HELOISE Blazers are nice, but they reek of smoke

Dear Heloise: I sure could use your help. My mother is a very heavy smoker. She just gave me about 10 very nice blazers that I would love to be able to wear -- but they reek!
I washed them with the best-smelling detergent, then rinsed repeatedly with softener, hung them up to dry -- and did it all again. I even put them in one of those home dry-cleaning kits, and nothing seems to work. I even put perfume in the rinse cycle and rinsed three times! T.A., Via E-mail
Many times, smoke can be a difficult odor to remove once it has adhered itself to a fabric. It sounds like you've done all the right things. Here are some other ideas:
Check with a dry cleaner in your area to see if employees there can help you. Many times, people who have had a fire in their home take clothes and fabric items to a dry cleaner that specializes in smoke removal.
Washing soda sometimes works well to remove stubborn odors. It can be found where laundry detergents are displayed. Follow the directions and see if this helps.
Many times, hanging a garment outside for several hours will allow fresh air to circulate through the garment and remove the smoke odor. You might want to give this a try.
Let us know if any of these work for you. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I was reading in The (New Jersey) Star-Ledger about the woman who was looking for an effective way to remove the yellow discoloration that occurs when she wears dark nail polish.
Here's the solution I use: Fill a bowl with warm water and drop in two denture-cleaning tablets (with mild denture bleach). Allow to fully dissolve. Soak hands in the bowl for five minutes, then use a soft toothbrush (or nailbrush) to gently scrub nails. Rinse and dry. Your nails will be restored to their natural, healthy color. S. Williams, West Orange, N.J.
We also got a letter from Anne, via e-mail, and she says: "The question about yellowing fingernails appeared in The Sacramento (Calif.) Bee this morning. I have had the same problem and was told by a professional manicurist that it was caused by formaldehyde in the nail polish. She recommended that I use nail polish that is labeled formaldehyde-free. That took care of the problem." Heloise
King Features Syndicate