Dear Heloise: When a rambunctious child scribbled with a crayon on many parts of the back of the church’s choir room piano (including the black areas), it left the piano looking terrible. To find a remedy, I searched my two Heloise books and three other helpful volumes. In “Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs and More,” using mayonnaise to remove crayon was suggested.

So, I used a toothbrush to apply a small amount of mayonnaise and rub it in, then waited a couple of minutes as suggested before rubbing it off using a paper towel. I repeated the process until all areas were restored again. It worked beautifully.

This made me wonder if mayonnaise could help restore wooden furniture and built-in cabinets that were looking dingy, so I tried this at home. There was an amazing transformation. Hopefully, this will help others as your hints always do. — Leah, in Hendersonville, North Carolina

SIRI IS HELPFUL

Dear Heloise: My sweet daughter-in-law set up Siri on my cellphone, and I have found it quite helpful. Being hands-free in the car, I can say, “Siri, text Joe … or call Mary.” And Siri does it for me.

In addition, I found this was a help when I had collapsed on the floor, could not get up, and was able to simply give a command: “Siri, call 911.” I believe Siri is a boon to us in many ways. — Lynn, in Rutland, Vermont