DEAR HELOISE: Quite some time ago, a very kind woman suggested that if you have trouble screwing caps back on, as she did, try turning it the wrong way first, then screw the cap on. I'm 86, and I've had trouble doing this forever. But no more! This works, and every time I do it, I mentally thank her! Hope she reads this!

-- C.S., via email

C.S., I forgot about this method of screwing a cap on! I'll try it the next time I have any difficulties with a screw-on cap. Thanks for reminding us about this useful hint!

-- Heloise

Mosquito bite cure

DEAR HELOISE: When I was young and would get mosquito bites, a remedy my grandfather used was soaking cotton in vinegar and applying it to the bites. It eliminates the swelling and itching immediately.

-- Carolyn D., Pasadena, California

Keeping skunks away

DEAR HELOISE: We live in the country and have a nice variety of wildlife. On cool spring or fall evenings, we enjoy leaving our windows open to take in the fresh air and listen to the nighttime critters. But inevitably, skunks come around, and we have to close up everything because we can't endure the odor.

Putting on all the inside and outside lights and leaving them on all night has proven helpful in keeping them at bay.

But we have figured out another simple solution: We found that cut-up lemon rinds with pulp are an excellent skunk deterrent.

We usually take a 2-pound bag of lemons, squeeze out the juice for fresh lemonade, then cut up the rinds into small pieces, which we scatter close to the foundation all around the perimeter of the house.

We also throw some under the back porch and under the steps at the front. We repeat this every four or five days, and it keeps the skunks away.

It's nice to have a natural, safe deterrent, so we can enjoy the other animals in the neighborhood.

-- Janet G., via email

Grocery store suggestion

DEAR HELOISE: When leaving your car at the grocery store, grab a cart from outside and take it in the store to use. It will relieve some of the load of employees, who have to drag the carts in.

-- Mona, Sugar Land, Texas

Closet organization

DEAR HELOISE: Here's an idea that helps me with organizing my clothes. Sometimes I wear an outfit once, and it's ready to be laundered. Other times, I wear something several times, and I would put the "partially worn" items in a different spot inside of my closet. I could never remember when to wash them. I solved this by slipping a colored rubber band over the hook of the hanger.

Each time I wear it, another rubber band gets added. And each garment goes into its home in my closet, not a different spot. It works for me!

-- Nancy P., in The Villages, Florida

Getting rid of dirt from shoes

DEAR HELOISE: A reader recently wrote in about wanting something to remove the dirt from shoe soles.

Before I retired from my dental office, we would get a product that consisted of a bunch of sticky plastic mats made for that purpose. They were placed inside the entrance door and worked well.

I don't know the name, but you can probably find them online from a big retailer.

-- George A., via email