Heloise

Dear Heloise: I use baby wipes frequently, and I have one package in each of our two bathrooms. After a while, I found that the top sheets would be dry, while the bottom sheets would be swimming in liquid. Now when I use the bathroom, I flip the package. Some packages are flat and get flipped over, while some packages are taller and need to be rotated. But this way, there are no dry or awash sheets anymore!

My second hint is about the pill bottles that my pharmacy gives me; the tops can be switched out from a childproof top to a screw top. I feel better when some pills come with the childproof top, but I keep some with a screw top. I use a green pill bottle that was originally for dog medicine for my most important pills, and it has a childproof top.

My third hint is my husband figured out that my eye drop dispenser, which is small, fits nicely in a small pill bottle and stays clean. — Andi, in Gardiner, New York

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com

LAUNDERING TOWELS

Dear Heloise: How often do you recommend laundering bath towels? I feel like they are absorbing clean water, and we drape them over the railing to dry afterward. I thought once a week is OK, but my husband thinks this isn’t often enough. — Mrs. W., in New Milford, Connecticut

Mrs. W., how often you need to launder your towels depends on a number of factors — how many people use the towels, if the towels always smell fresh when you use them, if anyone with a cold or flu is using them, and other personal preferences. I’m assuming that you use your towels every day, in which case I recommend at least twice a week.

Personally, I don’t set a schedule to wash my towels. I wash them when I feel like they need it, which is two or three times a week. I have a neighbor who changes her towels every day, which might be excessive to some, but to her, it’s how things are done.

If your husband thinks once a week isn’t often enough, he can always grab a fresh towel before he showers/bathes and place the other one in the laundry basket. — Heloise

GROCERY STORE HINT

Dear Heloise: Kate, in Portland, Oregon, had a good hint on using store wipes. I have another suggestion: When I go into a store, I take a couple of wipes and use them when I’m opening the plastic bags in the produce section. These bags are hard to open, and I don’t like to lick my fingers to open them. This trick works great! I started doing this during the pandemic. I love your column! — Gloria O., in Albany, Oregon

NEWSPAPER BAG HINT

Dear Heloise: Our daily newspaper comes with a plastic bag, and I keep the ones that aren’t damaged. When I have a lot of them, I leave them in a bag next to my driveway for my newspaper delivery person with her name on it. She is disabled and appreciates not having to walk very far to get the bag; she also really appreciates the money that she saves by reusing the bags. And I get to feel good that the bags are repurposed instead of entering the trash pile!

Sometimes I keep a few of the larger bags because they’re really handy for storing celery and other vegetables. — Emily M., in Kingwood, Texas

GIVE ME THE DEFINITION

Dear Heloise: Just a short note on digital newspapers: You can highlight a particular word and get the definition of it or search the web. Thanks. — R.G.S., in New Jersey

R.G.S., thank you for this handy hint! — Heloise