Dear Heloise: I’m 90 years old, and I’ve been saving bits of soap for years and wondered if you could tell me a way to process and use them again. Soap was hard to come by earlier in my life, so I hate to throw them out.

I read your column daily. — Helen K., Lawndale, California

Helen, if these were bars of soap, I’d recommend donating them to a battered women’s shelter or a charity for homeless people. However, you mention that these are “bits” of soap, which I take to mean tiny pieces. Those are hard to use because of their small size; I imagine them to be similar to the pieces that are left when we get down to the end of a bar of soap.

If that is the case, I highly recommend throwing it out. Over time, bacteria accumulates on those pieces of soap, and it could contain bacteria from other people besides yourself. Your generosity and thoughtfulness are certainly commendable, but perhaps the next time you have one of these tiny pieces of soap, you can sort of press it into a new bar of soap. — Heloise

WHITE CLOTHES BECOME GRAY

Dear Heloise: I have a newer washing machine that only uses cold water and has an agitator that is not as vigorous as the one on my previous washer.

Even though I use “heavy 10x duty” pads and chlorine bleach on my white clothes, my white and lightly colored clothes come out so disappointing because my old washer with hot water and vigorous agitation produced the proper results. Any hints to help me? — L.Y., Vienna, Ohio

L.Y., you may want to try one of these solutions: Add 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide along with the detergent to your washing machine and run the cycle. Do not use fabric softener in the rinse cycle.

Another method is to soak your whites in borax — 1 tablespoon for each gallon of water. Soak your whites for 30 minutes. (I usually do this in my kitchen sink or bathtub.) Then, after soaking, wash as you usually do, and do not use fabric softener in the rinse cycle.

So, what causes this graying? That dingy gray is often the result of too much detergent, fabric softener and scent enhancers building up in the fabric. If you have hard water, you can also have limescale buildup in your towels, sheets and clothing. — Heloise

PAINT SPLATTER

Dear Heloise: I get paint splatter all over my clothes and even in my hair when I paint. What can I do to minimize this problem? — Janet D., Omaha, Nebraska

Janet, I had the very same problem, but I figured it out. First, get an apron made of a very thick material. (You can usually find something like that at a hardware store.) Keep this if you like painting or plan to do more painting in the future.

Next, get a shower cap to cover your hair. You can use either latex gloves to cover your hands or take a piece of round cardboard and cut a slit or hole big enough to slide the handle of your paint brush through. It acts as a shield for your hand. — Heloise

MAKING CHICKEN STOCK

Dear Heloise: After enjoying a store-bought rotisserie chicken, I make stock from the bones and skin, along with celery leaves, dried onion and a bay leaf in a pot of water.

After simmering for an hour or more, I strain the broth and freeze it in ice cube trays that are lightly oiled. Once frozen, I store the cubes in zip-close bags for easy access. — K.B., in Illinois

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.