Recycled medicine cups find new life in kitchen

DEAR HELOISE: You most likely have heard this before. I was premeasuring everything for a recipe and was looking for a small cup or bowl to hold the vanilla and the 1 tablespoon of milk that the recipe called for. I killed two birds with one stone.

I used a child's medicine cup. It has highly readable measurements and will sit upright while preparing everything else. Still learning something new every day at 53. --Liz, via email

DEAR LIZ: A super recycle and reuse hint. And it's good to continue to learn, regardless of age. -- Heloise

Fast facts

DEAR READERS: Here are some handy uses for baking soda:

n Deodorize carpet.

n Use on a stainless steel sink to clean.

n Sprinkle in ashtrays to reduce smoke smell.

n Use instead of toothpaste.

n Use as a clothes-hamper or diaper-pail deodorizer.

Don't you love how versatile baking soda is? For more money-saving hints on how to use baking soda, order my pamphlet Heloise's Baking Soda Hints and Recipes. Send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (65 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. I use baking soda as a mild body scrub for elbows and feet, with either a drop of liquid soap or hair shampoo. -- Heloise

A knotty solution

DEAR HELOISE: Even with city recycling, you still see stray plastic grocery bags and small produce bags along roadsides or blown around. I try to minimize this by tying a knot or two in the center of all plastic bags that go into the recycle bin. At least I feel better for trying something. Keep up the good work of sharing all the hints. -- Cathy W., Thousand Oaks, Calif.

DEAR CATHY: Good hint, and hopefully this will help prevent bags from blowing out of recycle bins. -- Heloise

Easy clean

DEAR HELOISE: Cleaning vases with narrow necks? The easiest way is to use a denture-cleaner tablet. Fill a vase with water and drop in a couple of tablets. Give it time to work, then rinse, and it is clean.-- Nancy S., Fort Pierce, Fla.

Picture perfect

DEAR HELOISE: I saw the coolest movie poster at a restaurant. It was in a shadow box, about 3 to 4 inches deep, and at the bottom they had placed several cups of popped popcorn (unbuttered, of course!). What a fun and clever project. I may have to try this one myself. -- Elizabeth in Pennsylvania

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 email, Heloise@Heloise.com.