving room for more shoes or travel clothes. I even used my spinning top to bring home fragile gifts. I am now the proud owner of a wringer for travel and for the kitchen.
Send a money or time saving tip to Heloise, PO Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise .com. I cannot respond to your letter personally, but I will use the best advice received in my column.
