Sticky sticker solution

Q. Hi, Bon! May I ask for some tips on how to remove stickers from clothing that has already been washed? You see I forgot to remove the sticker that I had put on my blouse during the rally. The washer didn’t know that there was a sticker when she washed it and now there’s still some sticky residue left. - Bopeep Ladrido, Iloilo City

A. If your blouse is white and your laundry woman used hot water to wash it, this may have "set" the sticky stain to the fabric, making it more difficult to remove. Still, there’s no harm in trying to scrape off the residual sticker gum. Using an old toothbrush, apply some hair spray or nail polish remover (which acts as a solvent) and brush off the stained area. For an effective commercial goo stain remover, visit our cool product section at http://www.whollymollytips.com/CPL.htm or click on "Library" and find it under "Home care Tools." Good luck!

* * * More Info On Dry Cleaning At Home

b>Q. Please give me more info and costing of the dry-cleaning pads that you mentioned in your Aug. 10, 2000 column. Thanks! - Cora Claudio

A. It may be more convenient for you to visit our product library on our website. Just click on "Library" and find our "Home Care Tools." For more product queries, e-mail us at order@whollymollytips.com.

* * * Thanks And Here’s My Share

Q. Congratulations on gaining such a wide readership through your very popular column in the Philippine STAR! I’d like to share some useful tips to all your readers. These tips have been helpful to me:

• Use an empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords in. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what it’s for.

• Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag dipped in baking soda works wonderfully! Permanent marker stains (like store receipt blue ink) on appliances/counter tops can be removed with rubbing alcohol.

• Blood stains on clothes? Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a piece of clean cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

• Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get the outside windows really clean. Don’t wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

• Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

• Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.

• Candles will last longer if placed in the freezer prior to burning.

• To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously so the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking new! Works like a charm! - Laurence T., Australia

A. Thanks, dear reader! These tips will certainly help a lot of our readers, the bloodstain tip in particular. We receive a lot requests for getting rid of biological stains and hydrogen peroxide really does work wonders on these types of blots.

* * * Help! I’ve Tried It All

Q. Please tell me how to get rid of the stray cats that poop in my garden. From the advice of a friend who owns a garden shop, I’ve put plastic bottles filled with water, planted lantana, and scattered pepper on the grass. But the cats just keep coming back and doing their thing! I can’t even enjoy my garden anymore... Help!!! - Carlos San Pedro

A. We’ve made the exact same suggestions to other readers who have been driven mad by stray animals in their backyards! I wonder, though, if you’ve been scattering enough pepper to keep them away. Try more of the same things you’re already doing, but add another measure: get a dog! Although getting canine protection can pose other types of domestic problems, make sure you train the pooch not to dig up your garden. Good luck!

* * * Taming The Naughty Rottie

Q.Hi Molly! Believe it or not, my husband was the one who insisted I e-mail you for help. He got a Rottie some months back, and boy, the dog messed things up. Anyway, can you please advise us on what to do to prevent our house from smelling like a doghouse? The Rottie stays inside the house because my husband wants the dog to be familiar with my kids. As much as we try to train the Rottie to do her thing outside the house, sometimes it can’t be avoided. Hope to hear from you very soon. Thanks! God Bless! - Gin, K-Shop

A. Someone has to be diligent enough to keep an eye on your new house pet (at least during the training period), watch where she does her "thing," and clean up immediately afterwards. This means washing with a cleaning agent and disinfecting solution as well. Although you may not catch every single place (sometimes, you may find she goes underneath a table or behind a cabinet) and may go for inconspicuous locations, you’ll eventually find a pattern of movement. Having a pet inside the house can be a task, but it also just means a period of adjustment for everyone who lives there, including Ms. Rottie!

* * *

Browse our cool tips @ www.whollymollytips.com/tips.htm. Try our easy recipes @ www.whollymollytips.com/Recipe_Cache.htm. Join the exchange community @ www.whollymollytips.com/listbot.htm.