Heloise

Dear Heloise: #0000 steel wool won’t scratch glass. It’s also the best thing for cleaning up chrome that is rusty and pitted. It can make things look almost like new. (I collect British sports cars from the ’50s and ’60s. You learn all kinds of tricks.) I’m a 70-year-old man who read your mother’s column many decades ago. I’m happy that my local paper recently picked up your column. — Chris T., via email

Chris, for double-paned windows, the stains and spots are possibly on the inside between the sheets of glass. If this is the case, then you’ll have to replace the sheet of glass or possibly the entire window. — Heloise

BROKEN WINDOW SEAL

Dear Heloise: In reference to Jacqueline’s inquiry on the spots on her windows that she can’t remove, it’s most likely that the seal around the two window panes of glass is broken and letting in air and moisture, which causes the spots. The only remedy is to replace the glass. Look for companies that will only replace the glass — not the entire window. — Paul, via email

LEAVE DISHES SPARKLING

Dear Heloise: I like to conserve water when washing dishes, so I have many different sized “rubber” scrapers. (My granddaughter started the collection.) After using them, I take already used paper towels and napkins and wipe them off. I have a plastic container behind my coffee pot that holds the gently used paper goods.

My scrapers come in handy here to get the corners of dishes. (I hate to waste food.) My dishwasher gets everything sparkly clean and would even work on peanut butter — but only after removing what I could first. This only takes seconds. — Doris, Another Tucsonan

P.S. In the process of clearing out paper “stuff,” I came across an old column of your mother’s. I wish I had saved it, as I can’t even remember the topic.

Doris, thank you for being a longtime reader of both my mother’s and my column. Over the years, we’ve received many interesting letters from readers, and we appreciate each and every single person who wrote to us. — Heloise

MEDICAL COMPLAINTS

Dear Heloise: In response to the reader who wrote in about medical complaints, I’ve submitted several complaints regarding doctors or medical facilities. First, contact your medical insurance carrier because you pay for this insurance. Their job is to also “police” the doctors who participate in their plans. By law, they have to investigate every complaint that comes from their subscribers.

After the investigation, you’re contacted regarding the outcome. Fortunately, the one I submitted resulted in an entire overhaul of procedures that weren’t being followed. All complaints are kept on file. If a doctor or medical facility has many complaints, they can be dropped as a provider of the health insurance.

At any time, the medical insurance company can request to view a file to see if previous issues have been corrected. As the reader stated, you can also contact other medical agencies. I read your column in the Buffalo News. — An Informed Reader, via email

METAL STRAWS

Dear Heloise: Regarding straws, I’ve seen metal straws for sale in various stores that are complete with a brush for cleaning the interior. Some come with an angled bend in them. No plastic pollution or microplastics for metal-straw users! — Gail, in Lincoln, Nebraska

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise@Heloise.com