When replacing appliances

Dear Heloise: When you need to replace your vacuum cleaner, check to see if the extension wands from your old vacuum fit your new one as well. The basic ones included with your new vacuum probably won't be long enough to reach high places, and you may have to pay more to purchase ones that will.I do the same thing when I replace a dishwasher. I take out the silverware baskets from the old washer and see if they can fit in the new one, which provides extra space for utensils when I need it. This helps a lot when I am entertaining or when the baskets provided by the manufacturer of the new machine are inadequate. Thanks for your helpful column! Jennifer M.,in Paso Robles, California Dear Heloise: I read Katherine H. of San Antonio's proposal to fine chewing gum litterers $200. She may find it interesting that chewing gum is banned in Singapore with a fine of up to $1,000 for first offenders who spit it out and leave it on the ground. Alan S.,in Torrance, California Alan, birds often mistake it for food, but sadly, their bodies cannot metabolize the gum. It can actually kill a bird, so the fine is warranted. Heloise Dear Heloise: Thanks for all the great years of tips and sound advice! I wanted to pass along one more bullet to the "How to Green up Your Grass" letter that recently ran in your column:Ensure that the mower blades are sharp and not nicked up by rocks, sticks, or other solid objects. Besides softly, carefully and safely running your fingers along the blade to feel for nicks, inspect the recently mowed top blade of grass closely. If it is jagged and yellow after a few days instead of a smoothly cut grass blade, like you would get with scissors, then you need to get your mower blades sharpened.Some professionals even have spare blades that are always sharpened, balanced and ready to be swapped out. This ensures a healthier and greener lawn. Cliff D.,via email Dear Heloise: Here's a method for keeping one's razor blades sharp that I have used for probably 40 years! After I finish shaving, I rinse the blade with water, shake the water off, then douse the blade with 70% rubbing alcohol. It's a cheap way to preserve the sharpness.I also use witch hazel instead of an aftershave lotion. It relieves the itch, and it is cheap. LEOn D.,via email LEOn, I was surprised to learn that alcohol helps keep the blade sharp by helping water evaporate quickly. It prevents rust and also acts as a disinfectant. Heloise Dear Heloise: Jan M., from Moline, Illinois, was looking for an inexpensive way to keep snakes away from her house and garage. One solution that we have used is placing a 12-inch-wide "mow strip" against the house or garage with lava rocks.Bags of landscape lava rocks are available from home stores and nurseries. Lava rocks have many sharp edges that hurt snakes and mouse's noses as they try to push them around, attempting to find a hole into the house.A weed barrier with landscape edging could be put down first to keep weeds from coming up through the rock and also help keep the rock in its place. The "mow strip" keeps the mower from hitting the house, too. Steve G.,in Omaha, Nebraska