Dear Heloise: In a recent column of yours in the Marshall Independent, a reader wrote that when they get an call from an unknown person, they pick up, then immediately hang up. It may save time, but it signals to the caller that the number they called is active. It might be better to waste a bit of time and request that the caller put your number on their “Do Not Call” list. — Harold S., in Minneota, Minnesota

Harold, these scam callers have no sense of guilt or shame. They’ll keep calling even if you ask them not to call. It’s best to simply not answer the phone if you don’t know the number or hang up immediately if they start one of their sales pitches. — Heloise

READER WRITES IN WITH COMMENTS

Dear Heloise: I have two comments for you. The first regards a recent letter about grease in soup. Where does grease come from in soup? I make soup all the time and never have grease in it. I use water, bouillon, some veggies, chicken or beef. There’s never any grease.

The second regards a lettter about washing a bathmat. I wash my shower curtain in the washer two to three times a year. I have a soak feature on my washer, and I just add a little bleach, some soap, and an old towel or two. I soak them for maybe 15 minutes, then wash them. Everything comes out fresh and clean. — Ann M., Gardena, California

Ann, grease can come from the type of meat you use or from added oil or butter. It all depends on the cook and the recipe.

Regarding your second comment, this is a good idea, but readers, be careful of using bleach on your bathmat. It can cause the mat to break down a little faster. I usually toss my bathmat in with my shower curtain and wash them together.– Heloise

RIP AND ROLL

Dear Heloise: My vacuum roller brush gets all kinds of hair, yarn, thread, etc., wrapped tightly around it. I figured out that the perfect little tool to remove the debris is a seam ripper. — L.C., via email

FLOWER POWER

Dear Heloise: I like to keep artificial flowers from season to season. I found a good storage solution: I cut a foam tube (like kids use when swimming) into appropriate lengths and insert several flowers. I store them in a box that is taller than the flowers. No more crushed flowers! — D.H., in Montana

REPLACING A TOOTHBRUSH

Dear Heloise: I’m old-school when it comes to replacing my toothbrush. I simply write the date on the handle with permanent marker and replace every it six months. — C.D.H., via email

REFRIGERATOR SCRATCHES

Dear Heloise: I read your column daily in my local paper the Salem News. Today I read the letter from a woman who scratched her refrigerator door with magnets. I have a stainless steel fridge, and the door does scratch easily.

So, to prevent this from happening, I put a sheet of white paper from my printer on the door that is held up by magnets. Then I can put up appointment cards, my grandkids’ artwork, photos, and more, and this way, there aren’t any scratches. You could use colored paper to jazz it up a little if you choose. It works great here!

Thank for all the hints I’ve used and loved from your column. — Diane M., via email

EDITOR’S NOTE: SEND A GREAT HINT TO: Heloise@Heloise.com