Dear Heloise: Do you have a recipe for cleaning gold jewelry? I had several pieces cleaned by a jeweler in another state who did it in one afternoon. It was a beautiful job. Now I would like to try to do it myself. — Ellen Knowles, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Dear Ellen: I have a simple and cheap way for you to make jewelry cleaner. Just mix equal parts of sudsy ammonia and water, soak your gold or diamond jewelry in it for a few minutes, then gently brush away the built-up dirt with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Rinse very well with warm water, but don’t hold the jewelry over the drain! Use a small bowl or cup your hand.
For a great final touch, immerse the jewelry in rubbing alcohol and then buff with a soft, clean cloth. You can store any leftover cleaner you may have in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, but be sure to label it correctly. — Heloise
Caution: Do not use this solution on porous stones such as pearls, opals, coral, turquoise, malachite, lapis lazuli, amber and jade.
Dear Heloise: For years, I had purchased a very expensive shampoo to remove buildup from hard water, hair spray and hair gel. One day I happened to notice that one of the main ingredients of this salon-purchased shampoo was bicarbonate of soda (baking soda).
The following simple experiment with household baking soda resulted in a great deal of savings by allowing me to purchase the most inexpensive shampoos and still achieve the same great results.
I placed baking soda in a plastic jar (with a plastic lid) and brought it into the shower. I worked shampoo into my wet hair, added a small amount of baking soda and worked it all into a lather. The result was an extremely thick, luxuriant shampoo that rinsed out immediately and left my hair squeaky clean and extremely shiny. — Joy Carlson, Kingsford, Mich.
Dear Heloise: Regarding tagging suitcases, I paint a flower or other design on mine and then sign my name and town. Even if someone has a similar suitcase, you can tell at a glance that it is yours. Design your own. Nobody else will do exactly the same — acrylic paints and a paintbrush will do the job. — Lucy Lindler, Irmo, S.C.
Note From Heloise: As a safety precaution, you may want to use only your first name or initials and city or state. You don’t want too much info out there in plain view for the bad guys to use.
Send hints to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000 or fax to 210-435-6473.
