DEAR READERS: Here is this week's Sound Off, about trying to get through to businesses on the phone:
"My Sound Off is when you finally get through to a business on the phone, only to be told 'All operators are busy now; please hang up and call again later.'"
-- A Reader in Texas
That can be frustrating. Unfortunately, it is something we all have to deal with at times. Try calling at non-peak hours, like after lunch, to see if that helps you get through a little more easily.
DEAR READERS: Here are other uses for marbles:
• Place in a jar to use as a paperweight.
• Put in the bottom of a plant pot to keep soil in.
• Place in an aquarium.
• Use in steppingstones as decorations.
• Put in the bottom of a foot bath to massage feet.
DEAR HELOISE: My son plays football, and his clothes always have an odor from the sweat. No matter what I do, I can't seem to get them clean. Can you help?
-- Linda in Texas
DEAR READER: As soon as your son gets home, air out his clothes. Don't stuff them in a hamper unless they are dry. Turn each piece inside-out before washing. For shirts, rub a little full-strength laundry detergent into the armpit area. Put the clothes into the washer, but don't cram it full; the clothing won't rinse clean if the washer is too full. Use a lot of water and rinse a second time, then air-dry. After washing, smell the clothes. If they still stink, pour vinegar onto the smelly area. Let sit for a few minutes and then repeat. Vinegar will kill any bacteria. Then wash again. When treating a stain, place a paper towel underneath the stain to keep it from going through the fabric.
DEAR READERS: A Sound Off was written about bottles for medications being too large and only half-full. Here is what a couple of readers had to say about it:
"I think the underlying reason is marketing. If consumers see a bigger bottle with 100 capsules in it next to a smaller bottle with 100 capsules in it, they tend to choose the larger bottle because it looks like the better deal."
-- Sue B. in Omaha, Neb.
"There are so many requirements made for proper labeling information that they need the larger bottles, just to have space."
-- S.G. in Santa Ana, Calif.
Thanks for the letters. They definitely make you think.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email
Heloise@Heloise.com
ActiveStyle on 06/16/2014