Heloise

Dear Heloise: If you can’t get the cap off a pill bottle on the first time, use something like a dull knife blade or a bottle cap opener to pry out the plastic insert inside the cap, and then replace the cap on the bottle. It’s much easier to open. — Christa, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Christa, if you ask the pharmacy, they’ll remove childproof caps and put the easy-to-open caps on your pill bottles. Please, readers, keep all medications where children can’t reach them. Over the years, we’ve heard too many sad tales of youngsters who get their hands on medication that looks like candy to them. — Heloise

ADDRESS LABEL IN CARDS

Dear Heloise: When I take a card to a funeral or shower, I put a small return address label in the inside corner of the card somewhere. If the person wants to respond with a “thank you,” they don’t have to look up my address. When my late husband died, those who did this made it much easier for me to respond back to them. — Linda S., in Huntington Beach, California

LOST AND FOUND

Dear Heloise: I love to golf, and in many clubhouses, they are golf clubs in the lost and found. But if all golfers put one of their return address labels (for envelopes) at the top of the club near the grip or on the bottom by the head of the club (in the back so that you don’t see it in your swing setup), then people in the clubhouse could track them down and get the clubs back to them. — Paul D., in St. Louis

Paul, golf clubs are expensive, so I imagine getting a golf club to an avid golfer would be important. I liked your idea for another use of address labels. — Heloise

DISH TOWEL WISDOM

Dear Heloise: I use a sensible kitchen towel guideline that my helpful mother-in-law taught me years ago: Use two separate towels! Use thirsty cotton terry cloth or gauze towels for hands and counters. Use white cotton flour-sack cloths only for dish drying. Do not mix! It’s very clean and sanitary. — Patty M., in Glen Allen, Virginia

WHERE IS MY SOCK?

Dear Heloise: Here’s a cure for missing socks: When we take our socks off, we always fold or cuff the pairs together before dropping them down the laundry chute. They do not get separated until the moment they are put into the washing machine. This way, there’s no searching for matching pairs when loading the washer or folding clean laundry. This practice has almost eliminated missing socks! — David S., in Buffalo, New York

NO DOGGIE POO, PLEASE

Dear Heloise: I used to have the same problem as A.M.S. in Connecticut. Dog walkers were using my yard as their pooches’ public potty. She is correct in saying that even if the owner picks up and bags up the pooch’s poop, it still leaves a residual stain and smell.

I solved the problem by putting three signs out on my lawn. Two of them are right up close to the public sidewalk. Those both say “no poop or pee zone.” The other sign is a bit farther back on my lawn but still readable from the sidewalk. It says “dead dogs don’t poop.” It also has a comical image of a dog skeleton upside-down with their legs in the air. Dog owners get the message.

I have not had a dog poop problem since installing these signs. Signs like these may be available locally. Good online sources are Ebay and Amazon. — T.R., in Montana

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.