Heloise

Dear Heloise: For years, I tried to scrape off decals that my kids stuck on the bathtub or bathroom tile. It ended up being a mess, and some decals just wouldn’t come off. Finally, I tried my mother’s suggestion, and it worked with very little effort on my part:

Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and bleach. Spray this on the decals, making sure that they are well-covered with the mixture. Let it set for about 15-20 minutes. You can use an old credit card to scrape off the decals or a plastic scraper that is normally used to remove ice from a windshield. Repeat if needed, or if a stain or decal is stubborn. — Corinna S., in Lima, Ohio

Corinna, this same formula is great for killing mold and mildew as well as decal removals! Readers, the next letter is from another reader who also has a recommendation for stubborn deal removals. — Heloise

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Heloise@Heloise.com

REMOVING DECALS CONT’D

Dear Heloise: I found that using hot vinegar on nasty-looking decals works wonders. I soak a sponge in hot vinegar and sponge the mixture all over the decal (or gummy, sticky residue from stick-on hooks and tape). Slowly, the glue that is behind the decal or hook starts to loosen and is easy to wash off with this mixture. — Jean B., in Beaver Creek, Colorado

HAMMERED FINGERS

Dear Heloise: Every time I wanted to hammer a nail, I always seemed to hammer my fingers while I was at it. Finally, I found a way to save my fingers from damage. I start hammering the nail with one tap; then I take a fork, slide the nail between the prongs, and continue to hammer the nail. When I’m done, I just slide the fork away from the nail. No more blackened fingernails! — Chad Y., in Washington

HOLIDAY ACTIVITY FOR KIDS

Dear Heloise: I found a way to entertain children before a holiday dinner. We have a lot of children under the age of 8 in my large Italian family. I use a long table that I found at a garage sale and cover the top with brown wrapping paper. Then I give the youngsters crayons, pencils and markers and tell them to draw a picture of a Thanksgiving dinner among the pilgrims (or the Easter Bunny, Santa delivering gifts, etc.). This keeps them busy while we get dinner on the table.

They’re not underfoot in the kitchen, whining, bored, or running through the house. After dinner, I just fold up the paper and toss it in the recycle bin. — Annette L., in Warren, Michigan

PLASTER PROBLEM

Dear Heloise: We bought an old house that was built in 1889. The walls are made of plaster, and we’ve been busy patching up some of the cracks and holes. Our only problem has been that the plaster dries out too quickly. My husband is frustrated by this problem, but I told him that I’d write to you and ask what to do. You always seem to know what to do in these types of situations. So, how do we keep the plaster from drying out so fast? — Kit and Dan, in Vermont

Kit and Dan, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a quart of plaster. This should help slow down the drying time. — Heloise

BRIEF UPDATES

Dear Heloise: I agree somewhat with Gloria W.’s letter about “Pollyanna letters,” in that they are often too long and detailed. However, I’m horribly disappointed to get a Christmas card from a distant friend with only a signature in the card — no news, no updates. We send 135 cards, and I can’t possibly write a personal note on each one.

I keep our letters short with just an update on our past year (both good and bad), and I’m happy to get them from friends! So, please folks, be brief and to the point, but do tell us about your year. — Linda Beth H., in Lincoln, Nebraska