Wed Sep 18 14:15:00 UTC 2024: ## Helpful Hints for Everyday Life: From Skunk Deterrent to Organizing Clothes
**September 18, 2024** – Heloise, the beloved advice columnist, offers a variety of practical tips for readers this week, covering everything from dealing with pesky skunks to organizing clothes and removing dirt from shoe soles.
**Easy Cap-Screwing Technique:** A reader shares a clever trick for those struggling to screw on caps: turning the cap the wrong way first, then screwing it on properly. Heloise, who admits to forgetting this method, encourages readers to try it.
**Vinegar for Mosquito Bites:** Carolyn D. from Pasadena, California, remembers her grandfather’s remedy for mosquito bites: soaking cotton in vinegar and applying it to the bites to relieve swelling and itching.
**Lemon Rind: A Natural Skunk Deterrent:** Janet G. reveals a simple and effective method for keeping skunks away from her home: scattering cut-up lemon rinds with pulp around the perimeter of the house. The scent of lemon keeps the unwanted critters at bay.
**Help Out Grocery Store Workers:** Mona from Sugar Land, Texas, suggests grabbing a cart from outside the grocery store and bringing it inside, reducing the workload for employees.
**Rubber Band Clothing Organization:** Nancy P. shares her ingenious system for organizing clothes. By adding a colored rubber band to the hanger for each wear, she can easily track how many times an item has been worn and when it needs washing.
**Sticky Mats for Shoe Sole Cleaning:** George A., a retired dental office worker, suggests using sticky plastic mats to remove dirt from shoe soles. These mats are readily available online from major retailers.
Heloise encourages readers to submit their own money-saving and time-saving tips by fax or email.
First Piper 