DEAR HELOISE: I have a black leather purse, which I stored in its fabric bag. But when I pulled it out this year, it had a terrible moldy smell. I read that baking soda and/or lemon zest would help get rid of the odor, but neither helped. Any ideas on how to get rid of the odor?

• Mel G., via email

Mel, here are three methods that might work:

● Place your empty purse outside in a shady spot and let the fresh air remove the odors. Leave it open to let air inside.

● Fill a sock with baking soda and place it inside the purse. Then seal the purse in a larger bag or box for 24 to 48 hours.

● Use activated charcoal or cat litter. Place the charcoal sachets inside the purse, or fill a large sock with cat litter and place it inside the handbag for about 48 hours.

After finishing whichever method you select, be sure to clean the purse with a leather cleaner. This should also help to rid your purse of the mold odor.

• Heloise

DEAR HELOISE Your readers who enjoy soft, fluffy towels, sheets and clothes should be aware of something that my home economics teacher taught me: Dryer sheets and liquid softeners contain oil to cut the detergent and soften material, but the oil builds up and reduces absorbency. For those of us who live in high heat or humidity, this isn’t a good thing.

A good alternative is to run your laundry through a second rinse cycle. Washing machines no longer give us this option as manufacturers want their ratings to show that they use up less water and energy. In reality, a second rinse removes excess detergent, making the material softer and maintaining its absorbency.

Turn the machine’s cycle button around to the rinse cycle for a second rinse and spin. Your clothes won’t cause itchiness from leftover detergent, and you won’t need dryer sheets or liquid softeners either.

• Jackie M., via email

DEAR HELOISE While cleaning out a purse one day, I made the mistake of shaking it out over the kitchen sink. A penny jumped out into the disposal, thus creating a retrieval problem. Visibility was almost impossible, and the disposal hole was too small for my 91-year-old arthritic knuckles, which bruised each time I tried to feel for the penny.

I dragged out my old Hoover vacuum cleaner, put the stretchy hose down into the hole, and powered it up. Lo and behold, it gobbled up the penny into its dust container! This saved me the cost of a plumber and a new garbage disposal!

• Wanda C., in Bakersfield, California