Dear Heloise: I’ve been reading your column all my life. (I’m 72.) Thanks for all the great tips!

I wanted to clarify something that Sarah P., from Bakersfield, California, asked about using ceiling fans 24/7. Ceiling fans, or really all fans, do not cool the air. They cool our bodies by evaporating the perspiration from our skin. So, if you are not actually in the room with the fan, there’s no point in running it. The temperature of the room will not drop

• Paula M., via email

Paula, ceiling fans can also lower utility bills by keeping us cool while using less energy than air conditioning.

• Heloise

Dear Heloise: Is it harmful to bleach teeth with over-the-counter products? Will the bleaching products harm my enamel?

• Jill H., in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Jill, bleaching products with a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide can soften the enamel temporarily. Overuse or misuse of whitening agents can cause tooth sensitivity and enamel erosion. Abrasive whiting toothpaste can also do the same over time.

The best way to whiten your teeth is usually done by a dentist who can carefully monitor the whitening process. However, if you use an over-the-counter whitening agent, follow the directions to the letter. Don’t eat or drink anything after you’ve bleached your teeth.

Bleaching before going to bed is probably the best time to use a whitening product, but do not sleep with whitening strips in your mouth. After bleaching your teeth thoroughly, rinse your mouth out with water.

­– Heloise

Dear Heloise: When I was a software engineer, a colleague used to pour her leftover coffee into a plant she had on her desk. It looked great! But as a former landscaper, I knew about the secret of coffee grounds. I saved my used coffee to put in my compost or around my shrubs.

The reason coffee grounds make plants grow is because they are rich in nitrogen. Nitrogen will produce lots of green growth, but for good root growth and flower/fruit production, plants also need phosphorous and potassium. There are inexpensive soil test kits that are easy to use. No need to send them to a lab for results.

• Robin B., via email

Dear Heloise: A bunch of celery will keep for much longer if you remove it from the plastic bag and wrap it in aluminum foil. I cut a piece about twice as long as the bunch and wrap it lengthwise, and it lasts for a few weeks this way.

• Stacy T., via email

Heloise@heloise.com

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