Dear Heloise: It’s amazing how many people don’t know or understand how dangerous lint traps in dryers can be. Thanks to allergies, I’ve known about this for years. And I have a cheap, easy-to-do solution: I use white vinegar in the rinse water. Among other things, it softens clothing when you have hard water.

Yes, you still need to toss out the lint inside the lint trap, but it doesn’t have to be washed all the time. Plus, it’s cheap. I remember when clean clothes had the best smell and no tacky fragrances!

-- Sue, via email

Sue, vinegar in the wash water has long been a Heloise hint — and one that we’re glad to see is still being used. Whites that are washed in hard water can develop a slightly gray tint, but vinegar helps break up the minerals in the hard water and remove the gray tinge.

-- Heloise

FUR BABY HEARTBREAK

Dear Heloise: I felt the heartbreak after reading Grace A.’s story about losing her beloved fur baby. I just had to share my own experience from when the time came for my dog, Arlo, to go. While comforting him at the vet’s office, I gently told him he was going to get to see Lexi — another beloved dog whom I’d lost a couple of years earlier. The moment I said her name, Arlo’s head popped up, and he looked all around the room, almost as if he were asking, “Where is she?”

It’s a beautiful, comforting memory that I’ll never forget, and I hope it brings some comfort to Grace and others who are grieving.

-- Debbie H., in Lisbon, Ohio

WHEN PETTING DOGS

Dear Heloise: Dogs don’t really like to be petted on top of their heads; this shows dominance and aggression. Always stroke them under the chin, especially if you’re meeting a dog for the first time.

-- Karen M.V., via email

WHICH HOUSE IS IT?

Dear Heloise: As a retired delivery driver, I wanted to write in with a tip for people with mailboxes on the side of road. It’d be helpful for delivery, emergency and general assistance services if you were to put the house number on both sides of the box. It’s frustrating when we have to stop or turn around to see the numbers.

-- Gary G., via email

Gary, thank you so much for sharing this tip. It’s such a simple way to help out delivery drivers and emergency personnel. It’s very frustrating when the numbers are hard to spot!

-- Heloise

HELPING THOSE WHO ARE MOURNING

Dear Heloise: The letters about handy gifts reminded me of an idea that my wife, Susan, had some years ago. When someone passes away, it seems as if the family gets so much food, and almost always too many contributions are hams. So, when our close friends lost their daughter, Susan had the idea to take dry goods instead (such as paper towels and toilet paper) since these items are always needed.

Plus, they wouldn’t languish in the fridge long after the event. These days, this is what we take, and it always seems to be so appreciated.

-- John C., in Custer, South Dakota

Send a great hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.