Don’t blame cleaner for shrinkage

Dear Readers: Ever wonder what causes a shirt to shrink? Well, we here at Heloise Central went right to the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute for an answer: Manufacturers allow for a normal 2 percent and progressive shrinkage tolerance, which usually is not noticeable enough to cause complaint. Anything greater than 2 percent shrinkage is due to poorly stabilized material at the time of manufacture. There is little a professional can do to cause a shirt to shrink excessively.

Just a quick reminder: When picking up laundry from the cleaners, be sure to lift up the plastic cover and check any stains that required special attention. Also, check the pressing and any shine caused by pressing. Do not be shy about asking for a “do over” if the article is not cleaned and pressed to your satisfaction. You can also ask for stain-removal hints. Heloise

Dear Heloise: We are all trying to recycle these days, and clothes are no exception. To make things easier, I keep a plastic trash bag in my closet, and as clothes become too small or go out of style, I drop that article of clothing into the bag. When the bag is full, I take it to my favorite clothing-donation drop-off center. My closet stays uncluttered, the clothes are recycled, and a charity benefits from my donation. Jessie in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas

Dear Heloise: School is back in session, and once again children will be bringing home their prized artwork for you to compliment. What do you do with all the wonderful treasures? An excellent way to display and store these gems is to purchase a three-ring binder and label it with your child’s name on the outside. Clear page protectors are excellent for containing stray glitter or macaroni. Mary Michelle, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: One way that I have been storing wrapping paper and not having it get wrinkled, bent or ripped into pieces is to use a pair of pantyhose. I cut off one side that hangs loose and long, and place a tube of wrapping paper or just folded wrapping paper inside the leg of the pantyhose, seal it up and put it away for later use. Anna Victoria Reich, Stafford, Va.

Dear Heloise: We had family over, and our power went out. We have a large house, so I got out the candles and the flashlights. We were enjoying sitting around, and then I called the power company and was told that it was going to be out for 12 to 14 hours.

My cousin went outside and took the tops of the solar lights and brought them into the house. He put them in the bathroom, hallway and kitchen so we had some light. It was a lot safer than burning candles all night. When the power came back on the next day, he took the lights back outside. LaVerne, via e-mail

SBlt 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