DEAR HELOISE: As someone who's used a ...

... garbage disposal most of their (long!) life, I wanted to offer some advice. NEVER put raw meat, eggshells or veggie byproducts in the disposal (green, leafy veggies or celery, peelings from potatoes, carrots, beets, apples, pears, peaches, etc.). These will get slimy and are unlikely to decompose. To freshen the disposal, use fairly liberal amounts of baking soda and lemon juice or vinegar. Let the effervescence do its thing, then use plenty of cold water to rinse any residue. It might seem like there's more you can't use your disposal for than you can, but believe me, it is a very handy appliance! - Susan Wood, via email Dear Heloise: We are told not to laminate our COVID-19 vaccination cards. I laminated a copy that I carry in my purse and leave the original at home, so it can be updated if necessary. - Patty Burg, Rapid City, S.D. Dear Heloise: The dryer fire hint that appeared in your column recently left out the most important hint: a yearly cleaning of the vent from the dryer to the outside vent. We recently had our dryer stop heating, which required a repair to the high temperature thermostat. On the advice of the technician, we had the dryer vent cleaning company clean the vent hose from the dryer to the roof vent. The cleaner found a 4-inch-thick plug of lint at the roof vent caused by faulty installation of the roof vent. The cleaner also advised yearly clean-outs to avoid any reoccurrence! - Ronald, Kerrville, Texas Dear Heloise: I have used the small-diameter pool noodles in senior care facilities to exercise the residents indoors. I cut them in half so they are shorter, and the resident uses it as a bat to hit balloons that I throw to them. They love it, and the balloon can't do any damage inside or hurt anyone if hit. It can be used in any indoor setting with an elderly relative, especially one confined to a wheelchair. - Alan H. Simon, Sherman Oaks, California Dear Heloise: I found an easy way to remove hair from hairbrushes that won't knock off the tiny beads that many brushes have. I used a soft toothbrush and ran it along the hairbrush rows. The toothbrush snags the hair. After doing this several times, the brush was free of hair. This works especially well on hairbrushes that have metal cores. - Alice P., Little Rock, Arkansas