Dents in carpet make house hard to sell
Dear Heloise: I had a pool table on my Berber carpet for a very long time, and the indentations from the legs are so deep that even a carpet cleaner could not get it corrected. Is there a magic solution? I am selling my house, and this is not good. Doris Quinn, via e-mail
If a pro couldn’t do it, I don’t know if these hints will help you, but give them a try. Fill a spray bottle with water and then spritz the indentations. Turn on a hair dryer to the hottest setting and blow the hot air on the dampened areas. The heat from the dryer might help plump up the carpet fibers. Fluff it up further with your fingers until you can no longer see the dents. You might need to keep at it.
Try a steam iron, but you have to be careful not to touch the carpet with the iron. Just hold it above the dented areas so the steam penetrates them. Then run your fingers through the carpet to lift up the fibers. This might take many attempts. Heloise
Dear Heloise: To the lady who takes her leaf blower into the house to blow things: You could also blow the lint out of your dryer and maybe even blow the lint and dust out of your air-conditioning/heating ducts. Scott Carroll, Fullerton, Calif.
Yes, you can, but be prepared for lots of dust and debris. Heloise
Dear Heloise: The handiest things in my kitchen are rubber bands that I keep in my junk drawer! Anything that is opened and needs to stay fresh gets “banded.” Even the kids use them. It’s easier than moving everything to a zipper bag or container, which might or might not get sealed.
Try them on opened bagged greens, rice, dog food, whatever! Just fold and band. Tana Southerland, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: We have a list of all the license plates of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. As we see one, we scratch it off the list, and we try to find them all. We usually find Alaska and Hawaii on our longer trips (very exciting). Pat King, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I cut a triangle from the corner of an envelope and slip the triangle-shaped pocket over the upper corner of a book page. It will stay in place. Colored envelope corners make handy page markers for cookbooks or magazines. Barbara Scholl, Lady Lake, Fla.
Dear Heloise: I found out the hard way to always check the drums of washers and dryers when doing your laundry outside the home in case there’s grease on them. Bess Williams, Prescott, Ariz.
X 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