Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: I keep water dishes inside and outside for my dogs. I live in an area where the water is very hard, and the dishes become crusty and quite nasty-looking, especially the outside one. The easiest way to clean them is to pour out the water, then shake plenty of table salt into the dish and scrub with a sponge. The abrasive action of the salt cleans off the mineral residue in no time. Heavy deposits might require a couple of cleanings. – K.M., via e-mail

I decided to give your hint a try, and you’re right – it worked wonderfully on those pet dishes. – Heloise

Dear Heloise: We live in the country and have several pets. We usually buy pet food from the feed store in large sacks. The problem is that rodents love the food, too. Do you know what it’s like to scoop out some food and get a mouse, too? Not good. So, now I store the food in larger metal trash cans with lids. The food lasts, and I haven’t had a mouse surprise since! – Trish, Howard, Colo.