Here’s a page from making books smell better

Dear Heloise: Do you know how to remove the musty smell from books? We have a nice set of atlases, maybe 15 or 20 years old. They were never in a basement or anything, but they have a very musty smell. Eric, via e-mail

Your question is a great one, since many of us (me included, I love books!) have wonderful old books. If a book smells musty, many times it is just age! Sprinkle a little cornstarch or baking soda throughout the dry pages and place the book in a sealable plastic bag. Let sit for about a week, then brush out the powder. Repeat for stubborn smells. Don’t use baking soda on antique or damp books, because it is sodium bicarbonate, and that might harm old paper. However, baking soda can be used for everything from eliminating odors to safe cleaning and even money-saving beauty products. For Heloise’s Baking Soda Hints, please send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (59 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Also, older, heavy or large books should be stacked flat. If stored standing, the weight may eventually crack the spine and damage the pages of the books. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your hints in The (Munster, Ind.) Times. Here are uses for the neon dot stickers:

• Put on DVDs/movies as a way to show at a glance appropriate ages: green for children, red for violence, etc. Make sure the family knows what the colors signify.

• Mark plugs/cords and the items they belong to.

• Help those with sight problems by placing dots on hangers for like items, etc.

• Use to mark medicine items in a first-aid kit.

Sarah McCoy, Hammond, Ind.

Dear Heloise: I was ripping out a seam with a seam ripper, and you know how the threads are hard to pick out? I had a lint roller and used it for the threads. It picked them up like magic! Norma S. Thompson, Snyder, Texas

Dear Heloise: I was trying to change key rings and did not want to ruin my nails. I spotted my staple remover and used it to open the ring. The keys slipped off easily. A Texas reader

Dear Heloise: I have hundreds of self-sticking address labels. I was ready to toss them when I thought of sending them to our daughters to use when they mail us something. Ana Moritz, Chanhassen, Minn.

The U.S. Postal Service recommends that the print on address labels be at least 8 font points or larger. So, very small labels shouldn’t be used. Heloise

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: My Sound Off is tiny expiration dates on coupons. I’m only in my 40s, and I have a hard time reading them. It’s even worse when they use color combinations other than black and white. Rita, 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