Dear Readers: Today's Sound Off is about being bombarded by organizations asking for money:
"Dear Heloise: I understand that charities and other worthwhile organizations need money to operate, but I'm tired of the weekly phone calls and letters from these people asking me to donate money.
"I live on a retirement income, and I can donate only once a year. Continually calling me for donations to a hospital, policeman's ball or other charity is annoying. Then, they in turn sell my name and information to other organizations, which start calling me. It's gotten to the point where I just hang up on them."-Sarah H., Key West, Fla.
Sarah, when they call, tell them to remove you from their list of people to contact, and by law they must stop.-Heloise
FAST FACTS
Dear Readers: Here are some great ideas for cotton balls:
- Give some to pet birds for nesting purposes.
- Pack around small objects for shipping.
- Give to children to use for a craft project.
- Spray with perfume and put in your purse to keep it smelling fresh.
-Heloise
HELP! COCKROACH!
Dear Heloise: It seems every time I see a cockroach, it's hanging on to my ceiling. I spray and spray insecticide, but they keep coming back. What can I do to get rid of them?-Kelly Q., Metairie, La.
Kelly, if the cockroach is on the ceiling, use a broom to brush it off onto the floor. Use a shoe to kill it and throw the cockroach in the trash. If they're hiding behind a refrigerator or in other hard-to-reach places, use sticky traps to catch them. Also, look for damp spots in the house, because roaches are drawn to those places and to anywhere there's food. You might have to call in an exterminator to do the whole house.-Heloise
ANTS ARE
IN HOT WATER
Dear Heloise: I boil a gallon of water and pour it down the center of an ant mound to kill ants. No chemicals, no danger.-Mimi T., Hanover, N.J.
BETTER SAFE
THAN SORRY
Dear Heloise: As a police officer, I see break-ins every day. Our senior citizens are the ones most at risk, usually because they are the most trusting. To better safeguard your home, your life and your valuables, have a peephole installed on your front door and on the door leading to your garage. DO NOT open the door to strangers, no matter what they tell you. Make sure you have at least one deadbolt lock on all doors leading outside. If someone insists that you need to let them in, or just won't go away, call the police.-James L. in Los Angeles
SHINY SHOES
Dear Heloise: My husband won't shine his shoes. He says they look fine and don't need shoe polish, but they look old and scruffy to me. How can I convince him otherwise?-Cassy T., Old Town, Maine
Cassy, tell him shoe polish has conditioners that keep shoes supple and help prevent the leather from getting brittle and dry.-Heloise
SEND A GREAT HINT TO:
Heloise
P.O. Box 795000
San Antonio, TX 78279-5000
Fax: 1-210-HELOISE
Email: [email protected]
King Features Syndicate