DEAR HELOISE: Thanks for all your tips over the years. I recently learned something from my appliance repairman. When moving the washing machine, he squirted some water under the machine and was able to move it quite easily.
I have a very heavy coffee machine on my kitchen counter, and when I needed to move it, I wet the counter surface with a dishcloth, then moved it quite easily across the counter.
-- Ann Christensen, via email
DEAR HELOISE: I wish you could use your influence to get women's clothing companies to list the length of their shirts on their website or in their catalog. I'm tall, and it's difficult to see how their shirts would fit on me. It would not have to be for each size, maybe just for the medium size. At least it would be a starting point. Thank you.
-- Linda, New Orleans
DEAR READERS: If you have piles of boxes or photos that you have not put into albums, they can deteriorate, so here's what to do:
Sort the photos and put them into piles. Damaged photos can be tossed. Be sure to identify everyone in the photos on the back of the photos that you want to save. Fires or floods could damage all of them. Make an extra copy of the ones you want by scanning them onto your computer. Finally, keep your photos in a safe place.
DEAR HELOISE: I do a lot of remodeling, and when I would paint the walls, I noticed that it was difficult to get paint off my skin no matter what kind I used. I thought it might help if I used a heavy, oily lotion on my hands and arms. Now I coat my hands and arms in lotion, making it easier to get paint splatter off.
As a bonus, it also helps smooth and moisturize my skin at the same time.
-- D.J., in Connecticut
DEAR READERS: You can hang just about anything you want on your walls, like collections of children's artwork, photos or paintings. But to make them last longer, frame them or hang them from a quilt with a wooden rod by attaching them to wooden rings. Be creative when arranging them.
DEAR HELOISE: I use one particular recipe for bread, but it comes with a warning that the dough can get rather sticky. I love the flavor of the dough, so for me, it's worth the trouble it takes to make it. First, I tried to coat my hands in flour. I had no luck there, but when I placed my hands in plastic bags to knead the dough, it worked out much better.
-- L.S., in Idaho
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