DEAR HELOISE: For years, I tried to scrape off decals that my kids stuck on the bathtub or bathroom tile. It ended up being a mess, and some decals just wouldn’t come off. Finally, I tried my mother’s suggestion, and it worked.

Fill a spray bottle with equal parts water and bleach. Spray this on the decals, making sure that they are well-covered with the mixture. Let it set for about 15-20 minutes. You can use an old credit card to scrape off the decals or a plastic scraper that is normally used to remove ice from a windshield. Repeat if needed, or if a stain or decal is stubborn.

— Corinna S.,

in Lima, Ohio

Corinna, this same formula is great for killing mold and mildew as well as decal removals!

— Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I found that using hot vinegar on nasty-looking decals works wonders. I soak a sponge in hot vinegar and sponge the mixture all over the decal (or gummy, sticky residue from stick-on hooks and tape). Slowly, the glue that is behind the decal or hook starts to loosen and is easy to wash off with this mixture.

–Jean B., in Beaver Creek, Colorado

DEAR HELOISE: Every time I wanted to hammer a nail, I always seemed to hammer my fingers while I was at it. Finally, I found a way to save my fingers from damage. I start hammering the nail with one tap; then I take a fork, slide the nail between the prongs, and continue to hammer the nail. When I’m done, I just slide the fork away from the nail. No more blackened fingernails!

— Chad Y., in Washington

DEAR HELOISE: I found a way to entertain children before a holiday dinner. We have a lot of children under age 8 in my large Italian family. I use a long table that I found at a garage sale and cover the top with brown wrapping paper. Then I give the youngsters crayons, pencils and markers and tell them to draw a picture of a Thanksgiving dinner among the pilgrims (or the Easter Bunny, Santa delivering gifts, etc.). This keeps them busy while we get dinner on the table.

They’re not underfoot in the kitchen, whining, bored, or running through the house. After dinner, I just fold up the paper and recycle it.–

Annette L.,

in Warren, Michigan

DEAR HELOISE: We bought an old house. The walls are made of plaster, and we’ve been busy patching up some of the cracks and holes. Our only problem has been that the plaster dries out too quickly. So, how do we keep the plaster from drying out so fast?

— Kit and Dan, in Vermont

Kit and Dan, add about 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a quart of plaster. This should help slow down the drying time.

— Heloise