DEAR HELOISE: The suggestion about the wire brush was a good one. I use metal scrubbers on my pots, which also shed, so I wipe the pots with a dish cloth after cleaning, just in case.

Not bagging fruits and vegetables does not take into account that the person handling them at the register also handles money, meat and chemicals that have been placed on the conveyor belt, and the bags keep the items together making for easier handling. I save my cleaned bags and reuse them.

ID tags should only have your phone number on them, never an address, which can open you up to theft. I always look forward to reading your hints in some of the magazines and newspapers I have access to.

DEAR HELOISE: Regarding closet clothes that have been worn once, and want to be worn again, before laundering, I just face the hanger the opposite way that the clean clothes hangers are facing. Works for me.

-- J.S., Glendora, via email

DEAR READERS: To remove most fresh stains left by deodorants and antiperspirants, rub clothes with undiluted white vinegar, and then launder as usual, using the hottest water safe for fabric.

FYI: To help make most rice fluffy, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the cooking water.

DEAR HELOISE: I finally got so tired of not finding black stuff in my black-lined purse, computer bag or carry-on bags (even the black car console) that out of desperation, I started marking the black cases with colored electrical tape. I would suggest bright orange or bright yellow.

-- Barbara Colman, via email

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email

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