Proper care for good silverware

DEAR READERS: With the holidays coming soon, you may be holding family gatherings and getting out the good silverware for those parties. Use these hints when washing.

Clean sterling silverware by hand in hot, soapy water. Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth. You also can put it into the dishwasher, but if the sterling silver is old or valuable, be cautious because the detergent could discolor it with long-term use. Never put hollow-handled pieces into the dishwasher. If you have silver-plate, you can put it into the dishwasher, but remove before the drying cycle and dry with a soft towel. Never place silverware pieces next to stainless-steel f latware in the same basket in the dishwasher. Over time, this can remove the silver.

DEAR HELOISE: With the upcoming holiday events, I will have to wrap a large number of presents for my extended family. Wrapping paper is so expensive. Do you have any ideas for me to reuse stuff I have in my house?

— Deborah from Michigan DEAR DEBORAH: Rip out the sheets from unused coloring books or school artwork to wrap gifts for relatives. Save the color comics pages from the newspaper for children’s presents. Repurpose a scarf that you are no longer using for a girlfriend’s gift. Wrap packages with large pretty scraps of leftover fabric.