HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: My trash can smells awful! For a few years now, it has been in the hot Texas sun, and the smell of garbage just seems to be soaked up by the heat. How can I get rid of trash can odors?

— Kelly A., Lubbock, Texas

DEAR KELLY: Take one or two slices of bread and soak them in vinegar. After they are completely soaked, place them on a paper towel and put it in the bottom of your empty trash can. Leave them there overnight, and the next morning, you can remove them. This should help kill that odor

DEAR HELOISE: My wife is from New Orleans and loves to cook. Her dishes are absolutely delicious, but the odor of her cooking can — and does — last for days afterward. I can be sitting in the living room and still smell dinner from two days ago. How can we get rid of those delicious southern spices?

— Frank R., Farrell, Pa.

DEAR FRANK: Scented candles can help, but so can taking a fresh furnace filter and adding a few drops of essential oils to the top side of the filter. Then just place it back in the furnace. When the furnace turns on with heat or cool air, the scent of the essential oils will fill the whole house.

DEAR HELOISE: I have a chest of drawers that is a family heirloom. My great-grandfather made it by hand as a wedding gift for my grandmother. It’s really beautiful, and I’m proud to have it in my home office. The only problem is that all of the drawers seem to stick together, and it’s become difficult to move a drawer in and out. What should I do to make the drawers move with ease as they once did?

— Ava M., Harrodsburg, Ky.

DEAR AVA: Take a wax candle and rub it along both sides of the runners, which are located in the middle on the underside of the bottom of each drawer. Also, run candle wax along the bottom edges of each drawer. This will help keep those drawers from sticking.

DEAR HELOISE: I always save the potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag. I mix them up in a dip of almost any kind, and it makes a nice crunchy dip for cut-up vegetables or other various chips.

— Misty J., Albuquerque, N.M.