DEAR HELOISE: I'm using cloth diapers to help save money. do you have any hints for cleaning them? Thanks!

– Andrea Z., Union, N.J.

DEAR ANDREA: Many young mothers are going back to basics and using cloth diapers. You even can get a diaper cleaning service to pick up soiled ones once a week. Check the prices versus doing them yourself.

Here are hints on washing cloth diapers:

• Don't put more than 30 diapers in a load (check your washer's capacity), or they won't wash or rinse properly. Also, try a second rinse.

• To deodorize dirty diapers between washings: Remove solid waste and soak diapers in a presoak solution. You can make one by mixing 1 gallon of water with a few drops of liquid laundry detergent and 1 tablespoon of household bleach.

• When you are ready to launder, just dump the solution and all the items into the washing machine and set it on a spin cycle. This is much easier than taking each diaper from the pail and wringing it out by hand.

• Don't let dirty diapers or liners sit unwashed for more than three days. A week is too long, and stains will set in.

• Invest in a tightly sealed diaper pail. Some of the new ones are fantastic and have odor filters in the lid.

DEAR HELOISE: Here is a ditty my mother told me to avoid a dishcloth getting moldy: Rinse it in hot, then rinse it in cold, and you'll never get any nasty old mold! It works!

– Kathy Davidson,

Columbus, Ohio

DEAR HELOISE: I am a mother who loves to keep almost everything my 2-year-old son brings home from school that he makes. Instead of putting all of his work in a box, I bought page protectors and made a book out of his work by putting them into a three-ring binder. This keeps it neat, and it is an easy way to go back and look through it. I also keep empty page protectors in the book so I can just slide things right in as he brings them home, and they don't pile up in other places.

– Lisa, Amory, Miss.

DEAR HELOISE: While at the pool, I keep my hearing aid dry and protected by placing it in a handy pill container. I label it and tuck it into my beach bag. A hearing aid is quite expensive, so this is a good way to protect it.

– Betty Ruger,

Ballston Spa, N.Y.

DEAR READERS: Many of you have stainless-steel sinks, and we get lots of questions about how to care for them. So here are the Heloise hints:

• Do not clean with harsh or abrasive detergents.

• Don't use greasy or oily rags to clean sink.

• Wipe sink down regularly with baby, mineral or vegetable oil.

• Spray sink with a mixture of white vinegar and water, and buff dry.

• During and after cleaning, always rinse with lots of water.

• Don't use muriatic acid (or any cleaners like tile or grout cleaner that contain it), since it causes dark stains that you can't remove.

• Don't clean with chlorine bleach or use any cleaners that have it as an ingredient.

For more information on keeping your stainless-steel sinks looking new, check out the Specialty Steel Industry of North America's Web site at www.ssina.com.

DEAR HELOISE: I use my business card on my luggage tags. In addition to increased security, this also provides an 800 number for easier contact. In case you are retired or not working, a relative may be an alternative resource.

– Peter, Scotch Plains, N.J.

DEAR HELOISE: I found that the cheapest way to clean glass-top stoves is to wet a sponge or dishrag, then dip it in baking soda.

Rinse and wipe dry with paper towels. It gets off burnt-on spills with little effort.

– Toni Lynch, via e-mail

DEAR TONI: Baking soda is one of my favorite, environmentally safe products to use instead of expensive cleaners! For a multitude of money-saving hints using baking soda, order my six-page Heloise's Baking Soda Hints and Recipes pamphlet by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (61 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Baking Soda, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. FYI: When baking soda is made into a paste for cleaning, it won't scratch most surfaces.

DEAR HELOISE: I have four boys; the youngest are 3 and 2. Their favorite activity is playing outside in the water. Every time I turn around, they're outside turning on the faucet.

I found that one of the round, plastic doorknob safety latches that cover the knob keeps little ones from turning the handle. It fits right over the handle of the faucet.

– Renee

Morningstar-Wallace, Springfield, Ohio

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Send a great hint to Heloise, P.O. 79500, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.