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DEAR HELOISE: If your magnifying glasses keep getting scratched, try putting the glass part (or plastic part) into a snug-fitting sock. It stays on well and does the trick.
Also, for short pieces (up to approximately 5 inches, per se) of metal or plastic, small bars, dowel rods, small pipes, etc., I tie together several PVC pipes, which are usually 4 inches long. I use conduit strapping, which comes in a roll and has small and big holes in it already; I cut a piece of strapping to go along the front of the PVCs (making it longer than the PVCs I have lined up) and screw the strapping onto the PVC. I then fasten the ends to an exposed 2-by-4-inch piece of lumber (or whatever I have available).
For those of you that don't know what a PVC is, it's similar to plastic and usually white, and it comes in different lengths and diameter. Most home-improvement stores have it, and it's relatively cheap. Thanks for your column, which runs in our local paper in Tiffin, Ohio.
-- Duane, via email
DEAR HELOISE: I have to applaud your response to Keith, the physical therapist, regarding the letter about using walkers when there's a fire in the house. I have to say that this is the first time I've read of anyone confronting you regarding advice. I admired you for publishing his opinion. I've been a big fan for 45 years.
-- Jacqueline E., in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Jacqueline, thank you so much for your kind note and for being a loyal reader for 45 years! It means a great deal to hear from you. We always aim to share information that's helpful, even if it sparks a debate or provides an unpopular perspective.
-- Heloise
DEAR HELOISE: I've been besieged by 8-10 spam calls for several months. I tried blocking the numbers, but it was like a game of whack-a-mole. I went on the Do Not Call registry, but the calls continued. My phone doesn't have spam-call-blocking features, and my phone company didn't offer it either.
Then my husband suggested the Do Not Disturb feature on my phone. I set up Do Not Disturb to only accept calls from my contacts list, and it worked! The spam calls still happen, but my phone doesn't ring. Now, when my phone rings, I know that it's someone from my contacts list. Please suggest this to your readers; it might help some of them, too.
-- Karen H., via email
Send your creative household hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.