Heloise

Dear Heloise: With four boys in my home, we go through a lot of athletic socks. If one sock gets lost or develops a hole, it becomes a dust rag. But when I’m dusting, I never spray the furniture; I spray the sock and then apply the polish or cleaner on the furniture. This prevents overspraying or spraying the rest of the furniture. — Lana D., in Peabody, Massachusetts

HANDY TOOLS

Dear Heloise: I think we all appreciate the now-common practice of items that need to be assembled coming with small, throwaway tools to assemble the product, which is usually furniture. I recently ordered a framed picture, and I was happily surprised that it came with an inch-long round level. What a great idea that should become common practice! Thanks for your great column. — Tom K., A St. Louis Post-Dispatch Reader

HOME SAFES

Dear Heloise: If you choose to have a safe at home, it should be fire-resistant. (Nothing is completely “fireproof.”) It should be bolted/mounted securely — preferably to the foundation — and it should also be water-resistant. Never keep your will or instructions for your last wishes in a safety deposit box. — Steven Hallett, via email

KITTEN SURPLUS

Dear Heloise: My neighbor has cats and doesn’t want to get them fixed, so there are kittens that were just born. I never had any dogs or cats, but this mother cat came under my little barn and stayed there to give birth.

I called my neighbor and told her that her cat was here, but she didn’t take any responsibility to come get the mother and kittens. What should I do? I put a radio inside the barn, hoping they would leave. They’re still there. I never fed them, so I don’t know how the mother cat can feed these kittens. — A Reader, in Fort Wayne, Indian

Reader, call 311 and ask who you should report this to, and you can file a report citing animal abuse. This may be a possible case of abuse because your neighbor isn’t taking care of her pets. If the pets aren’t neutered or spayed, then chances are, they aren’t vaccinated or licensed either. — Heloise

CLEANING A NONSTICK IRON

Dear Heloise: How do I clean the surface of a nonstick clothes iron? — Connie B., in Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Connie, wipe off the bottom of the iron with a clean, wet cloth, and dry it well. Turn the iron on low and place a piece of waxed paper on the ironing board. Run the iron over the waxed paper several times. Then run the iron over an old towel or cloth to remove the wax. Never use steel wool. — Heloise

STOLEN PACKAGE LIABILITY

Dear Heloise: I buy a lot of merchandise from one of the major e-commerce platforms. The company delivers the item, leaves it on my stoop while I’m at work, takes a picture of it, and emails me the picture to show that it has been delivered. Does this release the company from liability if the package gets stolen before I get home? — Margaret W., in Pennsylvania

Margaret, don’t worry. If you get home and find that your package is not there, call the company, and they will help you. It wants you to be satisfied. However, if a pattern develops where packages are constantly missing, the company may require an alternate delivery plan or location. — Heloise

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com