Hints From Heloise

Gifts and Notes

Dear Heloise: I, too, had problems with nonresponses to GIFTS SENT BY MAIL. When the post office started offering delivery-confirmation receipts, I started using them. It enables me to go online and find out the date and time the gift was delivered. If it doesn't get there, at least I have something that the post office can trace. It's inexpensive (less than $1 -- Heloise) and takes care of the delivery portion of the gift. Thank-you notes, I'm afraid, are a thing of the past. I'm told sending a thank-you note by e-mail is rude/incorrect, but my philosophy is that something is better than nothing. -- Rosemarie Guzzardo, The Villages, Fla.

Hopefully, thank-you notes are not a thing of the past! An e-mail thank-you is not really rude or incorrect if both parties correspond that way. However, a handwritten note is always correct. There is something special about opening a handwritten note, and it is much nicer to save. -- Heloise

APARTMENT FIRE

Dear Heloise: My daughter recently had a fire in her apartment, and all her clothing smells terrible. We had a cleaning crew come in for her personal items, but they do not clean clothing. Do you have any suggestions on how to eliminate the odor? Thanks. -- Susan D., via e-mail

Sorry about the fire! That smoke smell can really hang on! It usually can be removed from washable fabrics with normal washing, but it might take several times. Hang the clothes outdoors to air first. Then sort them according to which ones have the strongest smell, and wash like clothes together. Do small loads using liquid detergent, 1 cup of washing soda and the hottest water that's safe for the fabric. The clothing should be line-dried, as the dryer may lock the odor into the fabric. It might take several washings to completely remove the odor. -- Heloise

EXCESS FACE CREAM

Dear Heloise: I have an idea for face cream that is left over when the whole jar is not used. I put it on my feet. Surely I'm not the only person who changes face cream before the entire jar is used. Now I have very soft feet! -- P. Kestler, Kansas

Good idea! Why waste any moisturizer or hand lotion? -- Heloise

PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS

Dear Heloise: We all accumulate so many of those plastic bags from the grocery store. A great way to recycle them is by donating them to a local day care. I work at a day care and use them all the time in our trash cans and to place dirty diapers and soiled clothes in. -- Nicole, via e-mail

HELOISE SCRAPBOOK

Dear Heloise: I started reading your column about a year ago. With all of the great hints, I had trouble remembering what they were. I have started a scrapbook, and I file them by subject. Thanks for all the hints! -- Charmaine, via e-mail

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)2009 by King Features Syndicate Inc.