DEAR HELOISE: Do you know how to remove the musty smell from books? We have a nice set of atlases, maybe 15 or 20 years old. They were never in a basement or anything, but they have a very musty smell.
– Eric, via e-mail
DEAR ERIC: Your question is a great one, since many of us (me included, I love books!) have wonderful old books. If a book smells musty, many times it is just age. Sprinkle a little cornstarch or baking soda throughout the dry pages and place the book in a sealable plastic bag. Let sit for about a week, then brush out the powder. Repeat for stubborn smells.
Don't use baking soda on antique or damp books, because it is sodium bicarbonate, which might harm old paper.
Also, older, heavy or large books should be stacked flat. If stored standing, the weight may eventually crack the spine and damage the pages of the books.
DEAR HELOISE: I enjoy reading your hints. Here are uses for the neon dot stickers:
• Put on DVDs/movies as a way to show at a glance appropriate ages: green for children, red for violence, etc. Make sure the family knows what the colors signify.
• Mark plugs/cords and the items they belong to.
• Help those with sight problems by placing dots on hangers for like items, etc.
• Use to mark medicine items in a first-aid kit.
– Sarah McCoy, Hammond, Ind.
DEAR HELOISE: I was ripping out a seam with a seam ripper, and you know how the threads are hard to pick out? I had a lint roller and used it for the threads. It picked them up like magic!
– Norma S. Thompson, Snyder, Texas
DEAR HELOISE: I was trying to change key rings and did not want to ruin my nails. I spotted my staple remover and used it to open the ring. The keys slipped off easily.
– A Texas reader
DEAR HELOISE: I have hundreds of self-sticking address labels. I was ready to toss them when I thought of sending them to our daughters to use when they mail us something.
– Ana Moritz, Chanhassen, Minn.
DEAR ANA: The U.S. Postal Service recommends that the print on address labels be at least 8 points or larger. (This is 9.6-point type). So, very small labels shouldn't be used.
DEAR HELOISE: Our city provides pickup of recyclable items placed in a bin. Of course, the bin is not suitable inside the house, so we keep it in the garage. To help reduce the number of times we have to walk to the garage to put items in the bin, I bought a decorative basket with handles and placed it on the kitchen counter to hold recyclable containers. Now we go only when the basket becomes full.
– Cheryl, Fayetteville, Ark.
DEAR HELOISE: I put a little lemon extract in the liquid-hand-soap bottle for a refreshing smell.
– Joyce L. Hauk, Kingsport, Tenn.
DEAR READERS: When traveling, I use the smaller travel-size toiletries. Most of these can be refilled, including the small tubes of toothpaste. Just align the opening of a full larger tube with that of the empty smaller tube, since the openings are the same size.
Gently squeeze the larger tube as the paste transfers. When the paste starts to come out of the sides, separate the two tubes and gently tap to help release air bubbles, making room for more toothpaste. You can buy the economy-size toiletries to refill the smaller travel size when needed.
Send a great hint to Heloise, P.O. 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
