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Dear Heloise: Get a small plastic rinsing cup. Shake baking soda into it. Add a little shampoo on top. Mix with your finger, then wash your hair with this mixture. It’ll strip out excess product. I’ve done this for many years. — Joannie T., in Little Rock, Arkansas
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LEAD LEACHING
Dear Heloise: I have vintage white milk glass nesting bowls, white Federal glass bowls, and vintage jadeite bowls. I’ve been using these to mix and store food. I keep hearing that they aren’t safe to use anymore due to them containing lead. Can you please advise me regarding this?
Also, I’m still using my vintage white frost plates and bowls from the ’80s and ’90s. I hope these are safe. — Nancy K., via email
Nancy, any plate or bowl that was manufactured before 2005 is suspicious. Many contain lead paint in the decorations on the bowl or plate. It’s a small amount but still not advisable to use for any reason other than decoration.
White frost plates and bowls that are made today are made from nonporous vitrelle glass and are safe to use. However, your plates from the ’80s and ’90s may not be safe to use. Your best option is to have someone test your plates for lead or cadmium content. — Heloise
LOGGING FOOD
Dear Heloise: I’m also in my 60s and overweight. I was curious about my food choices, so I found a free app, called MyFitnessPal, to log the foods that I eat daily. It really opened my eyes as to how food affected my weight. I still treat myself to my “junk food.” However, logging food has helped me with my portion control.
Slow weight loss was my goal. I didn’t gain weight for a short period of time and wanted to find something sustainable. I have now used this process for six months and have lost 17 pounds. Believe that you can be successful in your weight-loss journey, and it’ll happen! — Susan W., in River Falls, Wisconsin
Susan, congratulations on your weight loss! You have the right attitude. I’ve always told myself: “In one year, I still plan to be alive, so why not stick to my diet so that I’m slimmer in a year? If I weigh the same as I do now, I’ll be very disappointed in myself for not sticking to my goal.” — Heloise
COOKING SOUND OFF
Dear Heloise: I read the letter about one in four Americans being unable to cook. The reason for this is due to parents not allowing their children to learn, as most parents don’t care that they “have to clean up after their children.” There are also adults who didn’t learn how to cook because they ruined something as a teen and never tried again. — Cindy, in Ohio
Cindy, we received several letters on this subject, including letters from teens who only use a microwave. Cooking is a survival skill, and any good cook will tell you that it’s also part science. (I always loved science.) If you can read a cookbook, you can probably learn how to cook.
What the teens complained about was how long it took them to prepare a nice meal and the fact that no one said “thank you,” or they hated the cleanup afterward. Still, a home-cooked meal is a nice skill to have in your back pocket. — Heloise