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Get rid of roaches, yellow fingernails, and crayon marks

Dear Heloise: Some time ago you had a certain way to mix a sure cure to get rid of roaches using boric acid, I think. Please, I would like to read it again. — Richard C., Long Beach, Calif.

Richard, gather 8 ounces of powdered boric acid, 1/2 cup of flour, 1/8 cup of sugar, 1/2 of a small onion (chopped), 1/4 cup of shortening or bacon drippings and enough water to form a soft dough.

First, mix the boric acid, flour and onion. Next, cream the shortening and sugar, and add the flour mixture to this. Blend well and add enough water to form a soft dough.

Shape into small balls and put around the house where you have seen roaches. If you place a few in an open sandwich bag, they’ll keep longer. Replace them when they dry out and become hard. Keep away from children and pets! — Heloise

Dear Heloise: How do I get hairspray residue off a flat iron? — Ann in Alabama

Ann, it’s easy. You’ll need to have a bottle of rubbing alcohol available. First, be sure to unplug the flat iron, then pour a generous amount of alcohol onto a cloth or dish towel and place it between the plates. Give it a chance to work for a few minutes, then rub the iron with the same cloth to remove the residue. If some of the residue remains, repeat, but this time use a sponge with a delicate scrubbing pad. — Heloise

YELLOW FINGERNAILS

Dear Heloise: My nails have turned yellow, and I suspect it’s from my nail polish. How can I get rid of the yellow stain? — Diana in Illinois

Diana, a good first step is to always use a clear polish on your nails before applying colored polish. But, to remove the yellow stain, put your fingernails in a cut lemon half for a few moments. Be sure to moisturize your nails and hands afterward. — Heloise

CRAYON FLOOR ART?

Dear Heloise: We recently installed terrazzo floors in our home. One morning, my young son got up early and drew on them with his crayons. How do I remove the marks? — Susan in Florida

Susan, would you believe a plain old pencil eraser will remove those marks? An eraser will also remove some heel marks. — Heloise

TINY BATHROOM

Dear Heloise: I have a tiny bathroom in my apartment. This made storing bath and shower products very challenging. I finally bought a see-through shoe bag with pockets to hold most of my personal items and hung it on the back of the bathroom door. It’s made those items easy to find and made my bathroom look cleaner. — Tina in New York

BABY LOVES BANANAS

Dear Heloise: My baby girl loves bananas and likes to feed herself. She just can’t seem to hang onto those slippery banana slices, so I rolled the banana slices in graham cracker crumbs to make them easier to hang onto. — Katharine in Michigan

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.

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