×

RSV-peeved!

Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about not sending back an RSVP for seated events.

— Heloise

“Dear Heloise: I recently had a wedding, for which we sent out the invitations four weeks ahead of the event, along with RSVP cards. Sixty-four people said they were coming, but 88 showed up. We sent the RSVP cards because we were having a sit-down dinner for the number who RSVP-ed! We had an evening wedding, which did not include children, and yet people brought small children and infants.

“Have we, as a society, lost our manners? When an RSVP is included in an invitation, you need to reply as soon as possible. If someone’s name is not on the inner envelope of a wedding invitation, then that person is not invited, and that includes children.”

— Mary Ann and Dave K., Washington, D.C.

FAST FACTS

Dear Readers: Here are a few uses for a hair dryer besides just drying hair:

* Use to soften glue on stubborn labels.

* Use to remove dust from artificial flowers.

* Use to dry a wet area of your clothing.

* Use to dry nail polish on toes or hands.

— Heloise

GETTING BELOW THE SURFACE

Dear Heloise: I gently press a hard-boiled egg on a hard surface and roll it back and forth in order to generate mini cracks over the entire shell. Then I take a spoon, with the cup side down, and gently insert it into one of the larger cracks and pry the shell from the egg. Oftentimes, the entire shell will come off with one prying action.

— Ginger S., via email

JUST ASK A PLUMBER

Dear Heloise: My plumber told me to never flush facial tissues down the toilet because they can easily clog the pipes: They’re meant to keep their shape and strength when wet, unlike toilet paper, which is made to dissolve easier when flushed.

— Happy Mom and Grandmom, Centerville, Ohio

WORRIED ABOUT WRINKLES

Dear Heloise: I have a new set of 100 percent cotton sheets, which I washed and rinsed in cold water and hung out to dry. Results? A gazillion wrinkles! What should I do differently to remove all of the wrinkles?

— Old Washer Woman in Rockingham, Va.

Try spritzing the sheets with a light spray of water. First put the pillow in its pillowcase, then lightly spritz with water while holding the pillowcase up by the cuff. Then shake up and down a few times. You can spray the sheets while they hang on the line, then try a little pulling and see if this helps. Otherwise, you’ll have to iron your sheets, because 100 percent cotton usually wrinkles to some extent.

— Heloise

DIRTY TOWELS

Dear Heloise: If soap and water make you clean, why do towels get dirty?

— Alfred D., Tampa, Fla.

Alfred, if you use soap and water properly, the towel won’t get dirty. However, dead skin cells will be rubbed off when you dry yourself. Then there is the matter of towels developing mildew and odor from being damp, so they need to be washed frequently.

— Heloise

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today