Hints from Heloise

Mon., June 4, 2007

The Spokesman-Review

Dear Heloise: When bringing home groceries one day, the milk leaked. I didn’t have time to clean it up at that moment, so you can imagine the smell in my car that greeted me the next day.

I tried everything to get that smell out. I remembered vinegar and tried a diluted solution first. It helped, but I could still smell it. So, I poured straight vinegar on the spot, waited about 10 minutes and blotted it up with clean, white rags. I did it again the next day, and the smell was totally gone. – Lori, Staunton, Va.

Don’t you love plain old household vinegar? Vinegar has amazing odor-busting qualities. Another vinegar hint? To deodorize T-shirts that have been stored and smell musty, simply soak in 1 part vinegar and 2 parts water for 20 to 30 minutes, then wash and dry. – Heloise

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