Helpful Hints

DEAR HELOISE: I am getting a kitten and wondered if you have any hints for litter-box training?

-- Yvette in New Mexico

DEAR READER: Litter-box training is simple, and most kittens pick it up right away. Before you bring your kitten home, make sure you already have a litter box and litter. Set up the box where you want it. As soon as you bring the kitten home, put her into the litter box (you can even scratch her paw in the litter). This is your way of showing her where she needs to go and where the box is located. Then the first few days or even the first week your kitten is home, watch her carefully. If you see her scratching in a corner, pick her up and put her in the litter box. Your kitten will soon get the hang of it.

DEAR HELOISE: I recently purchased some milk that leaked a little in the trunk of my car, and it reeks something awful due to the Texas heat. What do you recommend I clean it with?

-- Christy E., via email

DEAR READER: Your experience is a good reminder to put all containers in plastic bags, just in case. First, be sure to clean the spot well with soap and water, rinse, then wipe with full-strength vinegar and let dry. Leave the trunk open. Next, use baking soda -- sprinkle it (a boxful) over the area and rub it in with your hands. Leave on for a few days, and then vacuum out the baking soda. If any smell remains, repeat the process.

I use baking soda for so many things. Clean up corrosion on your car battery with a paste of baking soda and water.

DEAR HELOISE: I was doing some deep cleaning in my bathroom that required being on my knees. It hurt so badly! I grabbed a roll of paper towels and used it to kneel on. It gave my knees the padding they needed and helped me get through the rest of my cleaning.

-- Giselle, 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

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HomeStyle on 09/13/2014

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