Friday, October 23, 2009
Dear Heloise: I have been doing laundry for myself and family, and have recently discovered how to keep clothing up to date.
When I remove clothing from the dryer to hang up and have ready for ironing, I use two different-colored plastic hangers. The white hangers are for clothing that is in good repair, wearable and desirable to wear anywhere, anytime. The colored hangers are for items that may need a button, minor stitching, be too big or small but still not ready for the giveaway or trash pile.
That way, I don’t have to stop and think about what needs to be tossed or what is ready to wear. This saves time when dressing by not having to try something on to make sure it is presentable before going out. Mary N., Port Charlotte, Fla.
A few minutes sorting and organizing clothes can save time on a busy morning, or save money by knowing what’s in your closet. Shop in your closet before shopping for clothes. Heloise
Dear Heloise: This was great timing! In a recent Orange County (Calif.) Register, you published a solution for my cloudy glasses. I was just about to write to you to ask what to do, and there was my answer! I must admit that I had tried soaking them in full-strength apple-cider vinegar for 24 hours, but that didn’t work, and now I know I must use my nylon scrubber and put a little elbow grease into the job. My work will be cut out for me in the next few days, but it will be well worth it! Nova in California
Thanks, Nova. Remember, the updated hint is to heat the vinegar. It almost bubbles away the mineral buildup! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Recently, I changed a queen-size bed for a twin trundle and ended up with an expensive foam mattress topper that didn’t fit. After measuring the twin bed, I removed the covering, then used a permanent marker and measuring stick to mark the foam.
With my electric knife and a cutting board underneath, I cut the queen-size foam down to a twin. The padded topper covering was downsized to a twin with scissors and a few stitches on my sewing machine.
The leftover pieces were cut into standard and neck-size pieces to make pillows. I not only had a new mattress topper for my bed, but several pillows as well. A Reader, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: My daughter moved into a new home, and I volunteered to line all the shelves in the kitchen and bathrooms. After a tiring attempt at cutting the heavy-duty liner with scissors, I decided to try my rotary cutter, ruler and cutting mat. I was able to measure accurately, cut straight lines with square corners and finish the job in a fraction of the time it would have taken me with scissors. Sandra Lovelace, Missouri City, Texas
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