DEAR HELOISE: Do you know the grades of beef? ...

... Is it worth paying more for the best quality? The United States Department of Agriculture (www.USDA.gov) has standards for meat grading. The most common grades of beef are prime, choice and select. Let's take a look at these:• Prime has lots of fat marbling for juiciness and flavor. High-end steakhouses usually serve prime. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for broiling, roasting and grilling. • Choice is high quality beef but has less marbling. Roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be tender and flavorful, but cuts from the rump, round or chuck will be most tender if braised.• Select is still fairly tender, but may lack some of the flavor and juiciness because of less marbling. Always read the label, visit the USDA website for more information, or check with your butcher to make sure you're getting the quality grade of meat you desire. - Heloise DEAR HELOISE: An old teacher's trick to remove permanent marker from a whiteboard is to carefully go over the permanent mark with a nonpermanent marker, wiping immediately as you go over the stain. - Doug C, via email DEAR HELOISE: After I use one of those pre-moistened floor cleaning pads that attach to the mop, I turn the pad over and use the other side to clean the baseboards. This is a time- and money-saver! - Cathy in Texas Cathy, great idea! I love getting the most out of a product. - Heloise DEAR HELOISE: I found an easy way to really clean my metal miniblinds. I fill my bathtub with soapy, warm water and lay the blinds in the water for about 20 to 30 minutes. I then let about half of the water drain from the tub and scrub the blinds with a car wash brush that has an extension pole. Then I rinse them in the tub and take them outside to dry in the sunlight. Using the long-handled brush makes the job easier and saves my back. - Harold in Louisiana DEAR HELOISE: To freshen my drapes, I put them in the dryer with a dryer sheet on a cool or air-dry setting. They come out smelling fresh and free from cat hair and dust. This is a good way to freshen drapes when there's very little time to do anything else with them. - Donna in New York