Dear Heloise: When making donations to food pantries and organizations who are feeding the homeless and underprivileged, keep in mind that they cannot accept expired, opened or already spoiled food items. If any of your items fall in these categories, please dispose of them because they can’t use them. Donate year-round, not just from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Spread out your donations throughout the year. Some of these organizations operate 365 days a year.

When donating food items, think outside the box. Food items that might be needed can include meat (hamburgers, bacon and sausages are greatly appreciated), eggs, milk, juice, butter, vegetable oil, coffee, creamer, sugar, flour, salt, pepper, seasonings, fresh fruit, and vegetables.

Paper products that might be needed can include plates, napkins, forks, cups, trash bags, toilet paper and paper towels. Don’t forget cleaning supplies!

For first aid/health care, you can donate bandages, antibiotic creams, antacids, aspirin, cough drops, cold and flu medicine, and allergy-relief medicine.

I hope this helps people consider donating different items, not just canned goods and macaroni and cheese. Everyone likes to have a variety of foods, not just the same things over and over. — C. Ecklund, Temple, Texas

HAIR CONDITIONING

Dear Heloise: I have an easy hint for you — compliments of my daughter! When she gets in the shower, she washes her hair first, then applies conditioner. She leaves the conditioner on while she washes everything else. This way, the conditioner gets extra time to do its job.

It’s so simple, and I’m amazed I went all these years without trying this hint that is so easy to incorporate. — Linda Larson, San Antonio

MOLDING SOAP

Dear Heloise: You have had a number of letters about using and saving soap slivers when a bar gets worn. I would like to add one more:

When a soap bar gets thin, we save it until we have a few of them; then we dampen them and put them on a dish in the microwave. Do this only for a few seconds because they get hot rapidly, depending on the power of your microwave. When you take them out, they are hot but also sticky like modeling clay. They can be compressed, molded into a new bar and used like new. — Louis Levy, San Antonio

NAIL-BITING SOLUTIONS

Dear Heloise: I bit my nails terribly as a kid, down to where it hurt. I had a stressful childhood and tried everything to quit. My dad even tried bribing me. But when my daughter was 4, she said, “Mom, your nails are ugly.” So, first, I quit biting my little fingernails. After a while, I quit biting my ring fingernails, too. I added a finger every couple weeks. I did bite my thumbnails for a while, but I eventually quit.

This was back when I was in my 20s. I’m 75 now and still don’t bite my nails. — C. Wagner, via email

BURNED FOOD ON POTS

Dear Heloise: For burned food on pots, instead of setting a pot overnight to soak, put about 2 inches of water in the pot, add about 1/4 cup baking soda and boil for a few minutes. As you watch that the water doesn’t boil away, the food will come right off.

Really stubborn stuck-on food may take two times, but this worked for me since my mom taught me many years ago. Thanks for all of you and your mother’s tips over the years! — Joyce A., Anaheim, California

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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.