DEAR HELOISE: Can I safely launder feather pillows in the washer and dryer like other washables? My husband says no. Thanks for your answer.
-- Betty A., Beebe
DEAR READER: Hi, Betty. Feather pillows in good condition, with no rips, tears or seams that might break, can be washed in the machine. Here are some hints:
• No more than two at a time.
• Use a small amount of liquid detergent, and fill the washer with water and detergent first. Then put the pillows in.
• During drying, periodically break apart clumps by hand.
You also can freshen pillows by tossing them straight into the dryer once a week.
Been sick? Wash pillows, or spray them with disinfectant.
P.S.: I put our pillows in a king-size pillowcase and safety-pin the opening before washing, just in case a seam breaks.
DEAR HELOISE: I was at the courthouse to take care of a traffic ticket.
I watched a woman outside court as she scolded her rambunctious toddler son: "If you don't stop, I'm going to have the police come over here and take you away!"
The little boy looked so frightened. He should be taught that a police officer is there to help him. If he were to get lost or hurt, he should know that he can go to a police officer and safely ask for help.
-- Nana, via email
DEAR READER: Thank you for writing to remind parents and other child-care providers that uniformed law-enforcement officers are there to protect and help. Children need to know that they can ask for help or protection without being punished. It can be very scary to look up (from their height) and see someone in uniform.
DEAR HELOISE: I went to the gas station to fill up my gas can. The can goes in the trunk (no pickup truck), and there's always a little spillage, so the smell lingers for a while.
I spied an empty shopping bag in my trunk, so I placed the can in the bag, and presto -- problem solved. Got home and no leakage in the trunk.
-- Jeff J., via email
DEAR HELOISE: After years of trying all the hints about drying fitted sheets, I finally discovered something that works: Dry the fitted sheet by itself.
It dries in half the time without any items bunched up in it. Next, dry the flat items. Before the next load of wash is ready to go into the dryer, the flat sheets are dry.
-- A Reader, via email
DEAR READERS: Pop into your closet before spraying on perfume or cologne. The closet and your clothes will smell nice. Don't spray clothes directly or "walk through" the mist of scent. That's an old hint, but it could damage the material.
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
Weekend on 11/19/2015