Dear Heloise:I have a 100 percent heavy cotton T-shirt that has turquoise beading on the front. Some stains got onto the white part of the shirt, and I used droppers full of straight bleach on them. The spots came out, but now I have YELLOW SPOTS where I bleached. How can I get them out? — Lea, via fax
Lea, we checked with our friends at the International Fabricare Institute, and here is what they had to say:
First, it is important to be sure that all of the bleach has been thoroughly rinsed from the fabric. Apply a few drops of white vinegar to the yellow spots, and allow it to remain on the fabric for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
You also could try bringing the shirt to your dry cleaner, who might have a professional product that could be more effective in removing the yellow spots. Be sure to point out all the spots, so the dry cleaner can mark them and deal with them appropriately.
Neither of the above methods might work, but it's certainly worth a try.
For the rest of your laundry, try adding a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse water in your washer to remove detergent buildup. It will leave your laundry soft and fluffy. In fact, a jug of inexpensive vinegar can be used in a ton of ways around the house. For a list of uses, please send $4 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (63 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. And an FYI: The white color in many fabrics is actually a fluorescent dye that can be damaged by chlorine bleach, just as bleach damages other colors. — Heloise
Dear Heloise: I loved the reader's idea to use a bud vase to hold those new large-handled toothbrushes. I don't know why manufacturers haven't changed the toothbrush-holder designs to accommodate the new toothbrush shapes! — D. Boyer, Vienna, Va.
Dear Heloise: I have another method for remembering when to renew or return library books. Because our library has a system for renewing books online, I use the reminder application on my computer. Each day, when I log on to check e-mail, the note is right there on the desktop to remind me when the books are due. — Carol Stabler, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: Here's a hint for easy deviled eggs: Put cooked egg yolks in a zipper-top bag. Seal and mash until they are all broken up. Add the rest of the ingredients, reseal and keep mixing thoroughly. Cut off a corner of the bag and squeeze the mixture into the hollowed-out eggs. Just throw the bag away when done for an easy cleanup.
Also, when you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it in your mixer for a few minutes, because it can double in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount, and you also will eat less sugar/calories per serving. — G.D., via e-mail
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