DEAR READERS: Here is this week's Sound Off, about publications and page numbers:
"Why is it that magazines and other publications don't number every page? They often tell you to flip to a certain page to find an article or recipe, but it is impossible to find that page. I have to flip through to find a page with an actual page number and then count from there. A few times, I have counted pages to find a recipe, and it isn't there. Instead, there is an advertisement, which the magazines don't count in their page count. It can be very frustrating."
-- P.P. in Texas
DEAR READER: Here are other uses for burp cloths:
• Place on a seat or an armrest as a cover.
• As small blankets for pets.
• Use one as a washcloth or when a child is sick for a runny nose.
• Cut up and use as rags.
• Use to pack breakables.
DEAR HELOISE: I bought a shirt with one of those adhesive strips that say the size. When I took it off, some of the adhesive stayed on the shirt. How can I remove it?
-- N.Y. in Kentucky
DEAR READER: Those strips can be so stubborn. Try to remove as much of the adhesive as you can with a metal spoon. If there still is adhesive left, treat the area with a petroleum-based prewash spray and let it sit for a while. You can find the spray in the detergent aisle. Then wash the garment as usual. Once washed, check that the adhesive has been completely removed before putting it into the dryer. If you still have some residue, try a commercial adhesive remover. Just be sure to test in a hidden area first.
DEAR HELOISE: I just read about the person who was giving advice on how to clean snow, mud and salt from the garage floor during the winter. I recently had a friend show me his unique way to keep his garage floor clean. He simply purchased a large tarp from a discount store and spread it on the floor in the fall. This caught all the "droppings" from the car, and he simply waits until spring, or a nice day, drags the tarp out onto the driveway and hoses it off, then drags the clean tarp back in on the floor to catch the next "load."
-- George N. in Tracyville,
New Brunswick, Canada
DEAR READER: Great idea! And so easy to clean as often as you would like.
DEAR HELOISE: My small bathroom doesn't have an air-conditioning vent in it. I keep a small, table-size fan in the bathroom. It comes in handy to help ventilate when cleaning or if the room gets a little warm. It is easy to wrap the cord and place the fan under the sink whenever I have company over or don't need it.
-- Jan in Texas
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 05/26/2014