DEAR HELOISE: I am retired and live in an upstairs walk-up. I sort laundry upstairs and pour a capful of liquid detergent onto a towel or other very absorbent item in each batch rather than carry the detergent to the laundry room.
- A Reader, via e-mail
DEAR READER: Why carry extra weight if you don’t have to? Just be careful, because sometimes pouring some detergents directly onto a piece of clothing and not washing quickly may leave a spot. Here are the three Heloise Golden Rules of Stain Removal for you and other readers:
Get to the stain as soon as possible. The longer it sets, the harder it is to get out.
Work at the stain slowly. It takes time to remove some stains.
Some stains are stubborn, and you may need to repeat the stain-removal steps several times. Always read care labels so that you know the way to wash a garment.
DEAR HELOISE: Several years ago, wanting to do something to help animals, I decided to distribute free dog and cat food at the food bank here on Maui.
I reasoned that if they are having difficulty feeding themselves, they would no doubt have difficulty feeding their pets. It is a big success and an idea I wish would catch on across the country.
At first we paid for the food ourselves, but now I have pet stores and other animal lovers who help. I thought that if you publish this idea, it would be an enormous gift to our furry friends.
- Nancy Fisher in Hawaii
DEAR HELOISE: My friend’s husband died, and since I couldn’t attend the funeral, I sent a card and flowers. Then every week or so, I sent a card with a note, and did this for several months. She later told me that the cards came on days when she was really down.
She said that after the funeral, people went back to their lives, but she was left to rebuild hers alone.
- Ann Jorgensen, Deer Park, Wash.
DEAR HELOISE: Here is a hint for when you’re using microwave popcorn envelopes: Once the bag of popcorn has popped, cut the tip of the corner off at the bottom and let all the unpopped kernels drain out before opening. (Be careful of the hot steam when doing this.) - Leola B. in Mont. 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 [email protected]
Style, Pages 22 on 05/28/2013