Student requires lesson in Laundry 101

Dear Heloise: Hi! I'm a freshman at a major university, and during a celebration, I got a mixture of flour, water and green food coloring all over my favorite white shirt and can't get it out. I have washed it multiple times. What do I do? Stephanie, via e-mail
Here's a little Laundry 101. First, read the care label on the white shirt. Some of the newer white fabrics tell you not to use chlorine bleach. If the label does not say "no chlorine bleach," you can try some.
If it is made of a fabric that cannot be bleached, get a cotton swab and dab it in 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, then treat just the stains. This works slowly, so wait several hours, re-treat the stains and then wash in cold water and hang to dry.
If this doesn't work and you're determined, here's a recipe for Heloise's Last-Resort Stain Remover that might work. It can be used for white and bleachable clothes, but not for silk or rayon:
1 gallon hot water
1 cup powdered dishwasher detergent
1/4 cup household liquid chlorine bleach
Mix completely in a plastic, enamel or stainless-steel container. Let the shirt soak in the mixture for five to 10 minutes. If there is still a stain, soak it a little longer and then wash.
I have a pamphlet that has this recipe, as well as other helpful hints on how to remove common stains like lipstick, coffee, ketchup, chocolate, makeup and more, which I will send to you.
For others who would like to order this pamphlet, please send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (63 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Stains, P.O. Box 795001 San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. The pamphlet also includes a few essential items you should have on hand for all types of stain removal. The biggest hint of all is to treat the stain as quickly as possible. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Hopefully, people had their wood-burning chimney inspected and cleaned, if needed. The thing I'd like to discuss is the importance of having gas log systems inspected.
If the logs were installed in a fireplace that once used wood but was not cleaned before the installation, the creosote is still in the chimney, and the potential for a chimney fire still exists.
Another thing to remember is that birds will still build nests in a fireplace -- they care not what you burn. With a bird's nest possibly blocking the proper venting of the chimney, carbon monoxide could be entering the living area. So have a professional chimney sweep check to see if you might have a life-threatening problem. Gerald Abshire, Vidor, Texas
Dear Heloise: I have found the greatest way to drain the fat off of ground beef. I put a spaghetti drainer inside a bowl and dump the meat into the drainer. Then I put the meat into whatever I'm cooking. I let the fat cool and put it in an empty butter or cottage-cheese carton -- none of the fat goes down the drain. Linda Welch, Bakersfield, Calif.
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.
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