Heloise - Handy household hints from Heloise : hundreds of great ideas at your fingertips

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER the original Heloise (1919-1977), who started the newspaper column Hints from Heloise in 1959, and to my father, Mike Cruse (1920-2006), who supported her and encouraged her. Like my husband, David, he put up with a lot of travel and work! My mother started out with the sole purpose to help other women get through their day! Housework, taking care of kids and husbands, doing volunteer work, working for pay! So many things and so little time. She knew that others faced the same problems as she did and thought why don't we help each other? So in a way, I like to think she started one of the first social networks before we even thought of the term.

Today, Hints from Heloise and all that it encompassesfrom newspaper columns, magazines, books, speeches, television, radio, Web site, podcast, e-mail and morestill stands for the same purpose... to provide you with trusted, tested, and safe information.

I am here to help you! I will test the hints, check with experts, and tell you what is and is not safe! Also, to everyone who has asked a question or shared a hint, I thank you!

Women, men, young, old, teenagers and oldster, you are all part of Hints from Heloise.

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Hints from Heloise has been sharing helpful information for 50 yearsthis year! When my mother, the original Heloise, started her newspaper column in 1959, in Honolulu, Hawaii, I don't think she could have imagined it lasting this long or in so many formsfrom newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, and speeches to TV, radio, Internet, e-mail, and text messaging.

Over the 50 years, there have been many people who worked with my mother, and me, since I took over in 1977, when she died. This includes secretaries and assistants, reporters, chemists, plumbers, lawyers, and more.

A special thanks to all of the wonderful folks who sent in their favorite hint; others, who asked questions or needed help with a problem.

Today, my reliable, faithful, and always upbeat editorial director, Merry Clark, is the person who helps keep ME on track and helps me get things done!

My husband, David, who has always been so supportive and put up with all of my deadlines! I don't think he would know what to do if I said, Oh, there's nothing pressing!

The team at Rodale IS just the absolute best. They made this book happen, and they deserve a big Heloise Hug and thanks for making the process one of the least stressful I have ever had doing a book!

Thanks also to the editing team, who made my job easy, and to the design team, who just made this so much fun. I love the graphics and the book cover. My contact, Denise, has been wonderful to work with!

Thanks to everyone who had a finger in the pie!

Heloise

2009

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M aking life easier, solving problems, preventing disasters, and sharing hints has been the backbone of Hints from Heloise for 50 years! When my mother, the original Heloise, started her newspaper column in 1959, all she wanted to do was help her housewives. My daddy was in the air force, and as a military wife, she moved around oftenas most military families doand learned to make a home no matter where we were.

Her premise was, If you have a problem, write me. If I know the answer, I'll print it; if I don't, I'll go to the expert who does! And, if there still isn't a solution, I'll put it in the paper and surely one of the readers has been there, done that! So, in a way, she started her special kind of social networkingwoman to woman!

The old sayingthat no matter how much things change, they stay the sameholds true today. We may have microfiber fabrics and high-tech gadgets and electronics to help us do just about everything, but the basic chores of daily life still need attention. Yup, someone still has to feed the dog or cat, take out the garbage, pick up the shoes, load the dishwasher, run the laundry, make the beds, vacuum, dust, and, oh yes, I forgot... clean the kitchen! Even with every modern convenience available today, the kitchen counters collect crumbs and someone has to wipe them off!

A Heloise Hint: Think through what you are doing first, rather than just grab a cleaner or spray something on a surface. Find out what your products do and how to use them (read the labels). Many people have not had the advantage to be taught some basic life skills, such as how to clean a toilet or vacuum the carpet. Not sexy I'm sure, but necessary to know! Handy Household Hints from Heloise will assist you.

This book offers some tried-and-true hints that have been around for a long time, but are still valid as of the writing of this book. It also has other hints that we have updated. Many earlier hints are no longer safe or don't work! There also are many new, effective products to help in the process. For example, DON'T use window cleaner on your TV screen. Old screens were glass; today there are plasma, LCD flat panels and rear-projection screens, which need different cleaning care.

Here is a hint from me to you. When in doubt, put on your Heloise hat and ask yourself, is this safe, will it work, is there a caution that I should know? Stop, plan the process through, then go on.

You will find icons all through the book to make it easy for you to spot a hint! The five icons are:

	Timesaver
	Creative Solutions
	Tech Tip
	Earth Friendly
	Memory Booster

Thumb through the pages and you'll start to recognize them. These handy Hints from Heloise will be helpful to you!

A final thought: No matter how small or large a chore, there is a Heloise hint that will make your task easier. When all else fails, it's more important to spend time with your family, friends, and yourself! Dust and dirt can wait until tomorrow! Take a few minutes out of each day to spend on YOU! I think enjoying 5 minutes off is a good mental health break! So sit down and be comfortable, put up your feet, if you can, take a deep breath, and relax! You deserve it.

Home Matters

Welcome home! This first part of the book is all about dealing with your stuffhow to organize it, how to clean it, and how to get rid of clutter and make the most of what you've got. There are chapters dealing with storing your clothes and doing laundry, and caring for your furniture and the things in your home. You'll also find loads of tips on maintaining your home, indoors and out. And since many of us keep an office at home, there are hints on using that space to the best advantage.