Have a good new year
Dear Readers: Happy New Year’s Eve to all! Hope tomorrow starts out good and ends up on the same note. It’s been a rocky year, so let’s all hope for the best.
At the beginning of each year, I try to jot down some goals for the year. I did not say “resolutions”! They usually fall away like bowling pins!
What would you like to have happen this year? Don’t say lose weight, eat better, get more exercise, stop smoking — not all at once, anyway. Pick two or three, and work to make them happen.
Doing one nice thing for someone else, daily, can make your day a little brighter. Make it simple: hold a door open, give up a parking space or just say, “Thank you”! — Your friend, Heloise
PERFUME ON CLOTHES
Dear Heloise: I like to buy and recycle clothing from thrift stores. Often, I find it difficult to get out the perfume that has been dumped into the clothes. Any suggestions? — Mary L., Spokane, Wash.
I’m a little surprised that the clothes have that much perfume on them. Usually the garment is cleaned before being put out. Could it be some fragrance they use in the store?
Sometimes a good airing-out in fresh air, letting Mother Nature do her job, is all it takes.
Of course, clean the item, being sure not to overstuff the washer or dryer. During the rinse cycle, add several glugs of vinegar to the water. Vinegar is one of my go-to cleaners and fresheners for almost all areas of the home. It is cheap and nontoxic. I wish I had invented it! Apple-cider and white vinegar are just about the same — the white may be a wee bit stronger, but not by much. Every household should have vinegar on hand for cleaning.
I’ve compiled my favorite uses for vinegar in a handy pamphlet, Heloise’s Fantabulous Vinegar Hints and More, which I’d love to share with you. If you’d like to receive a pamphlet, just send a stamped (71 cents), self-addressed, long envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Online, visit www.Heloise.com for ordering information.
— Heloise
BUBBLE, BUBBLE
Dear Heloise: Regarding using air-filled packaging material to insulate windows: When using it, should I place the smooth side or the bubble side next to the window? If you could let me know, I would greatly appreciate it. — Doris D., via email
The packaging material can serve two purposes: to somewhat insulate the windows, and to slightly blur the view into the windows. In theory, if the bubbles face the window, it creates an air pocket to hold cold air. Try one of each and tell me what you find out. — Heloise
RECYCLE FOAM PEANUTS
Dear Heloise: My hint for recycling packing peanuts: I take them to the salon, where the nail technicians use them as toe separators when doing pedicures. — Camille D., Wintersville, Ohio
Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.