Pliers can be helpful for opening eye drops
HINTS FROM HELOISE
Dear Heloise: To the lady who had trouble opening eye drop bottles for glaucoma, I use a regular pair of pliers to open them. It works great! Also, if you store the bottles upside down, the drops come out faster. — Sue B. via email
Delivery help
Dear Heloise: I've followed the discussion in your hints about the preferability of online versus paper versions of the newspaper. I haven't seen what, for me, is an important reason for subscribing to the paper version: Many delivery persons in my community are retirees who use a paper route to supplement their income. I'm happy to help, including giving them a tip. — Linda, C. in Spokane, Washington
Linda, I think you might see many more elderly Americans working to supplement their income, long after they retire from their full-time jobs. There's a lot of talk about partially privatizing or restructuring social security, but we'll have to see what the future holds. Thank you for your thoughtful kindness! — Heloise
Hardened sugar
Dear Heloise: My mother always added a piece of bread to the container where she stored brown sugar, and it kept the sugar from hardening. I still do this today, but one day, my dog's treats were very hard. So, I placed half of a piece of bread inside the package, and it worked wonderfully! The bread softened the treats just as it does with brown sugar! — Tami U. in Elkhorn, Nebraska
Dishwasher odor
Dear Heloise: In response to the reader who has concerns about a foul-smelling dishwasher, I use an air freshener that's made for small spaces, and I put this in the top rack in the dishwasher. Of course, I remove it before running the dishwasher. But it makes it smell fantastic! — Debbie N. in Port Charlotte, Florida
Old hairbrush tip
Dear Heloise: I use an old hairbrush to scrape the lint off the dryer screen. It works great. — C.A. via email
C.A., be very careful that you don't damage the dryer screen with the hairbrush. It might also be a good idea to wash the screen once in a while with a mild soap and rinse it well. — Heloise
Refrigerating fudge
Dear Heloise: I saw your recipe for fudge in the Pantagraph in Bloomington, Ill. I want to make it for Christmas but wondered if it should be refrigerated. Thank you! — Gladys C. via email
Gladys, thank you for reaching out! Regarding the fudge, it's generally fine to keep it at room temperature in an airtight container, though it will stay fresh for longer if you store it in the refrigerator. — Heloise
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