HELOISE: It's best to avoid liquid fabric softener on towels

Dear Heloise: For many years, I have heard that fabric softener should not be added to a towel wash, because it reduces the absorbency of the towels.

Recently, a reader wrote saying that she used fabric softener along with her detergent to keep her towels soft and fluffy. I also want my towels soft, but I’m in a quandary now about using fabric softener. Can you please shed some light on this issue? Jan H., Winston-Salem, N.C.

Dear Jan: You are correct. Towel manufacturers have some lines of towels that should not be treated with liquid fabric softener. It does make the towels less absorbent over time. If you’re looking to make or keep your towels fluffy and soft, try using a bit less detergent and adding washing soda. One-half cup per load is all that is necessary. Heloise

Dear Heloise: If you often exchange postal mail or packages with someone, it makes sense and saves time to also exchange name and address stickers. This is a particularly helpful idea for older people with arthritis in their hands or other problems that make writing difficult. Name and address stickers often are included free with charitable appeals, or you can order them from a catalog. Sally, Fairfax, Va.

Dear Heloise: Another great use for coffee filters is to line the bottom of your flowerpots with them before putting in the dirt. It keeps the dirt from falling out the holes, and the plants drain as well. Ethel Wilmesmeier, Houston

Dear Heloise: I hate to do certain household chores. The hardest part is getting started. Once I’ve started, I will do the job to completion. So, here are a couple of ideas to get going:

• If I leave the vacuum cleaner, disinfectant spray, etc., out where they need to be used, I will be more likely to use them than if they are out of sight.

• When a tedious job, like going through magazines, presents itself, I will knock over the pile, so I am forced to sort through them.

• If I need to clean out the closet floor, I pull everything out the night before. The next morning, I will have to go through it, clean everything and put it all back in an orderly way.

These tricks have worked very well for me. Elaine Stein, Staten Island, N.Y.

Dear Heloise: This is a hint for an old kettle grill. My mother took the bottom and the lid of her old grill and turned them into flowerpots. She just removed the handle from the top and the legs from the bottom, then filled them with potting soil and planted flowers. She placed one on each corner of the patio, and she now has beautiful daffodils. And because each kettle has holes in the bottom, drainage isn’t a problem. Lynne from South Carolina

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