Dear Heloise: I recently attended a safety meeting and was shown photos of a lawn-mower accident. A man was wearing steel-toe safety shoes, and he accidentally caught his foot in a running lawn mower. The shoe was cut in half, but the steel toe protected the foot.
Steel-toe safety shoes are available at discount stores. They are inexpensive and come in both tennis-shoe and work-boot styles. Wear them when mowing, along with safety glasses (not sunglasses). Your body is too important to risk an injury.-Ralph O., Sugar Land, Texas
ARMREST COVERS
Dear Heloise: The armrests on our patio furniture get so hot in the sun that you cannot put your arm on them.
I bought several pool noodles and cut them to fit the length of the armrests. I cut through one side of the noodle, opened it up and slipped it over the armrest.
My husband used a clear fishing line and tied them to the rests. Now we can sit outside and enjoy our chairs!-Deborah D., Heath, Texas
FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
Dear Heloise: I recently received a flower arrangement in a lovely, but heavy, glass vase. I change the water daily and move it to a cool area of the house at night.
To keep from spilling water or dropping the entire arrangement, I carry it to the sink and take a 2-foot-or-so length of heavy yarn or string and tie it around the flower stems just above the top of the vase.
Then I take the flowers out of the vase, dump out the old water, relocate the vase refilled with water and place the flowers back in it.-Fran in Pennsylvania
CLEAN NOZZLES
Dear Heloise: I use interdental brushes to clean my kitchen and bath spray-cleaner nozzles. The small tree-shaped brushes (that are normally used to clean between the teeth) easily remove the buildup in the spray nozzle.-Joe P., via email
King Features Syndicate