Dear Heloise: The hint about using a back scratcher to reach things in a store is something I have been doing for a while. I keep it in my purse. One day while shopping, I noticed a lady who was trying to get something high on a shelf and said that I could help her.

She told me that I wasn’t much taller than her. I whipped out my expandable back scratcher. She was surprised and said that she would have to purchase one. — Nancy Jo H., in Wood, Pennsylvania

Nancy Jo, it’s amazing how many uses we can get out of one object. I’ve used my salad tongs for a number of tasks and over-the-door clothes hangers to hang plants from the top of my windows. — Heloise

GOING BACK

TO BAR SOAP

Dear Heloise: I keep hearing rumors that environmentalists are encouraging people to ditch liquid soap in plastic containers and go back to bar soap. This is a very good idea. With so much plastic in landfills and in the ocean, we need to start cutting back on plastic. Microplastic is even in our food, and as of yet, we don’t know if it’s a cancer-causing agent. However, we do know that it’s not supposed to be inside of people.

So, please ask your readers to go back to bar soap. Skip the liquid soap in plastic bottles because, chances are, these bottles cannot be recycled. We all used bar soap when I was a kid, and no one I know of or heard of ever died because another person in the house used the same bar of soap. — Ellen F., in Green Bay, Wisconsin

TECH-SAVVY SENIOR

Dear Heloise: I just read the tip from the gentleman who uses a spreadsheet to list his medications so that he always has access to it on his phone. I do the same thing but have expanded on the idea a little:

In addition to creating a sheet that lists all of my prescriptions and their dosages, I’ve also created a tab for all major injuries and surgeries with the dates, as well as another tab for my vaccinations and these dates. It’s useful to have this information on hand when you need to give your history at a new medical facility.

I’ve also used a scan app on my phone to scan my most recent test results so that I would be able to remember the correct details when seeing a new practitioner. — Another Tech-Savvy Ohio Senior, Pat B., via email