Runaway Stockings

Q.Hi Bon! Thanks for your wonderful column! I enjoy reading it a lot! I have lots of stockings with runs. What can I do with them? Throwing them away seems too wasteful, but keeping them consumes too much space. Help, please! Thanks in advance. - Susan Sy, CIS

A. Chances are you’ve had those stockings for quite some time. It’s time to let go of all the stuff that you’ve accumulated over the years and make way for new possessions or just plain, old breathing space.

Discard those old stockings unless you want to use them as potato, camote, onion, or garlic holders (where you knot each section after inserting the root crop) and hang them from a ceiling rack so that you can just snip them off right below the knot whenever you need the vegetables.

I wouldn’t if I were you. It’s easier to just stack them in a hanging mesh basket or on a kitchen shelf.

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Q. Hi there! Do you know of any establishment that recycles? I would like to sell/donate my used papers, cans, bottles, etc. By the way, how should I organize my papers? They’re so cluttered. Also, how to organize shoes and clothes? Thanks and more power! - Jacqueline Roxanne "JR" Rosales

A. Find out if the authorities at your City Hall can identify companies that recycle in your neighborhood. Chances are the office that supervises the garbage collection (usually directly under the Mayor) can refer you to a recycling agency. Ask them for their addresses or contact numbers and inquire about whether they require you to drop off your recyclables or if they can pick them up on a regular basis. On a national level, the Clean and Green Foundation should be able to assist you if you advise them of your location. Separate your newsprint papers from glossy magazines. Typically, the latter is not a common recyclable item due to the film chemicals used to print the glossy pages. Stack your papers knee-high before bundling them up with rope, so that they are easily transported to a recycling truck. Keep plastic crates or corrugated cartons handy in your garage where old, washed bottles and cans can be stored in the meantime. Shoes normally go on a shoe rack so that you avoid accidents that could happen as a result of cluttering your flooring or stairwell. Although shoes benefit from being stored in a dry, cool place (moisture creates a milieu for molds and mildew), the rack can be placed at the bottom of your clothes cabinet so that you can immediately check to see that the shoes you choose to wear complement your apparel. Cotton and linen polo shirts, blouses, blazers, jackets and dresses are wrinkle-sensitive, so they are best stored on hangers. Pants and jeans can also be hung, but a soft carton or protective rubber tubing can be fastened around the hanger to prevent creases from showing up at the pant folds when hung. Cotton jerseys, lingerie, socks, house wear and other undergarments can be folded neatly according to color and arranged according to frequency of use.

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Q. My new shoes are noisy. The repairman does not want to put rubber soles because it is made of plastic and he says it won’t stick. What do I do to remove the noise? - Susan Dala

A. Rubber soles can be fastened to plastic! It’s done all the time, so ask another shoe repairman if he has the necessary tools (i.e., shoe glue) to attach rubber to plastic shoes. Shoe squeaking is a sign that your shoes are brand spanking new and need breaking in for a while before they are silenced. Since they are rubber, rub them down with some oil to eliminate the squeaks. If this doesn’t work, have a little patience before they wear themselves out.

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Q. My clothes have brown-black fungus spots on the collar. I have tried soaking them in hydrogen peroxide, but the stains won’t go away. What should I do? - Dr. Lilibeth C. David, DOH

A. Those brown-black fungi are most probably mildew spores that have developed due to storage in a moisture-heavy clothing cabinet. It’s best to air-dry the clothes to allow them to breathe. To launder the clothing, try a strong detergent or plain vinegar. Soak overnight and brush off the spores with an old toothbrush the following day. I believe hydrogen peroxide is most effective for bloodstains.

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Q. How do you remove paint from black leather shoes? Actually, they’re just spots of white paint on my shoes, but still they’re noticeable. Thanks! - Dexter P. Pasion, i - Bank

A. If the paint spots have already dried up, try to chip off what you can with a dull-edged knife. If you’re lucky, the knife should be able to remove every trace of the dried up paint. Be careful so as not to scrape of the colored dye of your shoe. For the remaining paint residue, paint thinner should be able to do the trick.