Dear Heloise: Over the years, I have gone to a lot of garage sales, and somehow thermos bottles attract me. One day, I bought one for $1. The inside was so coated with dried coffee that it was pure black inside. I put some powdered dishwashing soap in and added hot water. It started to work immediately, and in 30 minutes, the inside was as clean and as shiny as a new one would be.

I have bought several thermoses since that time and cleaned them the same way. I send them home with people who come to visit. I tell them to keep them. So, when company comes, they get free coffee and a free thermos.

By the way, this method works on both glass- and steel-lined thermoses. — Paul Pearson, Minot, North Dakota

Paul, I have an old thermos that my dad used to take with him when he went deer hunting. I tried this method of cleaning his thermos, and it came out sparkling clean! Thanks for the hint! — Heloise

TIME CHART

Dear Heloise: I suffer from memory loss, but my dear husband is sharp as a tack. Sometimes he gets up before me and needs to run errands, so he created a time chart to let me know when he’ll be back. While I could call him, the time chart already lets me know when he’ll be back.

My husband wrote the hours on a heavy sheet of card stock from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a large paper clip that he slides up and down to the time he expects to be back so that I know when to expect him. So, if he’s going to be home by noon, he just slides the paper clip to 12 p.m.

This chart is posted on the outside of our kitchen cupboard. We also have an add-on piece of paper that says whether the cats have been fed. It’s simple and easy to read and eliminates worry for me. — Michele H., Valley Falls, New York

Michele, this is a clever hint and so easy to do. I’ve had readers who also use a chalkboard for this same purpose. They got some chalkboard paint and painted the front of a kitchen cabinet; after it dried, they left messages for others who were still sleeping. — Heloise

AUTO-PAY

Dear Heloise: I know a lot of people use auto-pay to pay their bills, and for many people, it’s an easy way to get their bills paid on time. However, there are some bills that should not be placed on auto-pay:

— Credit card bills. You need to check your statement carefully to make certain that no one has placed a charge that doesn’t belong to you. I was shocked when I discovered some scammer had used my credit card number to charge over $600 worth of liquor one time.

— Cable service bills. Prices can go up without warning. You might want to discontinue the service if the rates are getting out of hand.

— Gym membership. Do you really go to the gym to work out? Is it something you either don’t have time for or lost interest in doing? Be sure to let the gym know you want to cancel your membership, or they’ll keep charging you every month whether you use the gym or not. — Vance R., Topeka, Kansas

— — —

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.