LITTLE ROCK — DEAR READERS: Many students across the country are now back at college. This may be the first time some are doing their own laundry. Here are some Heloise Laundry 101 hints for laundry newbies:
Sorting is vital. Wash samecolored fabrics together: darks, whites, etc.
Don’t stuff the machine too full. The clothes won’t get clean.
If doing laundry at a self-service laundry facilityor dorm laundry room, check the machines before putting in your clothes. Someone may have left a red sock that will turn your whole load of whites pink!
Pin socks together to keep from losing one. Fasten bra hooks together to prevent snagging, and turn jeans inside out to prevent fading.
Read the care instructions for clothes. They will last much longer if cared for properly.
Don’t carry a whole bottle or box of detergent. If using liquid, put only what’s needed in clean yogurt cups. Or for powder detergent, pour some in a sock or zipper-top bag.
Stains, stains and more stains seem to be what happen to students while at college. Removing a stain can save a favorite shirt or jeans.
Clothes left in the dryer too long? To remove wrinkles, add a damp towel in the dryer and run on low for 10-15 minutes.
DEAR HELOISE: Many of your readers have written about pop-top cans and how they have a hard time opening them. I turn the can upside down and open it with a can opener.
- A Reader in Virginia
DEAR HELOISE: We have a large picture window in our house that birds are constantly running into. We used those peel-and-stick decals to decorate the window.The birds no longer mistake it for an opening.
- A Reader in Washington
DEAR READER: You can hang sun catchers or ribbon on the window as well. We have a lot of birds and darling “buzz bombers” (humming birds) that sometimes hit the window. I taped several strands of thin ribbon (about 6 inches long) on the glass, and it seems to deter them.
DEAR HELOISE: When my kids are painting, I try to match the paintbrush color with the paint: a red brush for the red paint, a yellow brush for the yellow, etc. This way, the paint isn’t getting mixed.
- A Reader in Colorado Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or e-mail
MovieStyle, Pages 38 on 08/31/2012