Dear Heloise: Over the years, I have gone to a lot of garage sales, and somehow thermos bottles attract me. One day, I bought one for $1. The inside was so coated with dried coffee that it was pure black inside. I put some powdered dishwashing soap in and added hot water. It started to work immediately, and in 30 minutes, the inside was as clean and as shiny as a new one would be.

I have bought several thermoses since that time and cleaned them the same way. I send them home with people who come to visit. I tell them to keep them. So, when company comes, they get free coffee and a free thermos.

By the way, this method works on both glass- and steel-lined thermoses. — Paul Pearson, Minot, North Dakota

Paul, I have an old thermos that my dad used to take with him when he went deer hunting. I tried this method of cleaning his thermos, and it came out sparkling clean! Thanks for the hint! — Heloise

TIME CHART

Dear Heloise: I suffer from memory loss, but my dear husband is sharp as a tack. Sometimes he gets up before me and needs to run errands, so he created a time chart to let me know when he’ll be back. While I could call him, the time chart already lets me know when he’ll be back.

My husband wrote the hours on a heavy sheet of card stock from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. We have a large paper clip that he slides up and down to the time he expects to be back so that I know when to expect him. So, if he’s going to be home by noon, he just slides the paper clip to 12 p.m.

This chart is posted on the outside of our kitchen cupboard. We also have an add-on piece of paper that says whether the cats have been fed. It’s simple and easy to read and eliminates worry for me. — Michele H., Valley Falls, New York

Michele, this is a clever hint and so easy to do. I’ve had readers who also use a chalkboard for this same purpose. They got some chalkboard paint and painted the front of a kitchen cabinet; after it dried, they left messages for others who were still sleeping. — Heloise