DEAR HELOISE: I took a load of my best friend’s clothes out of the dryer to discover he didn’t empty his pockets (that’s right, I don’t check pockets), and a pack of gum was left in a pocket - gum on the drum!
I rubbed a little peanut butter on the drum, wiped it off with a soft cloth and then wiped the drum with a little degreaser(just to be safe). Good as new! - Tammy, via e-mail
DEAR READER: I’m glad this worked for you. Here’s another way to remove gum from a dryer drum:
The gum needs to be softened first. To do this, put a couple of old towels in the dryer. Let it run on the warm setting for a few minutes. Make a paste of 1 tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent and water. Next, scrub the gum stains with the paste and a nylon-net scrubbie.
Finally, wipe the inside of the dryer with a damp towel until there is no gum residue left. And just to be on the safe side, don’t use the dryer until you run a couple of old, damp towels inside. Use a damp towel to wipe out the inside of the dryer.
And important for all readers: Check all pockets before putting garments into the dryer. You never know where gum, a lipstick or lip balm tube or a crayon might be hiding.
DEAR HELOISE: My wife and I use the insulated drink cups that come with a reusable plastic straw. Cleaning the straws became problematic.
One day, I used an extra-long pipe cleaner. It works great, and now we feel more comfortable knowing the straw is clean as a whistle.
- A Reader, via e-mail
DEAR HELOISE: I read the hint about a smelly closet. I also moved into a house with a smelly closet. I put used fabric-softener dryer sheets into a mesh bag (in which oranges come) and hung it in the closet. It worked wonderfully.- Diane H. in Kentucky DEAR HELOISE: Please let your readers know that a home-economics class - or family and consumer sciences, as it is now called - at a local high school is a great place to take old magazines. The students use the magazines in many learning opportunities. I know, because it’s what I teach.
- Deborah Gage, via e-mail
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 Heloise@Heloise.com
Weekend, Pages 38 on 07/04/2013