Cynthia Lee of Waipahu began reading the “;Hints from Heloise”; column in the '60s. “;I was in my late teens. I recall that she wrote helpful, easy solutions to ordinary problems,”; she said.

“;I think it's great that her daughter is carrying on her mother's tradition. In Hawaii family means a lot, so when your child carries on the family business, we feel very proud of them.”;

Ponce Kiah Marchelle Heloise Cruse Evans, more commonly known as Heloise, worked with her mother for several years after college but hadn't planned on taking over the column. Fate intervened.

“;She became sick, had a heart condition and she died suddenly. I took over the column and I'm here 30 years later,”; she said. “;I can't imagine doing anything else. I'm real inquisitive.”;

Perhaps that's an inherited trait. Heloise II remembers her mother testing a hint from a reader about how to make new bluejeans look faded or stone-washed. “;She took my brand-new blue jeans, laid them on the driveway and poured bleach on them, in different spots,”; she said. “;She waited a few minutes, then put some more on, a little at a time. Washed them and they looked great. But, after a few washings, they ripped out. A note: Don't full-strength bleach anything.”;

She added, “;She bought me a new pair.”;

As technology advances, people still need help figuring out how things work, she said. “;We have all of these fabulous technologies, and everything is faster. But, we still need to know how to take care of these tools.”;

For example, many people have stories of dropping their cell phones in the toilet—it was in a pocket and slipped out. A helpful hint from Heloise: “;It's best to fish it out, open up the phone, take out the battery and let it air dry. When you slap it back together, it just might work.”;

And, microfiber cloths are a new version of the nylon net her mother once recommended for anything from scrubbing sinks to tying up plants.

“;I wish I had invented the microfiber cloth. They are worth their weight in gold,”; she said. “;We can clean so many things with them without using any cleaning agents. It's perfect for people who have allergies or environmental concerns. A dry cloth will clean anything from windows and mirrors to stainless steel and eyeglasses.”;

Heloise even uses them to clean up the family dog after an outing. “;I rub a damp cloth over the dog. It pulls out all of the dirt, grime and odor. They are absolutely wonderful and can be used over and over again.”;