Dear Heloise: In a letter from Loretta in Texas, she said, “It is important to read all of our mail, even if it looks like junk mail.” Before opening any email, the sender’s name should be scrutinized. If the name is not one that is recognized, then don’t open the email. If you open an email from an unrecognized person or company, do not click on any attachments. They could contain viruses or malware.

Even if the name of the sender looks legitimate, be careful. We continually get emails from companies pretending to be AT&T, Costco, Amazon or others, stating that our account has been suspended. Of course, they all just want us to reenter our personal information. We get all sorts of emails from companies telling us we have been awarded gift cards, free tools or other merchandise.

With our email system, we can hover the cursor over the sender’s name while the email is still in the inbox, which reveals the email address of the sender. I would guess that other email systems feature a similar capability. Best regards and smiles. — Tim Davis, via email

LIGHTENING THE ­VACUUMING

Dear Heloise: Here’s a suggestion for seniors, like me, who are trying to do their own cleaning. My old vacuum sweeper was rather tiring to use, so I bought a compact (small) handheld vacuum. The compact has great suction and good cleaning; it goes under the furniture and is easy to carry upstairs and into the basement. The brush does a good job with cat hair, too. My back doesn’t get nearly as tired. — Michael Noll, Fort Wayne, Indiana

COOLING ­HARD-BOILED EGGS

Dear Heloise: I have a small suggestion for the hard-boiled egg process. After cooking the eggs, rather than running them under cold water, put ice cubes in the bottom of a bowl, then transfer the cooked eggs to the bowl.

Next, fill the bowl with water until eggs are covered and push the eggs under the ice cubes. Once the ice has melted, peel the eggs.

The water used for cooking and cooling can then be reused to water plants. I enjoy reading your column in The Columbian. — Irene B, Vancouver, Washington

BAKING SODA AND BUG BITES

Dear Heloise: While on my morning walk, a huge black bug bit me. When I returned home, I remembered one of your hints about baking soda, so I made a paste with water and applied it to the bitten area. Wow, what relief I got! Almost immediately, the pain disappeared, and the area became less red and sore. That stuff really works! Thanks so much for that “home remedy.” — Joan Stern, San Antonio

Joan, I’m very happy to hear you remembered one of my handy baking soda hints.

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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.