HELOISE Salt or vinegar doesn't do the trick anymore

Dear Heloise: Would you have a good tip on laundering red slacks, 98 percent cotton, so that the color doesn't run? I heard that using salt or vinegar would solve the problem, but it hasn't. Thank you. J.G., Tamaqua, Pa.
Dear J.C.: Years ago, that might have worked, but modern fabric dyes are very different from the way they were back then. That's why what worked then might not work today.
Really, all you can do is rinse the slacks a few times in cool water before washing. Be sure to change the water each time. If the color still runs, you'll have to wash them separately. Sorry to say, the old vinegar or salt trick just doesn't work anymore. You can find a few more old wives' tales that do still work in my Heloise's Handy Stain Guide for Clothing pamphlet. To receive a copy, send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Stains, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5001. FYI: Did you know that you can help remove the dullness soap leaves behind on black clothing by simply adding a few glugs of vinegar to the washing machine's rinse water? Heloise
Dear Heloise: Squirrels can't climb a bird feeder's metal pole if it is sprayed with silicone spray. It lasts quite a long time, and it's a lot neater than grease or lard, as the spray dries and is super-slick. Joe, Rogers, Ark.
Squirrels -- some people like them, others don't. There are many squirrel-proof feeders and accessories. One of my "magpies" loves the squirrels that visit her yard. She bought specific feeders just for them that hold one ear of corn. Watching the squirrels scamper back and forth is entertaining. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Keep a plastic or bamboo (metal might scratch) back scratcher on your dryer for reaching those smaller things that always seem to be so hard to reach in the back of it. You can even hang it on the side of the dryer on a suction-cup hook. Works for me! Carol L., Livingston, N.J.
Dear Heloise: Another good hint for necklace organization: I have put a tie rack on the inside of my closet door (which is not a sliding door). All my necklaces fit on it, and it is very easy to pick one out to wear as I am getting dressed. Anonymous, East Liverpool
Dear Heloise: Use good old-fashioned wooden clothespins to quickly and easily hold together bunches of papers. As you sort through mail, piles of tax papers, etc., use them to clip or unclip piles of papers. They're cheap and easy to use, and you can even write on them in pen or pencil or color-code them with markers. G.L.K., Madison, N.J.
King Features Syndicate