Heloise

Dear Heloise: Enabling closed captions on television has greatly improved our viewing experience. Whether a character whispers, the music becomes loud, or the audio is unbalanced, captions help us follow the story. Finding the setting takes about 2 minutes — dig into your TV’s accessibility or main settings menu and look for “closed captions” or “subtitles.”

Most sets also allow you to adjust the font size and background color so that you can make the captions as easy to read as you need them to be. We went with a slightly larger font and a dark background, and they’re effortless to catch without taking over the screen. I wish we’d turned them on years ago. — Sue B., in Iowa

FIXING UNDERARM STAINS

Dear Heloise: I’ve had a stubborn underarm-stain problem all my life. My approach to this problem? Hydrogen peroxide. Using a spray bottle, I spray the area with peroxide and let it set. The bleach will lighten the stain as it dries. If the stain persists, I repeat the process. I’ve found hydrogen peroxide to be safe to use on fabrics.

Some of my older T-shirts have gotten really bad, and the fabric has turned into a stiff mess. To loosen the fabric and stain, I will spray it several times. Eventually, the fabric will begin to soften, and I can massage the fabric so that the stain will start to break up. I repeat the process over several days. — Mickey K., via email

GIVING MASCARA A SECOND LIFE

Dear Heloise: Before discarding an old mascara wand, wash it thoroughly with dish soap. The narrow bristles are ideal for cleaning the small feeding ports of hummingbird feeders, which are often inaccessible to sponges and bottle brushes. Keep in mind that cleaning bird feeders with a solution of 1 part liquid chlorine bleach to 9 parts hot water, followed by thorough rinsing, effectively removes mold and residue that can harm birds.

Did you know that some wildlife rescue organizations collect clean mascara wands to care for small and helpless animals? Donations help to save thousands of wild animals of various species. Search online for wildlife rehabilitation centers in your area. To contribute, many offer donation programs and provide mailing instructions. Make sure to rinse the wands well, allow them to dry, then send them in. — L.C., in Covington, Kentucky

CONTACT PAPER TO THE RESCUE

Dear Heloise: I read your column in the Springfield News-Sun. While getting ready to touch up some baseboards, and not having painter’s tape on hand, I discovered that some leftover contact paper could protect the carpet just as well. After removing the backing, the strips adhered well to the carpet, and I reused them as I moved around the room. — Andi L., in Springfield, Ohio

PET PAL

Dear Heloise: This is Dora. I rescued her from Missouri, but she actually rescued me. She’s 2 years and 3 months old now. I love her with all my heart. — A Reader, via email

Readers, to see Dora and our other Pet Pals, go to Heloise.com and click on “Pet of the Week.”

Do you have a furry friend to share with our readers? Send a photo and a brief description to Heloise@Heloise.com. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.