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Dear Heloise: I read the letter about the reader in The Villages, Florida, who can no longer take baths. I have been in a wheelchair for 25 years and have a solution for her. She can buy a bathtub lift chair online.
This powered chair lowers you gently down into the water and brings you up out of the water. It’s miraculous and life-changing. I use the grab bars to get in and out of the tub and back into my wheelchair. You just have to charge the remote for a few hours, then it’s good for about six baths before you have to charge it again. It’s wonderful to be able to take a bath again.
I’ve now had this powered bath chair for about four years, and I haven’t had any problems. Bear in mind that I can’t walk or stand on my own. The chair raises me to the same height as my wheelchair, and I can just turn around and sit down on it. This could also be done with a stool or chair, or the person could have their walker at the ready.
Quite honestly, this is much safer for me since I can’t walk into a shower (even when holding onto grip bars) to get onto a shower chair without assistance. I hope this is helpful. — Linda, via email
PROGRAMMED KEY FOB
Dear Heloise: In your column, there was a suggestion about making sure that your house key wasn’t attached to your car key fob when leaving your car with a mechanic. The writer also mentioned locking their car when getting gas. I do all of this, but when I bought a new car, I had the fob programmed to only unlock the driver’s door. Ask a mechanic if your fob can be reprogrammed if it’s older. Lucky for me, the gas tank is on the same side as the driver’s door. — Marilyn M., in St. Louis
GREEN SPOTS ON BRASS
Dear Heloise: My oil-rubbed bronze bathroom faucets have some green spots on them. I’m assuming that water droplets have caused this. What can I use to remove these spots? Thank you so much for all your very useful hints! — Chris, in Dayton, Ohio
Chris, try the following solution: Gently clean the faucet with a soft toothbrush and a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Avoid harsh chemicals, steel wool, or any abrasive chemicals because these will strip the finish off. Dry the brass completely, then use a cotton ball with mineral oil or olive oil on it to lightly buff the area where the green spots occurred. This should restore the bright shine and add protection to the brass. — Heloise
PET-FREE LODGING
Dear Heloise: I’m very allergic to pets. Even when there’s no odor, if a pet has been in the room or on the bed, it causes problems for me. There are still some hotels that are pet-free, but not many. I always try to find one. If I’m not lucky in finding pet-free lodging, I try to find a hotel that restricts pets to the first floor.
Most hotels won’t guarantee this, though. I’ve found that getting a room on the top floor, as far away from the elevator, is the best option. Thank you for addressing this concern. Maybe more hotels will look into being pet-free. — Les P., via email
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.