HELOISE

Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jim R., in Houston, wrote about people who are eating produce that they haven’t purchased. But there is another view on this issue. Purchasing grapes, for example, without tasting them, often leads to sour grapes — literally.

It is a conundrum: If I test a grape, I am eating pesticides; if I don’t test a grape, then I am likely buying bad grapes, which will go to waste. Often, when I purchase grapes or cherries without tasting them, I end up with bad fruit! — Bruce J.P., in Fort Wayne, Indiana

Bruce, yes, if you taste a grape without washing it, you are eating pesticides and more. You never know who else has touched the grapes, and more than likely, whoever they were, they probably didn’t wash their hands. You also don’t know how many insects walked over your grape, possibly stopping to deposit whatever germs they carry on their feet, or how many flies landed on your grape.

Take your fruit home and place it in a bowl of cold water with a 1/2 cup of baking soda. Swish it around for a few minutes (after you’ve washed your hands), then rinse well. Stay safe and healthy! — Heloise

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STAINLESS STEEL SMEARS

Dear Heloise: I volunteer at a hospital gift shop where the checkout table is stainless steel. The cleaning agents that are available there just smear the finish so that there is a mark of a poor cleaning job. Any suggestions? — Charlotte M., via email

Charlotte, there are commercial products to wipe down a stainless steel counter and disinfect it. Perhaps keeping such an item under the counter will work well. You could quickly wipe it clean if it gets smeared. — Heloise

SITTING OR STANDING?

Dear Heloise: There’s been much discussion about men and how so many seem to miss the toilet when they urinate. Why can’t a man just sit down? What is wrong with sitting down as opposed to standing up? There would be less of a mess, but since so many men don’t do the cleaning, I guess they don’t care about the women who have to disinfect the areas they spray. — Kelsey M., in Maricopa, Arizona

Kelsey, this is an interesting question. Why can’t men just sit down rather than standing up? Anyone want to tackle this question? Let us know at Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

STICKY PASTA PROBLEMS

Dear Heloise: I hate it when my pasta sticks together, so at a cooking show in Deltona, Florida, I asked the chef how to avoid sticky pasta. This is what he told me: After cooking your pasta, drain it in a colander that has been heated up and is warm but not hot to the touch. Then serve it in a warm dish. The secret apparently is to keep the pasta warm. When the pasta cools, the starch in it starts to get sticky. — Joanna G., in Florida

MOLDY CHEESE HACK

Dear Heloise: I hate moldy cheese, so I searched for a way to keep mold away from my cheeses and found the answer with my grandmother. She said that in the old country, people wold soak a piece of cheesecloth (you can use a paper towel if you want) in cider vinegar and wrap the cheese in it. Then they would wrap it in an airtight container or a plastic bag. Voila, no more moldy cheese!

The acid in the vinegar keeps mold from forming. If the paper towel or cheesecloth dries out, just rewet it with cider vinegar. This is a simple, easy way to keep cheese mold-free. — Jessica K., in Delaware