HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: We moved into a home with marble floors. When we moved in, the floors looked stunning. However, over time, they have begun to lose their luster.

What is the best way to clean and keep the floor in its polished, high-shine state? - Martha J., Bastrop, Texas

DEAR READER: To keep real marble floors in the best shape, you need to sweep or vacuum the floor often - even daily, if there is a lot of traffic. Daily dirt and grime left on the flooring gets ground in and can scratch the floor. A quick once-over every day will prevent a lot of problems.

For a more thorough cleaning, there are a lot of good commercial products. With time, marble may fade. To bring the shine back to marble, you will need to buy specialty cleaners and follow the directions to the letter.

DEAR HELOISE: Many years ago, my mother and I started dating household items on the bottom and labeling where they came from. It’s nice to be reminded how old it is, what vacation spot it came from or what relative passed it on.

Some of the old quilts are labeled as to which relative made them. My mother went one step further, drawing pictures of heirlooms and stating where they came from.

• Judy in San Antonio

DEAR HELOISE: I mark any food with a date before putting it in the freezer. When it is time to defrost, I remove all the frozen food and place it on the floor, piled tightly together to keep the cold in the packages. I take a floor-type fan and place it in front of the freezer and turn it on so that the warm air from the room will circulate into the freezer.

After cleaning out the freezer and putting the food back in, it is easy to see which things are older than the others.

• Kathie in Erie, Pa.

DEAR HELOISE: My husband and I use envelopes from incoming mail for writing lists, notes or messages. We use an envelope opener to slit the edge, which leaves a flat writing surface on the back of the envelope. We keep a stack of them handy next to the computer and the telephone. When we’ve completed a list or task, we recycle the envelope with the newspapers.

• Jim and Pat, via email Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email [email protected]