HELOISE: Quell the smell of burnt popcorn

Dear Heloise: My son burnt a bag of popcorn in his microwave, and now it smells really bad every time he uses it. Any suggestions to get the smell out?

Lana, via e-mail

Popcorn is a great, quick snack, but burnt? Yuck. Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice, chopped citrus or even orange juice and 1 cup of water to a 4-cup or larger microwave-safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat on high until the water boils and creates steam.

Leave the bowl in the microwave until it cools off, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then wipe the walls, bottom and top. Sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub down the interior of the microwave for extra freshness. Leave the door open for a while so air can swirl around inside the microwave. Baking soda is one of my favorite cleaners and deodorizers, and it costs only a few pennies every time you use it to clean. Want to know more uses? Just send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Baking soda is used for cleaning lots of things, and it is also used in cooking. Don’t know if baking soda is still active? Pour a small amount of vinegar in a bowl and then add about a spoonful of baking soda. If this mixture fizzes up, then the baking soda is still active and can be used in a recipe.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have read your column for many years, and I love it. I have a hint that saves time, space and money. We kept losing opened packages of cheese and sandwich meat in the fridge.

I went to a dollar store and bought two plastic shoe boxes, and I labeled one “dairy” and one “meat.” They are easy to keep clean, and take up little space because they stack neatly. Using the boxes frees up the drawer that is supposed to be used for dairy for the kids’ snack cups and drinks.

Barbara in Great Mills, Md.

Dear Heloise: Here is a hint that works well for me and that might help others as well. I have arthritic knees, so it is difficult for me to get down to clean my lower kitchen-cabinet shelves. I purchased some of those square plastic crates, in which I put all the shelf items. When I want to clean the cabinets, I just pull out the crates and wipe down the shelves. Works like a charm! Thank you for your great column. I have learned so much from it!

A Fan in Wyoming

Dear Heloise: When I need bread crumbs for a recipe, I use a package of stuffing mix. I put it in a plastic bag or throw it in a food processor, and it’s already seasoned.

A Reader, via e-mail

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