Hints From Heloise: Colored duct tape tags their chargers
DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I have three children, and we all have the same type of smartphone. Because they are the same, they use the same charger. We fight over whose charger is whose. I bought several different rolls of decorative tape. Each person has a different tape. We labeled the chargers (and anything else they wanted to label), and now personal “passions” are spotted in an instant.
M. Brown in Denver
DEAR M.: I love duct tape and use it for just about everything! I mark my chargers (for all electronics) with my purple design duct tape.
DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I have, through the years, developed some suggestions for making travel easier.
The No. 1 hint is to carry a “sound machine” in your suitcase. Sound machines provide white noise or soothing sounds, such as ocean waves, etc. This blocks out noise from other rooms and people walking down the hallways. Plus, the AC/heating units are sometimes irritating. We also ask for a top floor, so no one is above us.
We bring a night light for the bathroom, in case they do not have one. I bring a scented room spray to give the room a nice aroma; a little extra comfort is good so you are ready for a restful vacation.
Rose W., Granville, Ohio
DEAR ROSE: As a road warrior with more than 2.5 million miles (on one airline alone), I also do all three hints. Mine? Two travel flashlights, earplugs, $1 bills for tips and nonperishable food (nuts, etc.) for emergencies.
DEAR HELOISE: Please let me know how to get the yellow sticky sticker off the front of my new washing machine.
Geri D., sent from my tablet
DEAR GERI: Why do they stick them on with industrial glue? Generally, you can cover the sticker with oil – baby, cooking, etc. Coat it well, tape a paper towel over the area and let sit for several hours. Then try to peel just one corner up and continue.
Vinegar can make a sticker easier to remove, too. Tape a paper towel soaked in vinegar in the same way. Keep replacing when it dries. It should soften the glue so you can remove the sticker.
DEAR HELOISE: I save receipts for reimbursements, returns, etc. We have a receipt drawer. All receipts go in there. When we need one, there is only one place to look. Every once in a while I go through and toss the ones we don’t need anymore.
Ted H. in Mississippi
Send a money-saving hint to Heloise P.O. Box 795000 San Antonio, TX 78279-5000.
This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Hints From Heloise: Colored duct tape tags their chargers."