Cleaning a flat-screen TV

Red wine stains on tablecloth

Dear Heloise: We had a fun dinner party, and one of my guests spilled a glass of red wine on my tablecloth. How can I remove the stain? — Maureen from New Jersey

Dear Maureen: This is a common occurrence at parties! If the tablecloth is washable, here’s how to remove the stain:

■ When the wine is spilled, try to deal with it as soon as you can. Pour a healthy amount of salt or artificial sweetener over the wine spill and pat it in. This will absorb the liquid.

■ Place the tablecloth in cold water to remove more of the red stain.

■ Soak the tablecloth for 30 minutes in an enzyme detergent and cold water.

■ Launder as you usually do. When the stain is gone, put the tablecloth in the dryer.

— Heloise

Smelly feet and shoes

Dear Heloise: Several members of my family have stinky shoes and/ or smelly feet. What can I do to help them reduce the odor? — Susan from Los Angeles

Dear Susan: As long as the odor is not caused by a medical condition, they can try these hints:

■ Always wash feet thoroughly and dry completely.

■ To remove the smell, apply an antibacterial soap or soak feet in household vinegar for five minutes at night.

■ Spritz feet with deodorant before putting on socks.

■ Airing out shoes and pouring a bit of baking soda inside also will help neutralize odors.

— Heloise

Quick rice cereal treats

Dear Readers: If you have children dropping by your house after school, you can make these favorite kid snacks quickly.

First, melt miniature marshmallows. Mix the rice cereal with the melted marshmallow cream.

Butter a pan and press this mixture into it.

If your children like the treats cool, place the pan in the refrigerator for a short time. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise. com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.