Dear Ellen,
Well,
we had our first cook-out disaster. It seems “someone” (as in my new husband) forgot to screw on the mustard cap and when
I went to put it on my hotdog, the entire bottle of mustard spilled
all over my new white blouse. I have been told nothing
takes out mustard. If anyone can do it, you can! - Carrie
Dear “Cook-out Flop” Carrie,
Yes, mustard is a
tough stain, but it can come out For mustard stains on white
clothing, take a denture-cleaning tablet and add it to 1/2 cup of
cool water. Then dip the spot into the cup and let soak until
the stain disappears. May take more than one tablet, depending
on how large the stain is. Something to remember: Never
use ammonia on mustard this is a FALSE old wives tale and it will
destroy the article of clothing! Want to break your new husband
of this bad habit? Tell him if he ever leaves a loose top on
a condiment or soda bottle again at dinnertime, there will be no “loose
tops” for his dessert. He’ll get the message!
Dear Ellen,
My
dog’s breath is horrible, what can I do? - Denise in Vermont
Dear
“Dog-Breath” Denise,
I know you won’t believe this, but here it is:
Cut up a garlic clove and give your dog a small piece of the garlic.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t smell like garlic on his breath, but eliminates
bad breath on the animal. Remember, Denise, this is for Fido
only, don’t try this on yourself before a big date or you may find
yourself being treated like a dog.
Dear Ellen,
I have very oily hair, and there are so many expensive things out there to buy, any suggestions? Jenny in Iowa
Many years ago my mother told us
what to use on our hair, I used to think she couldn't afford shampoo,
but in any case it worked and still does.
Instead of using regular
shampoo, use lemon dish soap. It absorbs all the oil and the lemon
also lightens hair. Don't forget to condition after washing
though.
Dear Ellen,
My roommate in the dorm says he can’t stand
the way my sneakers smell. He’s a computer nerd and I’m an athlete
so he doesn’t understand that’s just how it is when guys play sports. I’m writing to you because he talks about your column all the time. Could you please tell him to get over it? Thanks. - Jack
at the University of CA
Dear “Jock” Jack,
Rooming with a computer nerd,
huh? What’s a poor jock to do? Try accommodating his needs
so he will help you with your homework for one thing! Also, be thankful, at least he won’t be stealing your girlfriend (unless
your life is based on a romantic comedy with a Hollywood ending). Anyway, I have a solution. Before putting your shoes or sneakers
away, put a fabric softener sheet in them. The computer nerd
will breathe easy (while he works on your term paper) and the earlier
mentioned girlfriend will be willing to spend more time in your dorm
if it doesn’t smell like a locker room. For the rest of my readers,
this fabric softener sheet trick also works great on purses, briefcases
and luggage.
Dear Ellen,
We had a party last night
and it got too wild, my friend spilled red wine on my new white carpet. I want to cry! Everything I use on the stain makes it worse.
What can I do? - Wendy
Dear “Off-White”
Wendy,
Perhaps the next time you are having a toga party and
all your friends are ready to squash the grapes barefoot on your new
carpet, you may want to think of putting down some plastic.
Alas, you opted to go the old-fashioned route and apparently some
of your would-be Roman soldiers soiled the carpet. Pour a generous
amount of salt over the entire wine stain. Let it sit a while
and then vacuum - the salt will soak up the wine.
Dear Ellen,
Some
young man in my daughter’s chemistry class stuck gum on her chair
as a joke. Now it’s affixed to her skirt, how can I get it off? - Jolene in Joplin, MO
Dear “Mother Hen” Jolene
If your daughter is
taking chemistry, she must be a high a school student. She should
be doing her own laundry and her own letter writing. Also, when
a young man “plays jokes” on a young lady, well, there is sure to
be some chemistry in the works, indeed. Now that I've scolded
you, here's the solution to your dilemma: Put the skirt in the
freezer over night. By morning, the gum is frozen and it will
snap off. This also works on shoes.
Dear Ellen,
I
like to make pancakes for breakfast but no matter what I use it’s
so messy… any suggestions as to how to get them to come out right at home like they do at restaurants?
- William in Dallas
Dear “Perfect Pancake” William,
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