Conquer crayon stains with simple supplies

Dear Heloise: I have a 2-year-old who left a blue crayon that melted onto the seat of my car. Help, Heloise! Victoria, Redding, Calif.
Help is on the way! By the way, you are not alone ... this is a common problem, according to the experts. You will need the following items to tackle this job:
Uspoon or butter knife
Uspray lubricating oil
Utoothbrush with stiff bristles
Upaper towels
Ucolorless dishwashing liquid
Uwater
Use a spoon or butter knife to remove as much crayon as you can. Use the spray lubricating oil and "pssst" for only a second, then allow it to "work" a little while. Next, gently brush the lubricating oil in with a toothbrush. Be sure to work from the outside toward the middle to keep the stain from spreading, and use paper towels or old terry towels to dab up the crayon. Stain still there? Use a mixture of lubricating oil and a couple of drops of colorless dishwashing liquid to gently rub into the area with the toothbrush. Take a damp, clean sponge; dab at the area, and rinse the sponge often so the detergent won't be redeposited on the cloth.
Stains seem to find us no matter where we are! My pamphlet Heloise's Handy Stain Guide for Clothing can be helpful in getting rid of most common stains, using items you probably have on hand. You can receive this terrific eight-page guide by sending $4 and a self-addressed, stamped (60 cents), long envelope to: Heloise/Stains, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. There are many stubborn stains that can be removed if you follow the proper three golden rules of stain removal: soon, slow and several (times repeating cleaning efforts). Also, read care labels carefully before attempting any stain removal. Heloise
Dear Heloise: If you are frustrated by automatic toilets that flush before you are ready, I have an easy solution! When my daughter was potty training, she was terrified of automatic toilets when we were out in public restrooms. (Actually, she is still terrified at age 4!) I came up with the idea of covering the sensor on the toilet with a sheet from a sticky-note pad. It stays put until you are ready to flush. Just remove it and toss into the trash! Needless to say, I never leave the house now without my sticky notes. Holly in Tennessee
Dear Heloise: When loading plastic lunch/leftover containers in the top rack of the dishwasher, I place the heavy metal "grid" that sits over the gas burners on the range over them. The grid gets washed as it holds the plastic containers down, keeping them from turning upright and filling with water. Use as many grids as it takes to cover all the plastic items. Nelda Pearson, Prescott, Ariz.
Dear Heloise: Most of my T-shirts get ruined by foods dropped on them while eating. Usually they end up with a nice grease spot right smack in the middle of my chest area. To keep them still useful, I embroider a tiny flower on the spot. A nice yellow, black or brown center with simple daisy-type petals in pastel colors takes care of the situation. Now I get more life out of those T-shirts. Jean Perelli, Woodbridge, Va.
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate