HOUSEHOLD ADVICE: A frosty view of vinegar?

Dear Heloise: I live in an apartment and park my car outside. Someone told me you had a hint using VINEGAR to help prevent frost on the windows. Sounds iffy?

— Rex W., Fort Wayne, Ind.

Well, yes, there is an old hint using vinegar that my mother (the original Heloise, 1919-1977) printed decades ago. It’s all over the Internet, and I find it funny that I can’t find where this has been tested. Everyone just keeps printing and reprinting the same hint.

I’ll print the old information here, with a caveat: I have not been able to test this. I live in

San Antonio, and we don’t get much freezing weather.

Use household vinegar (2/3 cup white or apple cider) mixed with water (1/3 cup), and wipe or spray on the windshield the night before it’s supposed

to freeze. I’d try regular household 5 percent acetic-acid vinegar rather than diluting it, since it’s not that strong anyway. Let me know!

— Heloise

Dear Heloise: As an active retiree living in Florida’s The Villages, keeping a daily planner can get very busy. To solve this problem, I enter medical appointments in red, golf tee times in green and other appointments in black.

This saves lots of time and confusion. Thank you for always starting my day on a happy note.

— Rose M., The Villages, Fla.