DEAR HELOISE: My girlfriend had a headache and asked for some pain reliever. I pulled a store brand out of my bag, and she said, "Um, that's OK ..."
What does she have against the store brand?
-- Ellie in Pittsburgh
DEAR READER: Why not ask her? Some people think store or generic products are inferior, don't work as well or who knows what else? Store brand and generic medications, by law, must be the same as name brand medications. The generic may look a little different than the name brand, but the effectiveness is the same, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (fda.gov).
Name brand medications cost more because of the packaging, advertising and other factors.
DEAR HELOISE: Our bathroom is small. We have no counter space. I hung a shoe bag on the back of the door. I put my shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, lotions, body washes, hair sprays and hair brushes in it. It's a lifesaver.
-- Dottie K. in Warren, Ohio
DEAR HELOISE: Would it help or do harm if I run the washer without a load and add a cup of vinegar?
-- Joe Z. in Costa
Mesa, Calif., via email
DEAR READER: Hi, Joe, it won't harm the washer, but I don't think it will help either. One little cup of 6 or 9 percent vinegar to tens of gallons of water is pretty insignificant.
Yes, my mother (the original Heloise) used to recommend this, but not today. Here is my update: Only 1 to 3 or 4 cups of regular vinegar to a washer full of water is pretty useless.
That said, vinegar is a workhorse around the house. It's cheap, safe and powerful for many other uses. This column has touted vinegar hints for low-cost, simple ways for decades. Wipe down picnic tables with vinegar to keep flies and ants at bay.
DEAR HELOISE: I'm always looking for ways to recycle. I take one of those highly padded bras, separate the cups and cut the straps and side fabric off. I sew a piece of elastic across the back of each one and use them for knee pads in the garden and for other yard work.
-- Rita L. in Edinboro, Pa.
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
Weekend on 07/30/2015