Vinegar goes to the mat to clean tu
DEAR HELOISE »
My wife wanted to wash some SMELLY DOORMATS in our washer with a steel tub that, over the years, had become dingy.
She washed the mats and put vinegar in the washer to soak. To our surprise, the inside of the washing machine is now shiny, thanks to the vinegar.
— Bud M., via email
DEAR BUD M. »
Bud, here’s a Heloise high-five for you! The acid in the vinegar and the scrubbing action of the doormats worked together to “polish” and clean the tub of your washer!
Vinegar is a workhorse around the house. Cheap, safe, readily available and versatile, it’s often my go-to for cleaning quandaries. I’ve compiled my favorite hints, helps and recipes involving vinegar in a handy pamphlet. Would you like to receive one? It’s easy! Visit my updated website, Heloise.com, to order, or send a long, stamped (70 cents), selfaddressed envelope, along with $5, to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. Pair heated vinegar with baking soda for a bubbly, scrubbly clean!
Dear Heloise >> Why are most queen-size blankets, quilts and comforters made square (90 by 90) when the mattresses are 60 by 80? They are too short to cover the end of the mattress, especially now with the thicker models of mattresses.
— Sharon H., via email
DEAR SHARON H. »
Good question, Sharon. Manufacturers?
Dear Heloise >> My husband doesn’t get cold, but I do! I needed a lightweight blanket only for my side of our bed, and nothing was working right.
I took an extra flat sheet, folded it in half lengthwise and tucked it in between the top sheet and quilt on my side. It’s just the right weight and doesn’t slide.
— Mary H., via email
DEAR MARY H. »
HEADS-UP FOR RESTAURANT OWNERS
DEAR HELOISE » Please tell restaurant owners: It would be nice if they had at least one or two vegan items on the menu besides a salad and a baked potato. Maybe a rice dish or a vegetable burger?
Also, we could not find a restaurant open on Thanksgiving that served anything vegan.
— Doris R., Middletown, Ohio
DEAR DORIS R. »
Great points: more vegan variety, and a Thanksgiving vegan-friendly menu! Happy to spread the word.
P.S. Readers, in case you didn’t know, a vegan is someone who does not eat or use animal products in any way.
Dear Heloise >> Some gyms sell overpriced “workout towels” that have the gym’s logo on one side and are solid white on the other.
I buy kitchen towels, which are a lot cheaper and cuter. I find them with floral patterns, etc., but again, the pattern is only on one side.
I prefer these to solid towels because, for sanitation purposes, I keep track of which side I put down on a workout seat and which side I keep facing my body.
— Maureen A. in San Diego
DEAR HELOISE »
I crochet baby blankets to donate to our neonatal intensive care unit. I found that after a while, the aluminum hooks would leave a black mark on my fingers. I put clear fingernail polish on the hook where my fingers made contact, and no more black marks!
— Crochet G-Ma, via email