The Shadow
Dear Heloise: I have a 92-year-old CEDAR CHEST that was my mother’s, and my granddaughter would like to have it. It is a beautiful piece of furniture, but the problem is that through the years, the cedar aroma has turned rancid.
I have tried leaving the chest open for a couple of weeks in fresh air, and I added baking soda, leaving the chest both closed and open. I also tried a fabric refresher. I thought maybe sanding it would restore the cedar aroma, but I am afraid to try.
If possible, I would like to eliminate any fragrance at all. I was hoping you might have some ideas; my granddaughter and I welcome your thoughts. — Ann in California
Hi, Ann. Completely eliminating any cedar fragrance? That is a challenge. Normally, cedar would not give off a rancid smell unless it had absorbed the scent of something stored in it or something the chest was treated with.
This question stumped Heloise Central, as well as a leading cedar-chest manufacturer! Removing mildew and mothball smells has been addressed, as well as refreshing the cedar scent, but never how to eliminate the cedar smell entirely from storage chests. You might try wiping the insides with my beloved vinegar on a cloth.
If cleaning and lightly sanding the inside of the chest do not help, then your last resort is to seal in the odor by using an oil-based primer on the interior. Then paint the inside with latex paint.
Contact an auction house or antiques dealer prior to painting the chest to find out about any depreciation in value of the chest. Good luck. — Heloise
PET PAL
Dear Readers: Catherine C. of Lansing, Ill., sent in a picture of her adorable black-and-white Chihuahua, Piccolo. Piccolo understands Italian and knows 12 animal toys by name. Catherine says that “Piccolo” means “little” in Italian. Fine, but how do you say “adorable” in Italian? To see Piccolo and our other Pet Pals, visit www. Heloise.com and click on the “Pets” link. — Heloise
DIRTY DISHCLOTH
Dear Heloise: I noticed a friend of mine toss her wadded-up dishcloth in the upper rack of her dishwasher before running it. I have tried this, and it works really well in keeping the dishcloth clean and fresh. — Betsy in Maryland
Betsy, be careful. The cloth can come loose and get caught in the dishwasher. Secure the cloth if you use this hint. — Heloise
SELF-GRIPPING FABRIC TAPE
Dear Heloise: What can you do to get self-gripping fabric tape to stick again on shoes? — A Reader, via email
Easy answer! Clean the lint out of the fabric tape. Use a small crochet hook or an old, stiff toothbrush to gently clean out the debris. (The closures getting clogged usually is what keeps the tape from sticking properly.)
Also, pressing the two sides together when not wearing the shoes will help prevent lint from building up. — Heloise
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise(at)Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.
(c)2011 by King Features Syndicate Inc.
