HELOISE Tied-on TV schedule never is lost

Dear Heloise: Every week when we receive our television guide, I take the paper and punch a hole through the upper left-hand corner. Then I tie it to a long shoestring that is attached to the leg of a table between our chairs. It never gets lost! Agnes McClelland, Zephyrhills, Fla.
Dear Heloise: How in the heck do people who sew put the pattern pieces back in the packaging? It is impossible to put them back nicely -- they get all puffed up, and I end up shredding the pattern envelope they came in! This would be a great hint to know about! Kristine Shaw, Penfield, N.Y.
I know what you mean! Use an iron on a low setting to press the pattern back in place. Flat and pressed, those pieces slide right back in! Heloise
Dear Heloise: I have been a reader of your column since I was a kid, when your mother wrote the column. My mom was a big fan, too.
I can normally get two wearings out of a blouse or shirt before it hits the laundry, but these past few years, I kept forgetting whether I have already worn the garment or not. So, I went to the local office-supply chain store and purchased a small package of key tags (these are the cardboard tags with metal edges that fold; they are used to label keys). I slip the ring of the tag over the hanger hook when I have worn the garment once. No tag equals never worn; one tag equals worn once. It helps me keep my wardrobe organized and lets me know when something needs to be washed. Marilyn Daggett, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I use the gel-type dishwasher detergent in my dishwasher. The other day, the bottle was "empty" -- no more detergent would come out, but I knew there was still some clinging to the inside of the bottle.
I added about a cup of water to the bottle, shook it well and squeezed out some of the diluted mixture to scrub my kitchen sink. The job has never been so fast and easy. It must be something about the rinsing agent in the detergent that makes the crud sticking to the sink dissolve almost instantly. Debbie Carlson, Omaha, Neb.
Dear Heloise: I have used new carpet remnants to line the insides of my kitchen drawers and cabinets -- bathroom cabinets, too.
Works great, less noise and clatter, and soft to the touch. Al Moe, Carlsbad, Calif.
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