Thursday, January 29, 2004
Dear Heloise: My mother used to make a starch with sugar. Do you know how to make this starch? Betty Miller, via e-mail
Yes, I do have a recipe for a "sugar starch" that is often used for stiffening handmade doilies -- not as starch for clothes!
It's very easy to make. Just combine 1/4 cup of water and 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over a low heat setting until the mixture becomes clear, but do not boil! Now, set the mixture aside and let it cool completely.
First, dip the doilies in warm water, then roll them in a bath towel to remove any excess. Next, dip them into the sugar starch and squeeze out, then lay them on another bath towel, shape and dry.
I hope this is what you were looking for! Heloise
Dear Heloise: At the end of each month, I make out and address birthday and anniversary cards for the next month. I put the date of the event in the upper right-hand corner (where the stamp will be), so I always mail them on time. Vivian Hauter, Pea Ridge, Ark.
Dear Heloise: When the strap on my daypack broke, I had no strong thread available. An idea came to me: Why not use dental floss? It saved my daypack and is durable. Al M., San Diego
Dear Heloise: I read a hint in your column about telling the difference between clean and already-worn clothing in the closet. The method I use is to hang a rubber band or two on the neck of the hanger if the clothing has been worn. They are inexpensive, and I actually don't have to buy any because they come on my newspaper. There's nothing like recycling. Linda, Reading, Pa.
Dear Heloise: My friend showed me a great way to handle trash in the car. Keep an empty drink cup with a plastic lid in the cup holder, and put trash through the straw hole in the lid. The lid keeps trash from spilling out, and when the cup is full, throw the whole thing away. John R., Dallas
Dear Heloise: Here is a timesaving hint concerning storing bras. I have belt-hangers made of metal that open enough at the top to hang bras by their straps. You can readily see which one you want and pull it off. It saves drawer space. Mrs. Del Tyson, Little Rock, Ark.
Dear Heloise: I use lip balm or a similar product around the cuticles on my fingers. In cold weather, it protects them from cracking. A reader, via e-mail
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.
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