Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Daily Breeze in Southern California and never miss an issue. Thanks for all your tips over the years! I recently learned something from my appliance repairman. When moving the washing machine, he squirted some water under the machine and was able to move it quite easily.

I have a very heavy coffee machine on my kitchen counter, and when I needed to move it, I wet the counter surface with a dishcloth, then moved it quite easily across the counter. — Ann Christensen, via email

LENGTH OF SHIRTS

Dear Heloise: I wish you could use your influence to get women’s clothing companies to list the length of their shirts on their website or in their catalogue. I’m tall, and it’s difficult to see how their shirts would fit on me. It would not have to be for each size, maybe just for the medium size. At least it would be a starting point. Thank you. — Linda, New Orleans

ORGANIZING ­PHOTOS

Dear Readers: If you have piles of boxes or photos that you have not put into albums, they may deteriorate, so here’s what to do:

Sort the photos and put them into piles. Damaged photos can be tossed. Be sure to identify everyone in the photos on the back of the photos that you want to save. Fires or floods could damage all of them. Make an extra copy of the ones you want by scanning them onto your computer. Finally, keep your photos in a safe place. — Heloise

PAINT SPLATTER ­SOLUTION

Dear Heloise: I do a lot of remodeling, and when I would paint the walls, I noticed that it was difficult to get paint off my skin no matter what kind I used. I thought it might help if I used a heavy, oily lotion on my hands and arms. Now I coat my hands and arms in lotion, making it easier to get paint splatter off.

As a bonus, it also helps smooth and moisturize my skin at the same time. — D.J., in Connecticut

WALL HANGINGS

Dear Readers: You can hang just about anything you want on your walls, like collections of children’s artwork, photos or paintings. But to make them last longer, frame them or hang them from a quilt with a wooden rod by attaching them to wooden rings. Be creative when arranging them! — Heloise

KNEAD AWAY

Dear Heloise: I use one particular recipe for bread, but it comes with a warning that the dough can get rather sticky. I love the flavor of the dough, so for me, it’s worth the trouble it takes to make it. First, I tried to coat my hands in flour. I had no luck there, but when I placed my hands in plastic bags to knead the dough, it worked out much better. — L.S., in Idaho

USES FOR OLD SHEETS

Dear Heloise: Here are some uses for old sheets. You can use them as drop cloths when painting to cover your furniture or the floor. You can also use one as a protective cover for the floor or trunk of a car, or the bed of an SUV or van, when transporting things that may make a mess (like plants, bags of mulch, yard debris that will be taken to a recycling facility, etc.). — T.D., in Ohio

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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.