HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: A few of our towels have a musty smell. What can I do?

— Tim, Omaha, Nebraska DEAR READER: Be sure to wash only a few towels at a time (don’t overstuff). Towels need to move around. Wash as usual, then add ½ cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle. This should help eliminate the musty odor. Avoid using fabric softener sheets. They will coat the towels and make them less absorbent.

FYI: To keep most white, bleachable clothes a little whiter and brighter, add ½ cup of baking soda along with the regular amount of bleach.

DEAR HELOISE: Do you have suggestions for how to dispose of or where to recycle used books? These are a mix of textbooks and general fiction/nonfiction. I want to avoid sending them to a landfill.

— Jennifer, via email DEAR READER: You can donate to a women’s shelter, daycare centers, doctor’s and dentist’s offices, theater groups, schools, scouting organizations, senior care centers and libraries, or you can recycle paperback books. Readers, any other suggestions?

DEAR HELOISE : A friend of mine gave me this hint, which she has used for years. To keep celery fresh for weeks, do not wash, but carefully wrap it in foil. I place it back in the original plastic bag to protect the foil from tearing in the veggie drawer.

My other hint is to wrap parsley (again, do not wash) in a paper towel and place in a plastic zip-top bag. It has lasted for at least two weeks. It works for other herbs like thyme as well.

— Edie in Connecticut

DEAR HELOISE: In a recent column, a reader wrote that she just tossed from her pantry many expired foods. I solved that issue by using a bold marker and writing the expiration date (i.e., 11/22) where visible before putting into the pantry.

When I hit another good sale on foods we like or staples for recipes, I rotate the just purchased ones to the back and the older ones forward. The date marker also helps me use those foods before expiration. Love your column for such practical, money- and timesaving ideas.

— Nancy C. in California DEAR READER: I call this “first in, first out,” and it’s a good way rotate products to make sure everything stays fresh in your kitchen.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email

Heloise@Heloise.com