Dear Heloise: I live in Texas, and there’s no way that I’m going to leave my trash can open to feed any roaches that may have wandered into the house. Also, if I have paper that was wrapped around fish, it’s going to stink whether it gets air or not. What I do is occasionally spray an air freshener that kills odors into the trash can and close it. Problem solved! — Emily M., in Kingwood, Texas
More Household Hints
Dear Heloise:All summer, I grew veggies in my garden. They tasted good, but my brother pointed out that because the plants were so close to the road, they probably picked up lead and cadmium from auto exhaust. Now I’m worried that I may have harmed my family and dinner guests! — Patricia D., in Anaheim, California
Patricia, you can breathe easy now. Lead and cadmium were phased out globally, and in 2021, they were completely eliminated. However, trace amounts of heavy metals like cadmium can still be occasionally found in road runoff, but not from tailpipe emissions. — Heloise
Protecting Plants
Dear Heloise:How thick should mulch be to protect tender plants? — Robert T., in Norcross, Georgia
Robert, coarse material such as straw should be about 4 inches thick. Mulch that’s made of pine and other natural material should be about 3-4 inches, depending on how much frost you usually receive. — Heloise
Lipstick on Collar
Dear Heloise: My brother came for a visit, and as he was leaving, I went to plant a kiss on his cheek. The dog jumped up and knocked me forward, and I planted a kiss right on his white collar. I insisted that he leave his shirt with me, and I’d wash it and mail it back to him. So, how do I get lipstick out of a man’s collar? — Marie G., in Trenton, New Jersey
Marie, here’s what I do to remove lipstick: Rub the stain with cold cream or shortening. Then use 3 drops of liquid dish soap and 2 cups of club soda to wash the collar by hand. If you aren’t happy with the results, wash it again in your regular wash with a 1/2 cup of bleach. Or you might want to take it to your dry cleaners and see what they can do about getting the stain out. — Heloise
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
