Never use cooking spray for squeaky doors

Dear Heloise: I read your hints every day in The Maui (Hawaii) News. Here’s a “don’t” hint I wanted to share: Don’t use cooking spray in lieu of household lubricant for squeaky doors. Everything from dirt and dust to pet hair sticks to it! Tammy Krausen, Napili, Maui, Hawaii

Tammy, you are absolutely right! Using cooking spray in place of lubricant oil is a no-no, especially on something like a lock! Once dirt and dust get “gunked” up in there, you have a real problem. Heloise

Dear Heloise: I treasure the beautiful cedar chest from my grandmother. It is an art-deco style from the 1930s, with ornate carvings. She always stored her clothing, packed with mothballs, in it for nearly 60 years.

Anything I keep inside it reeks of mothballs. I’ve tried sanding the interior and layering the inside with baking soda and newspaper. However, the strong smell persists. What can I do? Jennifer Atkins, via e-mail

Mothball odor can really, well, stink! The smell can last for years, and this is why you should not put mothballs in a cedar chest! Since you’ve already sanded the interior with no good results, the aroma may have penetrated the wood, and it’s possible nothing will remove the odor. Here are a couple of things you can try:

UPut the chest outside in the sun with the lid propped open for a day or two. Be sure children and pets cannot get caught in it.

UThe newspaper trick should be tried again — crumple up enough to fill the whole chest, and let it sit for several days.

UIf the odor has diminished, you can re-sand the chest in the hopes of bringing more of the aroma out of the wood.

Good luck! Heloise

Dear Heloise: When my knee-high stockings develop holes or runs, I recycle them as garden ties.

They’re very gentle to plant stems (great for tomatoes) and can be untied and laundered at the close of the season for reuse next year. Lenore N. Collins, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I liked your piece on deck washing.

There is a much faster and less-labor-intensive way to clean off a deck: a power washer. You can rent one cheap, and that might save someone asking how to get rid of tennis elbow he or she got while cleaning the deck! Elliott Govorchin, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: You had a travel hint about putting only a telephone number on checked luggage. A good idea! But when my bag was accidentally switched with that of another traveler, the only thing that helped was having my name and cell-phone number on the luggage. We were able to meet at a nearby gate, switch bags and catch our next flight with no problem. Howard S., Hartford, Conn.

Dear Heloise: For a sluggish bathroom exhaust fan, be sure to clean the blades and the grill to keep it working its best. G.L., Rockville, Md.

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