DEAR READERS: There seem to be more and more recalls for products every day -- cars, appliances, pet food, medical devices and food. What to do? Ignore, or pay attention? Keep the following in mind:
• Most recalls are announced because of a safety issue. There is a reason, so listen up.
• Don't ignore a mailed recall notice. Read it and decide what to do.
• If you buy a product with a registration card, mailing it back will allow the manufacturer to notify you if there is a recall.
• Don't tune out news stories about recalls, especially food- and medicine-related ones.
• An indispensable website you can trust is Recalls.gov for your peace of mind. It lists recalls by different agencies in one place.
DEAR HELOISE: If you lose the top (cover) for your eyebrow or eye-shadow pencil, do what colored-pencil artists do to save the sharpened point: Cut a piece of plastic drinking straw to feed over the pencil, which also extends the life of the pencil.
-- Linda M., via email
DEAR READER: Linda, you taught this makeup-loving gal a hint. I have a bunch of lip liners and eyeliners in my makeup drawer "topless" and with smashed points. No longer! Thanks so much!
DEAR HELOISE: I was a bachelor for many years. I've learned when transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer to shake out each piece, including socks and washcloths (it's a good time to turn items right side out). Fewer wrinkles will appear.
Also, store super glue so the tube is standing up. Gravity will pull the excess glue from the top downward. This keeps the hole at the top free from glue that inevitably hardens, making the rest unusable.
-- Richard M.,
Zanesville, Ohio
DEAR READER: Throwing a lump of wet clothes in the dryer is counterproductive. Also, don't overload or stuff the dryer. The clothes can't move around freely, and they come out wrinkled.
DEAR HELOISE: I have cats, and they love sitting on my lap when I watch TV. I have a blanket that I put on my lap because I end up full of hair. I discovered by accident that if I take an emery board (preferably one of the larger ones) and gently rake it over the garment, it gathers all of the hair.
-- Mary L., Roseville, Calif.
DEAR HELOISE: The bagged coffee I buy has plastic strips for resealing the bags. These are great to use in the garden to tie climbing plants, tomatoes and other vine-type vegetables to supports, cages and trellises. They are flexible, very strong and don't deteriorate.
-- J.E., Brinklow, Md.
DEAR HELOISE: Store basket-style coffee filters upside down. It's much easier to pinch one off the bottom than it is to separate their edges from the top.
-- Marty, via email
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Style on 06/16/2015