Director’s chairs double as luggage racks

DEAR HELOISE: Besides director’s chairs serving as extra chairs, take off the back strap and put down the sides — they make an excellent luggage rack for the guest bedroom. I look forward to your hints; they are the best! — Diane in Florida

DEAR READERS: Other uses for old pillowcases:

Use to protect hanging clothes.

Place on a pet’s favorite sleeping spot to catch hair. Store extra sheets in one. Use as a travel laundry bag. Make into a sewing-machine cover. — Heloise DEAR HELOISE: I pack a small, plastic, empty spray bottle in my suitcase when I travel. When I get to my hotel, I fill it with water. If any of my clothes have wrinkles, I spray them lightly and then use the hair dryer on them to remove the wrinkles. — Kenny in Oklahoma

DEAR KENNY: Good travel (and at home) green hint. It certainly saves water, since you don’t have to run the shower in the bathroom to create steam to “unwrinkle” clothes! — Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: Since it is summer and we will be using our deck more, could you please reprint your hint on how to clean a deck? — Nicole in Tennessee

DEAR NICOLE: I would be happy to reprint it.

Mix 1 cup liquid laundry detergent (the regular kind) and 1 gallon hot water. Apply to the deck with a softbristled brush or push broom and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat if necessary. Some stains may need a little extra scrubbing.

If your deck is made of composite material, check with the manufacturer, just to be safe, for specific cleaning instructions. — Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: Do you have any hints for how to clean a mop? I can never seem to get mine clean between uses. — Pamela in Indiana

DEAR PAMELA: Cleaning mops between uses is important — you don’t want to clean with a dirty mop! For mops without a detachable head, fill a bucket with hot, soapy water. Dunk the mop head in the water and swish it around until the dirt and debris are loosened. Then rinse in clean water. If the mop head comes off, simply remove it and wash in the washing machine on the delicate cycle.

Need to clean a feather duster? Place it in a bag of cornstarch, hold the bag closed and shake. Remove the feather duster and shake until the cornstarch is gone. — Heloise

Would you like to know how to clean your other cleaning tools? Or the recipes for my homemade cleaning solutions? Just order my pamphlet Heloise’s Homemade Cleaning Solutions. Send $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (66 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Cleaners, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 782795001.

DEAR HELOISE: My husband has a whole bunch of golf towels. They have a grommet (or hole) in the corner that has a hook so he can attach them to his golf bag. Since he has so many, I took one that matched my décor for the kitchen. I can clip it to the oven or refrigerator handle, and it is always handy when I need it. — Brenda, via email

DEAR BRENDA: I love this! I’m going to buy a set just for the kitchen, and then they won’t “go MIA” to any another part of the house. — Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I have a hint for when cooking broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and even poaching salmon. I rinse and trim a stalk of celery, cut it into thirds and add it to my liquids. It eliminates the cooking odors and does not impart a celery flavor to what I am cooking. I don’t know how, but it really does work. — M.D., via email

DEAR M.D.: Many readers add different things such as lemon slices to the water to avoid the odor, but this is the first I’ve heard of celery. I tested this when cooking some fresh broccoli, and it did seem to help. And then there is my classic hint of setting a bowl of vinegar on the counter and turning the exhaust fan on while cooking odorous vegetables.

Have you ever wondered what causes the odor? It’s the gas that is released as the vegetables are cooked. The longer the vegetables are cooked, the stronger the odor becomes, so, if you can, try less cooking time and see if there is less odor. — Heloise

DEAR HELOISE: I work in a small office. We keep a dry-erase board up on the wall. On the board, we post a description of the items we have that we no longer want or items we are looking for. It is amazing how many times one of us has an item someone else wants, or is giving away something that another person needs. It’s our own recycling program. — K.M. in Georgia