HOW DO YOU MANAGE?

Back to school shopping

With September comes back-to-school shopping for supplies and clothes. Outfitting a family can be practical and economical when teens like to shop at consignment stores, discount stores and second-hand clothing shops.

Here are some tips from Carolyn Schneider, author of The Ultimate Consignment and Thrift Store Guide (order for $16.95 by phoning 908-781-2589 or fax 908-781-8598):

Visit a wide variety of stores as often as you can. Merchandise is constantly changing in consignment and thrift shops.
Don’t be afraid to ask the store owner for an additional discount, especially if the item has been in the store more than 60 days. Many consignment stores discount items 20 percent after 60 days.

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Look for stores that are “shopper friendly.” These stores offer senior discounts, frequent shopper cards and end-of-season clearance racks.
Have a resale party for your friends at your favorite shop. Many shops offer private resale parties for groups of 10 or more. In addition, they offer additional discounts off select merchandise.
If you have a favorite designer, ask the store owner to call you when items arrive that may be of interest to you. Place your name on the store’s wish list for that special item.
Shop at the end of the season to find marked-down items.
Inspect all garments and items carefully before buying them.

If you like something, buy it. It may not be there next time.
Be prepared to look around the entire store and keep an open mind. When you set out on your shopping venture looking for a specific item, you may find some other item of interest.
Shop resale on-line and save time. Many second-hand stores offer on-line shopping, such as www.theclothestree.com and www.saver. com. Items may be viewed easily and purchased within minutes.

To get a copy of the free special report Great Tips on Getting Great Deals on Top of the Line Merchandise, send an e-mail message to carolyn@net-lynx.com with the words “Great Tips” in the subject line.

Cloth sugar bags

Dear TEAM: During the years 1950-1970, my mother used to purchase cloth sugar bags through ads in The Western Producer. She used them for tea towels or other articles. Recently I’ve been told that our local hardware store used to carry them also, but they have been discontinued for some time now. If they are available, does anyone know where they can be obtained? – I.W., Watrous, Sask.

Dear I.W.: I called Buckwold’s Dry Goods, Canadian Linen Co., and also Mayfair Hardware store in Saskatoon, a hardware store that seems to have almost everything you could ever want from years gone by. I haven’t had any luck, so once again, if there are any readers with information on where to get these cloth sugar bags, please write and we will forward the answer to I.W.

Pressure cooker parts

Dear Readers: Thank you for your responses to L.A. from Hilda, Alta.’s request for pressure cooker parts. We have the following information:

National and Presto companies are now Presto Factory Service Dept., National Presto Industries Inc., 3925 North Hasting Way, Eau Clair, Wisconsin 54703, 715-839-2121.
Another company I called, Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, has discontinued pressure cookers and the parts.

For parts in Canada:

In Edmonton and Calgary, Alta., the Small Appliance Service Company sent a fax indicating it can provide parts for the following pressure cookers: National, Presto, Wearever, Mirro, All-American, Seb, Tefal and Supreme.

It also has handles, knobs and lids for most makes and models of ovenware, stovetop cookware, pots and pans, skillets, fry pans and coffee perks, plus parts for Alfa Hand Food Grinders (parts and discs), Thermos Vacuum parts and bottles, parts for Sunbeam/Oster appliances and Oster/Stewart clippers. They do clipper blade sharpening as well.

For small appliance parts, accessories and repairs, they handle Rival, Nesco, Moulinex, Caframo, Westbend, Omega, Vitanonio, Superior and Vitamix. Shaver parts for Braun, Philips, Remington and Sanyo are available.

Their address is: Small Appliance Service Company Ltd., 10546 Ð 115 St., Edmonton, Alta., T5H 3K6, 403-425-9550 or fax 403-425-1304, or Small Appliance Service Co., 420 Ð 28 St. N.E., Calgary, Alta., 403-235-1020 or fax 403-273-9714. You can check out their web page at www.edmart.com/SASCO.

Closer to home for some may be:

Mayfair Hardware Co., 203 33rd St.W., Saskatoon, 306-244-4464.

Check your local Home Hardware stores, since some readers have got their pressure cooker lid seals and gauges there.
Fisher’s Hardware Ltd., 3300 Cold Stream Avenue, Vernon, B.C., V1T 1X9.

To whiten nylon curtains

Dear TEAM: Could you help me with my problem of nylon sheer curtains going yellow, especially where the sun hits them? – A.C., Sexsmith, Alta.

Dear A.C.: Nylon has a tendency to yellow with prolonged exposure to the sun. A nylon whitener and fabric brightener is a combination of optical brighteners that can be used with detergent during normal laundering, and is particularly useful on yellowed synthetics. Look for these whiteners in your local store.

Oxygen-based bleaches are compatible with all types of fabrics, and may be helpful to reduce the yellowing. You might also try good, old-fashioned bluing in the rinse water.

In the Environmental and Energy Money and Time-saving Household Hints, Volume II, copyright by The Leader-Post Carrier Foundation, Inc. August 1991, I found the following hint: “To keep nylon white, add one teaspoon (five mL) of cream of tartar to wash cycle and also one teaspoon (five mL) to the last rinse cycle of your washing machine.”

To get a copy of this handy book of household hints, contact Centax Books, 1048 Fleury Street, Regina, Sask., S4N 4W8, 306-359-3737 or fax 306-525-3955.

Also, by contacting Tide at www.clothesline.com, you can get advice from the stain detective. This simple step-by-step process has been designed to tell you the best way to tackle the stain you selected.