Getting rid of water stains

Dear Heloise: We had an upstairs leak in the master bathroom that left us with a water stain on the ceiling. It's not terribly noticeable, but I know that it's there. (And it's annoying.) It makes my dining room look shabby to me. How can I get rid of the water stain without repainting the whole ceiling? We just had this done two weeks before the leak happened!

-A.S., in New York

A.S., here is a solution you might like to try: Mix 1 cup of bleach with 3 cups of warm water and stir well. Then dip a sponge into the solution and wring out the excess so that the sponge is wet but not soaked completely. Gently apply this only to the area that is affected by the water stain. Do not oversaturate it.

-Heloise

REMOVING LIGHT BULBS

Dear Heloise: My light bulbs are always so difficult to remove after they have burned out. I tried to insert them loosely, but it just makes the bulb flicker. How can I get bulbs out of their socket without breaking them?

- K.D., in Ohio

K.D., try this hint: Before you insert a light bulb into its socket, take a little petroleum jelly on your finger and give the metal end a light coating. This will ensure an easier removal when the time comes.

-Heloise

DRYER SCREEN CARE

Dear Heloise: Most people think that removing lint from the dryer screen is enough, but it's not. Chemicals from the dryer sheets build up on the lint screen, making it difficult for it to catch as much lint as it should. It also creates a fire hazard.

Run the dryer screen under the water from a kitchen faucet and see how much water runs through. If there is a buildup that will not allow water to go through the screen, use some dishwashing soap mixed with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Use the rough side of a clean sponge and scrub the screen. Rinse and allow it to air-dry.

-L. W., in Florida

A NEW USE FORA LAUNDRY BAG

Dear Heloise: I used a small, new zippered laundry bag to make soup. For chicken soup, I put the bones, skin and fat in the bag, then put the whole thing in the soup pot. All the flavor is added to the soup without the mess. Then you can just empty the bag and discard it. I also did this with ham bones and scraps for ham-and-bean-soup.

-- C.F., via email

MOVING HINT

Dear Heloise: Invariably, when you are moving, there's always one box that gets lost. Maybe it was stolen or left behind, or something else happened to it. But if you mark each box No. 1, No. 2 and so on, you can account for every one of them when you get your boxes out of the truck. If there's a number missing, either someone took it, or you left it behind.

-- S.W., in California

Send a great hint to Heloise@Heloise.com