Dear Readers: Doesn't it drive you crazy when you wash your drinking glasses and crystal but they still look cloudy? There could be a number of things contributing to the problem.

It just might be a hard-water buildup. If so, try to remove it by soaking the glasses in hot vinegar and then rubbing them with a plastic brush or scrubbie. If the film doesn't come off, the glasses are probably permanently etched with little scratches.

Cloudy glasses also might be caused by using too much detergent, especially with soft water, which can make them look cloudy.

If your dishwasher is overloaded or not working properly, the glasses might not be getting rinsed properly, either. Try these hints, and I'll bet your glasses will look sparkling-clean in no time. And for other great vinegar hints, send $4 and a self-addressed, stamped (60 cents), long envelope for a copy of my six-page vinegar pamphlet to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Hint: To avoid spotted wine and other special glasses, wash with the right amount of detergent and rinse in the hottest water possible. Then dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Air-drying might cause spots, especially if you have hard water. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I pack my lunch for work every day, and since we have no fridge in the office, I have to use those refreezable ice packs. I bought two alike that are flexible when thawed. I took a large, empty soft-drink bottle, filled it with water and froze it. Once it was full, I laid it on its side in the freezer, and when I come home in the evening, I put the thawed ice pack on top, molding it slightly to the shape of the bottle. The next morning, I have an ice pack that conforms to either a regular soft-drink can or a large bottle for my lunch bag the next day. — Erin Keniston, Huntsville, Ala.

Dear Heloise: I am cleaning my cupboards and am very frustrated trying to figure out the dates on everything! The "best used by" date on many canned goods, cake mixes and bags of nuts (and the list could go on and on) is hard to discern. On many things, there is just a long jumble of numbers and letters, and some have what looks like a time, such as 1:45, stamped on them! How are we supposed to figure out the date when it is not stamped clearly? I give credit to the few manufacturers that have very distinctively dated them, such as "best if used or frozen by 04-04-04." Would it be so hard for all manufacturers to do that? Thank you for airing my "beef"! — Jan Bomstad, via e-mail

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