Heloise

Dear Heloise: Another easier tip to get rid of kitchen cooking odors is to put out a cup of vinegar after cooking foods whose odors hang around. It does the trick overnight!

If we leave on an extended vacation, I’ll put a larger bowl of vinegar on the counter, and it keeps my house from smelling stale upon my return. It’s natural, and I found that it’s a more effective alternative to essential oils and the furnace filter hack. (I’ve used both of those methods.) — Darlene Barth, in Florida

Dear Heloise: I clean straws by putting soap on pipe cleaners and inserting them into the straws. Then I wash the pipe cleaners and recycle them. If you have a large straw, simply twist two pipe cleaners together. — Janet Culbertson, in Spokane, Washington

Dear Heloise: I just wanted to give a suggestion of what to do with necklaces. I hang all of my necklaces from a tie track that is wall-mounted inside my closet door. This way, I can see all of my necklaces at a glance for easy selection.

I also store my earrings in ice cube trays. The trays fit nicely inside my bathroom vanity drawer. Again, it’s easy to see and find a special pair. I hope these suggestions are helpful! — Pamela Gibb, via email

Dear Heloise: I’ve been using hair cream rinse instead of shaving cream for years. I get a large bottle of the least expensive brand I can find. It smells great and softens the hair on my legs so that the razor glides easily with no nicks. A bottle lasts for a really long time, and I no longer end up with itchy skin from the drying effects of shaving cream. — Sandy O., via email

Dear Heloise: With spring planting going on, here is an idea to make it a little easier: After my wife had both knees replaced, she could no longer kneel on the ground as she used to. She found that it was hard for her to transplant flowers, vegetables and other plants from the small pots into the ground.

A trick she used to make the needed holes was to use a post hole digger. This way, she could stand to make the hole, then bend over to insert the plant and push the dirt back in place with the edge of the post hole digger or another tool. — Lester M., via email

Dear Heloise: John Q. recommended checking your savings bonds since they stop earning interest after 30 years. If you have paper bonds, you can create an account on the TreasuryDirect website (TreasuryDirect.gov). There you can find instructions to convert the paper bonds into digital records.

Not only is it safer to have digital bonds, the United States Treasury will automatically redeem the bond when it matures. They will notify you that the redeemed value is available for reinvestment or transfer it to your bank account. — Brian P., Little Rock, Arkansas

Dear Heloise: Reaching into deeper jars with a regular teaspoon or tablespoons that have shorter handles can be messy and inefficient. I’ve had better luck using an iced tea spoon with its longer handle. I can get to the bottom of a jar and scrape the sides without getting stuff all over my fingers. I’m thinking of things such as applesauce and the like. — B.O.B., in Connecticut

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.