Hurricanes spawn preparedness tips

Dear Heloise: I live in Houston, and thankfully Hurricane Rita missed most of this area. I have a few ideas related to hurricane preparedness that I want to share.

Fill the clothes washer with water to use for bathing, cleaning or toilet flushing.

Isa, thank you for sharing your hints, and I am glad that you did not have any damage — so many unlucky others did. Because this column is all about sharing hints and information, I would like to invite anyone who has hints on preparing for or cleaning up after major damage to write. This info will be processed and printed ASAP! We can all work together, if even to share a helpful hint that might save others heartache, money or time in their efforts to rebuild their lives. Send your hints to: Heloise/Hurricane Help, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can e-mail Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

Dear Readers: If you don't want to carry bottles of essential oils while traveling, pretreat several cotton balls and put them in a sturdy, plastic, self-sealing bag or plastic travel container to carry in your luggage. If your hotel room smells a bit musty, place one of the cotton balls in the air vent, or dab on a cold light bulb, then turn on the light. (CAUTION: Never place essential oils directly on any furniture surface). — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I read your article in The Washington Post about keeping an old cell phone after obtaining a newer model in case you lose the new phone. I had no idea about this and was going to turn the old one in. I checked with my provider, and indeed I could use the old phone as a backup, if necessary. Thank you, and I'll pass this information to my friends. Keep the hints coming! — A Reader in Washington

Keeping a "just in case" cell phone will enable you to reactivate it, instead of having to purchase a new one in case of loss. As you did, check with your carrier to make sure this is an option — especially if you change companies. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have a lot of kitchen gadgets and very limited drawer space. So, I purchased some flowerpots (you can find them to match just about any decor) to sit on my kitchen counter and hold the gadgets I use the most. — Marilyn Potts, Meridian, Miss.

Also, wide-mouth vases are great for keeping long-handled kitchen utensils within easy reach. —Heloise

Dear Readers: In a pinch, when you don't have time to go to the home-improvement store to get insulation for outdoor faucets, you can use foam drink holders. So don't throw those extra ones away during the year — they'll come in handy when the first cold snap catches you off-guard. — Heloise

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