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Vinegar is the cure-all for your odor troubles

Friday, June 17, 2005


Dear Heloise: When bringing home groceries one hot summer day, the milk leaked a little bit. The next day, I opened the car door -- you can imagine the smell that greeted me! Since I didn't have time to try to clean it up at that moment, the smell had the chance to get even worse.
I tried everything to get that smell out! I remembered vinegar and had nothing to lose. I tried a diluted solution. It helped, but I could still smell it. So, I poured straight vinegar on the spot, waited about 10 minutes and blotted it up with clean, white rags. I did it again the next day, and the smell was totally gone!
This also worked when a little one threw up in my car at a later date -- although it took a little more vinegar and scrubbing to get that smell out. Love all of your hints -- keep them coming! Lori J. of Staunton, Va.
Lori, thanks for sharing your experience, and it's nice to know that vinegar came to the rescue! It is especially important to get to those spills as quickly as possible in order to have the most success.
As you probably know, vinegar is my all-time favorite and beloved cleaner! It is cheap, is usually found on your pantry shelf and has a multitude of uses. I have compiled a vinegar pamphlet that is just filled with great ways to use vinegar around your home! This pamphlet is a must for every household. To receive a copy of the six-page pamphlet, please send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (60 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Vinegar is a great natural deodorizer, as you found out. If you're painting a room, place several small, plastic, open containers filled with vinegar around the room. This will help absorb some of the paint odor and is easy to do. Give it a try. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I cut off the open end of newspaper sleeves approximately 8 inches from the bottom, and presto -- you have shoe sleeves to use when packing. This allows shoes and clothing to easily share the same suitcase. Mrs. Rona A. Levy, Alexandria, Va.
Dear Heloise: This is my favorite "be good to me" hint when it's chilly, or sometimes even when the air conditioning is cold. Before I pop into the tub or shower, I run a sink full of the hottest tap water and put in my plastic bottle of body lotion to warm. By the time I get out of the shower, the lotion is warm and goes on so smoothly -- it is almost as nice as a massage! If my lotion bottle happens to be glass, I put a washcloth in the bottom of the sink to cushion it. Caryl H., Indianapolis
Dear Heloise: Another hint for reusing empty yogurt or margarine containers: Send leftovers home with guests after dinner -- no need to return the containers. Sandy Quinn in California
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate