Light in window signals neighbor that all is OK

DEAR HELOISE: I am an elderly widower living alone in a one-family house. I have placed an electric candle lamp on the windowsill facing my neighbor's house. I turn it on when I go to bed and turn it off when I rise in the morning.

This procedure assures my caring neighbor that I am alive and well each day. - W.W. in New Hampshire

DEAR W.W.: Loved this hint in Heloise Central! This is a good neighbor signal. - Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I moved into an apartment that had a funky smell, so I put a clip-on air freshener for the car on my box fan and turned it on to circulate the air. Magically, the smell was gone. - Lynette, via email

DEAR HELOISE: I have a large houseplant that has a lot of stems and is hard to get to for watering. Solution: Use a turkey baster. Works great for getting in between all of the stems. - T.B. in West Virginia

DEAR HELOISE: If you don't have enough room outdoors for a potting shed, use an old, adjustable ironing board. It can easily be stored just about anywhere, is easy to set up at the level you need and can be cleaned off easily. - Dottie in Florida

DEAR HELOISE: The handled toothbrushes, manual and electric, can become grimy with residue from toothpaste, etc. I use vinegar, my favorite cleaner, to wipe the surface. A toothpick can be used to clean the unreachable areas of an electric-toothbrush grip. Make certain all electric appliances are unplugged while cleaning them. - Margarette in Texas

Hints from Heloise is syndicated by King Features Syndicate. Send great hints to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; by fax, 210-HELOISE (435-6473); or by e-mail, Heloise@Heloise.com.