Hints From Heloise

What the Label Means

Dear Readers: Have you ever wondered what "DRY CLEAN ONLY" means on garment care labels when there are no other instructions? According to our friends at the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute, the Federal Trade Commission's Care Labeling Rule is based on a warning system. If warnings are not listed, it means that the harshest process under the listed care procedure can be used safely. "Dry clean" or "dry clean only" means any acceptable solvent and the standard dry-cleaning method can be used. If the fabric or attached trim requires special care, the label must state so and have instructions. So now you know. Also be sure to read care labels before buying a garment! -- Heloise

GARAGE SALE

Dear Heloise: I wanted to let you know about a garage-sale trick I used that everyone loved. I took a sheet of poster board and paired my earrings up on it by sticking the posts through. When someone bought a pair, I would simply cut them off. This way, they stayed together and one didn't get lost while people continued to shop. I also attached bracelets and necklaces with pins. -- Shirley, via e-mail

SUMMER SALADS

Dear Heloise: Here's an additional suggestion to make your summer salads (chicken, egg, etc.) a little healthier: Substitute nonfat plain yogurt for a bunch of the mayonnaise. I usually go about half and find no noticeable difference in flavor. You can experiment with this and find the amount that satisfies you. Since the mayonnaise is usually just for moistening anyway, yogurt will do that job nicely, with a lot less fat. -- Carol, via e-mail

Carol, I do something similar. I use some fat-free or low-fat sour cream in the same way. -- Heloise

LIPSTICK HINT

Dear Heloise: I like to coordinate my lipstick and nail-polish colors with my attire. I find it bothersome to have a number of lipstick tubes; they take up too much space, and finding the color I want is a nuisance. I have solved it this way:

I have a clear-plastic pillbox (seven days), and when I purchase a color, I empty the tube into a section. Since it is clear, I can see the colors and choose the one I like. I use a lipstick brush and apply it with that. Then I load the brush with lipstick and put it in my bag, and I know I have the matching color. I also have an extra brush (different color) that remains at home. -- Harriet K. Meltzer, Delray Beach, Fla.

LEFTOVER TOOTHPASTE

Dear Heloise: After years of struggling to use all the toothpaste in the tube, I suddenly realized that the little, pretty sample jars of creams were now clean and waiting for something -- my dregs of toothpaste. Believe me, it is terrific to open a small jar with much more toothpaste in it than one realizes. I would normally have thrown the unobtainable toothpaste, in irritation, in the trash. -- Barbara Overal, Allen, Texas

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.

(c)2008 by King Features Syndicate Inc.