Thursday, April 19, 2007
Dear Readers: Do you ever need to get rid of unpleasant cooking smells like those from cooking cabbage, frying fish, saut & eacute;ing onions, etc.? When cooking strong-smelling foods, your kitchen and home can fill with those unpleasant cooking and baking odors! Here are some easy and cheap odor-eliminating hints to help you "freshen" the air in your kitchen:
When frying food, put a small bowl of white or apple-cider vinegar next to the stove to help prevent that nasty "fat is cooking" smell.
If you have burned food, place several lemon, orange or grapefruit slices in a pan filled with water and bring to a boil.
If your home smells like smoke, dip a towel in vinegar and wring until lightly damp. Wave it through the air to help eliminate the smell. My mother, the original Heloise, used this hint in the '60s when more people smoked indoors.
If something has dripped onto the bottom of the oven during baking, cover the burned gunk with table salt and clean up when the oven is cool.
If the garbage disposal smells rotten, grind a bunch of citrus peels (lemon, lime, orange, etc.) inside. Then flush with lots of cold water. Several drops of peppermint or other extracts added with water will also help deodorize it. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Although I contribute financially to our local food bank once a year, I buy one item for it each time I grocery-shop. When the bag in my kitchen is full, I deliver it. I also keep a running list of prices of donated food for tax purposes. Diana T., via e-mail
Here are two hints from Mark in California:
For paper shredders with a wastebasket for the catch bin, I find that placing a plastic bag inside the basket makes it simple when full to just pull out, tie and toss in the recycling bin. I find the larger ones from department stores work best.
To keep your dryer sheets fresh and easy to access, I found that some brands of disposable diaper wipes have a nice plastic container that works great. When empty, make sure it's dry inside, then add your dryer sheets.
Dear Heloise: Put two clothes baskets in each closet for the kids to sort their own laundry, darks and lights separated. When one basket gets full, the child brings it to the laundry room. I wash the load, fold it and return it to the child to put away. This eliminates sorting, and they become more responsible. Karen N., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I just wanted to let you know my favorite use for paper plates. In addition to the many other regular uses, I use cheap paper plates for a cutting board. No cleaning -- just toss them. They'll last through at least two large onions or many other veggies, unless they are very wet. M.J. Heckwolf, Conyers, Ga.
Send 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