Warm no-wool socks for cold days
Answer Angel
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: The recent cold snap has resulted in a recurring problem for my frigid feet. I am looking for warm over-the-calf socks. I’ve searched online and have found only ones made of merino wool. I am very sensitive to wool. The ones made of cotton don’t seem to be warm enough. Any suggestions?
— Vicki C.
Dear Vicki: While wool socks are the ones most commonly recommended for ultimate warmth, there are good options:
Uniqlo Ribbed Socks or Toe Socks (cotton/nylon/ spandex/polyester, uniqlo. com, 3 for $12.90)
Ugg Leda Cozy Crew Socks (polyester/elastane, ugg.com, $25)
Ribbed Crew Socks (polyester/Spandex, Nordstrom.com, $18)
Brother Vellies Cloud Sock (all cotton, brother vellies.com, $35)
Pendleton National Park Stripe Crew Socks (cotton/ polyester/Spandex, $12.50, Pendleton-usa.com)
Layeba Waterproof Socks (nylon/elastane, $22.99 and up, amazon. com)
Randy Sun Waterproof Skiing Socks (nylon/elastane, $26.49, amazon.com)
Dear Answer Angel: I have a lot of clothes I would like to get rid of for a small amount for each garment. Do you have some ideas?
— Sarah H.
Dear Sarah: You can sell them on sites like eBay. com, poshmark.com and mercari.com. But you will likely discover that this is more trouble than it’s worth, since you’re looking
for just a few dollars per item. If the clothes are stylish with good labels, a consignment store might be the way to go for more cash. Or, donate them to a charity and take a tax deduction.
Angelic Readers 1
Many readers want to help Linda L., who was having no luck getting moisturizer stains out of her pillowcase. They recommend Dawn dish soap (walmart.com, drugstores, groceries, under $4). Caroline A. says, “First time I used it was on oil-based salad dressing a waitress spilled on a brand-new jacket and it worked wonders.” Geri A. says. “Drizzle Dawn on a stain, rub it on a little and toss in the wash. Works great!” Nancy W. says let Dawn sit on the stain overnight. Nancy also likes Goop Multi-Purpose Hand Cleaner, which also works on washable fabrics (Lowes, lowes.com, $3.98). Mary W. is a big Dawn fan. Kay N. writes, “I have long used a product called Greased Lightening (Home Depot, homedepot.com, $3.68): “I’ve used it on blood, all greasebased stains, mascara,
makeup. Sometimes a little elbow grease is also needed and I’ll throw on some Dawn just because, then scrub with an old toothbrush.”
Angelic Readers 2
Sandy L. says, “Apropos of your recent column about towels that aren’t very absorbent, I suggest that you add that if readers are complaining that their towels aren’t absorbent
— dish towels, too — let them know that fabric softener coats the fibers and reduces absorbency.”
Reader Rant
Nancy D. complains about “impossible-to-read ‘lines’ on laundry soap caps, forcing you to dump way too much detergent into the washer rather than using the correct amount. Of course, this is exactly what they want you to do.”