Monday, December 22, 2003
Dear Heloise: Somehow my favorite white blouse was packed away with brownish stains unnoticed. Worse, it was not unpacked until a year later.
Everything was tried to rescue it, including an excellent dry cleaner. The people there did all they knew, without success. In spite of warnings, I wet the blouse with water and laid it out in the strong sunlight, dampening it from time to time.
Eureka! It worked! But it did take several tries. Janet, McLean, Va.
Sunshine can sometimes work miracles! Mixed with a bit of lemon juice, Mother Nature can remove even rust stains. It's an old-fashioned hint that is tried-and-true. Heloise
Fast facts: What to do with all those popcorn tins that are given as gifts, especially during the holidays? You can reuse them for several things around the house:
UUse them in the kitchen to hold packages of napkins, pasta -- even some canned goods when extra storage is needed.
UThey are perfect to hold pet food in a garage or kitchen.
UUse in the garage for small tools.
UUse in a child's room to hold toys, games, etc.
UUse in a sewing room to hold material, thread, yarn, etc.
Dear Heloise: I read your articles every day, and I have been using some of your readers' tips already.
My tip is to use a plastic wastebasket for a scrub bucket when washing the bathroom floor. When done, just rinse out the basket and wipe around the edges, etc. A clean floor and a clean wastebasket! Felicia Granoski, Lake Wales, Fla.
Dear Heloise: I read a lot of paperback books, and I find that by using a large paper clip (the oblong, plastic-covered type), I can definitely prolong the life of the book.
I clip the first few pages at the top, starting with about 10 and up to 15 or 20 pages.
This prevents the cover from being bent or curled back, and it's much easier to handle while reading. Jean L. Little, McConnelsville
Dear Heloise: I love your helpful hints. Now I've got one I can share with you. I have lace curtains throughout my home. I've tried taping the ends of the curtain rods -- it helps, but still the curtains gets stuck while trying to thread them on the rods.
I took a 6-inch piece of satin and sewed it like a sleeve, and it works great. It's placed on the end of the rod; the curtain goes over smooth as silk. It's a big timesaver. Now I don't mind washing my curtains. Wanda Sexton Rutherford, Chatham, Ill.
Sound off: What irks me the most are people driving pickup trucks with their dogs in the beds of the trucks.
Don't these idiots know that it could take just a second for a poor dog to fall out or actually get thrown out if there is even the slightest accident? If you can't drive with your dog sitting in the cab, then please leave it home. Sarah A., Seattle
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
King Features Syndicate