Heloise: Baking soda gets the smell out of shoes

Dear Heloise: Do you have a cure for odor in running shoes?

Pat, via e-mail

Dear Pat: Smelly shoes can be ... well, stinky! Hot weather, perspiration, wearing them daily as well as not letting them air out all can contribute.

You can deodorize and help neutralize odor by sprinkling 3 or 4 tablespoons of baking soda in each shoe. Let sit for several hours or overnight, and then just dump out.

Some tennis shoes can be washed in the washing machine, but not leather shoes! Stains should be treated and the laces need to be removed, and then they are ready. Wash using the cold-water cycle. You can either let the shoes air-dry or put them into the dryer (add three or four towels) using the “cool air” cycle only.

Also, giving the shoes a spray of foot antiperspirant/deodorant before wearing should work.

For a preventive measure, you can use cat-box filler. Create a pouch by stitching up 6-inch-by-8-inch rectangles, right sides together. Turn the pocket right side out and fill 3/4 full with clay cat litter. Then sew the top closed. Slip this pouch into your shoes when you store them. The litter will sop up any moisture and also neutralize the odor. Keep the litter-lined shoes away from Fluffy so she won’t get confused!

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I love to wear accessories for holidays and have quite a collection. The problem was how to find them for the appropriate holiday. I bought storage containers that hold jewelry and hang up in the closet with varying sizes of pouches, and all with clear vinyl. One holds all red, white and blue socks, jewelry, watches, etc. Another holds Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick’s and Thanksgiving. If you have vests and clothing, you could put them in clear garment bags and have your jewelry inside.

Barbara Nuss,

Sacramento, Calif.

Dear Heloise: When you have a stain on clothing, before washing, place a safety pin on the area, then use your stain-removal process. At the end of the wash, you will easily be able to ascertain whether the stain has come out before putting it in the dryer.

Pat, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I store my shoes in plastic shoe boxes. Since the boxes are stacked, it is not easy to see the shoes clearly. When I get a new pair of shoes, I take a digital photo and enlarge it to fit the end of the box. I use clear tape to secure the photo on the box. Now I can tell at a glance the style and color of the shoe.

Mazelle in Mississippi

Dear Heloise:Tired of rolls of gift wrap loosening on the roll, I bought a package of the larger, stretchy ponytail wraps and slid them on my gift-wrap rolls. They work like a charm.

Jeannine in Montana

King Features Syndicate