Heloise

Dear Heloise: My pet peeve is TV shows where the background music is so loud that you cannot hear the dialogue being spoken. I am not deaf, and it’s very irritating to lose what is going on in the show. — Lissa B., Sugar Hill, New Hampshire

Lissa, I love music, but like you, I don’t like it when it drowns out all the dialogue. I can understand how you feel. Maybe you should write to the producer of the program and tell them how you feel. I’m sure many others feel the same way. — Heloise

DISPENSER PUMP

Dear Heloise: With regard to the question about a new bottle or jar dispenser not working, I always keep my old bottle until I know whether the new one works. If not, I use the old pump on the new bottle or jar. — Shirley, in Hamilton, Ohio

WHEN DRAINING HOT WATER

Dear Heloise: Pouring boiling water down a sink drain can be dangerous due to possible splashes when it meets the cold sink and drain piping under the sink. Also, the hot boiling water might cause the thin, plastic drain-piping connections under the sink to soften, pull apart and leak.

To prevent this, when I pour my hot spaghetti water down the sink drain, I run the cold water at the same time. — Jim G., in Merrillville, Indiana

PHONE NUMBER IN WALLET

Dear Heloise: My hint for your readers is to make sure that somewhere in your wallet, you have a phone number where you can be reached. Some time ago, I came across a wallet with money and credit cards in it. I looked for a phone number to alert the owner, but there was nothing — no phone number on her driver’s license or anything else.

I was finally able to track her down by calling her car insurance agent (off her card) and having him call her to then get ahold of me.

Had I been a less diligent person, I could have easily given up, kept the cash, and tossed the rest. But I was determined to locate her. She was so grateful that I went to the effort to do so. So, Heloise readers, make it easy for someone to find you if they come across your lost wallet! — K. Micallef, via email

GROCERY LISTS

Dear Heloise: I’ve seen several suggestions for ways to keep grocery lists, including taking a photo of a paper list with a phone. I’d like to suggest a more efficient way of using a phone for a grocery list:

I use my phone’s Notes app to create a bullet list for groceries. As I shop, I can mark the bullets to indicate that I’ve picked up an item. I can also add people as collaborators for the list so that they can add items. And if they’re shopping with me, they can mark off the items they’ve picked up as well.

This really comes in handy when several of us go to the store at the beginning of a beach vacation and shop to stock the kitchen. — Sandy F., in Virginia

INK ACCIDENT

Dear Heloise: I like to write with a fountain pen, but the last time I wrote with a fountain pen, I spilled the ink on my sleeve. Now I need to get it out of a cotton blouse. How can I remove this stain? — Melody A., in Provo, Utah

Melody, a fresh ink stain can usually be blotted several times, then soaked in milk for 30-40 minutes. Afterward, wash as usual. — Heloise

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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.