Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High near 55F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Partly cloudy. Low 39F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.

DEAR HELOISE: You are going to like this, Heloise! Summer will soon be here, and it will be time to get out our plastic lawn chairs. Like mine, yours may be ugly with dirt and stains. But you don’t have to throw them out. You can paint them to look new again!

Four years ago, I did an experiment on one of my old stained chairs. First, I cleaned it without worrying about the stains, and then I went to a paint store and asked for a pint of quality exterior house paint. I chose green. Using a small roller brush to paint as much as I could, followed by a paint brush to reach the “misses,” the job was done in record time. Now, when it gets dusty or dirty, a damp rag is all that is needed to clean it up.

DEAR HELOISE: Having trouble getting eggs out of the carton? Simply wet your fingertips before picking them up.

DEAR HELOISE: I always enjoy reading the clever hints people send in. Here is one of my own: To keep my sink area clear of the utensils I use, when rinsing or washing dishes, I keep them on the back of the top rack of my dishwasher. My sink plug, scraper and long-handled brush don’t take up much room, are out of sight and are easy to access. Above all, they are washed and disinfected each time I run the dishwasher.

DEAR HELOISE: I always had to keep an eye on my purse in the grocery store when I left it in the basket to look for an item. Then, I realized I did not need my purse — just the credit card I used. Now, the purse is locked in my car, and my credit card stays in my pocket. It was so freeing for me.

DEAR HELOISE: When we downsized into a condo several years ago, I lost the extra bedroom where I used to lay out my sweaters to dry. The new master bathroom had a large jacuzzi tub, which — as a strictly shower person — I really didn’t need.

So I went to a home improvement store and bought two screen protectors, the kind that you use to keep pets from scratching the screens of screen doors. I lay them flat over the tub and place my sweaters on them to dry. Works like a charm.

DEAR HELOISE: I buy natural peanut butter, but I hate it when I have to stir the oil, which always rises to the top, back into the solid part of the peanut butter.

So, I began to store it upside down, and it’s easier to stir without having oil splash all over my counter.

Judy, here is another hint: You can also store your peanut butter jar on its side to make the oil easier to stir into the solid peanut butter. However, do not pour out the oil. If you do, your peanut butter will be so hard that you won’t be able to spread it on anything.

Send hints to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001 or email Heloise@Heloise.com.

Would you like to receive our daily news?  Signup today!

Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.

Check your email for details.

Invalid password or account does not exist

Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.

An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.

Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.

A receipt was sent to your email.