Dear Heloise: There are so many uses for clear nail polish that many people don’t know about or have forgotten. Most people know clear polish will stop a run in a pair of nylons, but it can also:

≤ Be used to repair a small hole in a door or window screen.

≤ Be used on jewelry to keep from tarnishing where it touches your skin.

≤ Be used over the thread of a button to strengthen the thread and keep the button from coming off.

Be applied to the inside of a perfume bottle when traveling so the cap does not come off.

≤ Be applied to fingernails before applying colored polish to keep nails from turning yellow. Just one coat will do. — A Reader, via email

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KOI POND UPKEEP DURING WINTER

Dear Heloise: I put in a koi pond this past summer, and I worry that my koi fish will die this winter. What should I be doing to help them survive the cold weather? What should I not do? — Roger H., Shawnee, Oklahoma

Roger, make sure your pond is properly aerated, even though koi fish use less oxygen. Your aerator should gently stir the water. You can open a small hole in the ice by using a saucepan or a kettle with boiling water inside. Either set it on the ice or pour it on the ice in one spot until a small hole forms.

Do not break the ice by hitting or pounding it. This will cause shock waves that could easily harm the koi. Your koi will probably swim to the bottom of the pond where the water is a little warmer, and it may appear as though they’re not moving. But they’re actually conserving energy. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: My houseplants collect dust, and although I wipe the leaves off, they always look sort of lackluster and dull. How can I make the leaves look shiny and alive? — Theresa A., Manchester, New Hampshire

Theresa, after wiping off the dust, take a soft cloth and dip one corner in warm whole milk. (The milk need not be any warmer than room temperature.) Gently wipe each leaf in a circular motion until you’ve worked the milk into the leaf. Let the leaf dry. If you feel the leaf could be shinier, use a dry microfiber cloth to carefully polish the leaf. However, many plants may not need this last step.– Heloise

Dear Heloise: I recently went to a homeowners meeting at our HOA, and there was a police officer who gave us suggestions on how to protect ourselves and our homes.

One suggestion that I had never before given any thought to was about garage windows. The speaker said we should cover them up or use some kind of plastic adhesive to let light in, but keep people from looking inside. Many times a thief will check the garage to see if there are any cars in there. If the garage is empty, the thief knows no one is home and that they can break into the house. — Grace L., Atlanta

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