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DEAR HELOISE: I use baking soda to absorb odors in my refrigerator. I replace the box about every four months, but instead of tossing out a perfectly good box, I use the remaining contents to scrub plastic toys that my young son chews on. He's cutting teeth right now. It doesn't kill bacteria, but it does a great job of removing dirt, dust and saliva from his toys. I have to scrub his toys nearly every day.
The leftover baking soda also does a great job on my pots and pans, in the laundry on my husband's work clothes, and on washable rugs. What a great product! It has so many uses and costs so little. And thank you for all the helpful hints in your column.
-- Juliana T., in Albuquerque, New Mexico
DEAR HELOISE: For years, my mother read the "Hints From Heloise" column and enjoyed the many hints she found that made her life a little easier. Now I'm writing to ask a question. My son plays on a junior football team. One of the boys accidently got a tooth knocked out while they were playing a game. If my son, who is only 12, gets a tooth knocked out, is there any way to save the tooth and have the dentist reinstall it?
-- Kimberly H., in St. Paul, Minnesota
Kimberly, if it's a permanent tooth, drop the tooth in a glass of milk and rush your son and his tooth to a dentist. There are many variables to reinstalling a tooth, but only your dentist would know after examining the tooth and the spot where it came from. Remember, you need to get to a dentist immediately.
-- Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: I honestly believe that fresh herbs make a big difference in how food tastes. In the summer months, I grow herbs in my garden, but all year-round, I also grow herbs in my kitchen. I'm lucky enough to have a husband who made a frame that holds 18 special pots, where I can grow my herbs in a sunny spot right in my kitchen. There's nothing like a stew or a homemade soup that is made with fresh herbs.
I may have a special herb rack, but anyone can grow herbs in their kitchen on a windowsill, or in a pretty pot of any kind in any room of their house. Try it, and you'll never buy another dried-up herb again!
-- Emma V., in Springfield, Missouri
Emma, I love to grow my own herbs. I think it's a healthy, natural way to cook. My kitchen always smells of rosemary and lavender.
-- Heloise