Dear Heloise: My children swore that they hated onions, so I would either chop them really finely or grate them into food (soups, meatloaf, salmon patties, etc.). The kids never knew the onions were there.

-Sandra, in Ohio

A GREAT-SMELLING WASHING MACHINE

Dear Heloise: If you have a front-loading washer, you may have experienced the problem of a foul smell within the gasket inside the door. The smell is caused by water that sits under the gasket. We spent over $200 to replace the gasket that was causing the awful smell and problem. Installing a new gasket is a frustrating endeavor.

Now, when the wash is done for the day, I tuck one hand towel under the gasket to soak up the water. The water will wick up the towel, resulting in half of the towel being soaked. You must not leave this wet towel under the gasket. After an hour or two, I replace the wet towel with a dry one. Then I leave the door ajar until the next wash day, and I put an open box of baking soda inside the drum.

I've been doing this for over a year now and haven't had a repeat problem with mildew and odor. Your column has just been added to our newspaper, and it is so informative and helpful. Thank you!

Susan Pointer, via email

MEASURING WITH SHOT GLASSES

Dear Heloise: Many recipes call for several tablespoons of liquid, and I find that using a measuring spoon several times can be messy and a bit time-consuming. Instead, I use a shot glass because the measurements on the glass are marked in tablespoons and ounces, and they can hold up to a 1/2 cup of liquid.

-- Marilyn, in St. Louis

WHEN RECEVING FLOWERARRANGEMENTS

Dear Heloise: I read your column daily and would like to share what I do when I receive or send flower arrangements. If I receive them, I immediately send a text or an email to the person who sent them. I tell them I have received their lovely flowers so they know that they were delivered. I also take a quick photo of the arrangement and enclose it in the message. Finally, I follow up with a written thank-you note that I send in the regular mail.

I also find that when I send flowers through online florists, I'm unsure about the quality of what is being delivered on the other end. I think taking a picture of the arrangement can be so helpful so that the sender can see exactly what was delivered and make a decision as to whether to use the florist again.

-N.K., in California

SCAM WARNING

Dear Heloise: There's always some type of scam going on these days, but this one is fairly new. Someone is emailing people across the country offering television and movie channels for an annual fee of only $2! This sounds attractive, but it's a scam.

Most of the credit card companies have flagged it as a scam and reject the card when someone tries to sign up for this phony offer. Still, there are a lot of people who will try to sign up. It's a case of: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably

.IS."

- H.B., in Oregon

Send a great hint to Heloise@Heloise.com.