DEAR HELOISE: To dispose of cat waste from the litter box, I scoop every day and flush it down the toilet. No storage of waste, and no odor.
-- Virginia D.,
Omaha, Neb.
DEAR READER: If it's only the waste and not the litter, then you should be OK doing this.
There is a concern about flushing the "waste" of cats, as they can have Toxoplasma gondii, which can come out (and survive) in their waste. If flushed, it may get passed on through water sources to some wildlife, notably the sea otter. The chances of your cat having it are small, and even if infected, the contagious cycle time is less than a month.
The other concern is the litter itself. Many flushable ones are just that, but do read the instructions on the packaging. Flushing the wrong type of litter can cause plumbing problems.
DEAR HELOISE: I took off my wedding rings in the car and put them on the seat between my legs to apply lotion to my hands. I forgot about them, and when I got out of the car, the rings evidently went with me.
I was not aware until a few days later, after searching the house and my pockets. I remembered that when I got out of the car, I'd heard a faint noise, like something hitting the pavement. I never realized it was my rings. I placed an ad offering a reward, but had no results.
They were of great value to me monetarily and sentimentally because they were my mother's rings.
-- Jo T., Waco, Texas
DEAR READER: This is exactly why I do not take my rings off to wash my hands or apply lotion. If I must, I hold them between my lips or under my arm. I'd rather clean my rings than lose them.
DEAR HELOISE: I pick up sample packets typically attached to information cards. (Heloise here: Makeup, hand lotion, perfumed hand lotion, etc.) Sometimes the amounts in the samples are too much to use at one time.
I keep the "gummie" used to stick the packet to the card and attach it to the back of the packet, then stick it to my mirror. I use all of it because it's right in front of me, and I don't lose any from leakage.
-- Mitzi H., Manhattan, Kan.
DEAR HELOISE: I keep $100 in my checking account that is not entered in the checkbook register. This helps me to avoid overdrafts.
-- Robert D., Findlay, Ohio
DEAR READER: Very smart. I always "round up" the amount, as small change adds up to a little cushion in the balance.
DEAR HELOISE: I kept an old dish-drainer mat to use when I paint. When I clean out my rollers and brushes, I lay them on the mat without fear of staining my nice new one.
-- Tara J., Bedminster, N.J.
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
Style on 10/06/2015