The current “Heloise” is a contributing editor to Good Housekeeping magazine who’s written the column since her mother’s death in 1977, and to celebrate the milestone, she’s narrowed down her favorites. Click the title above to read more.

• Clearing stubborn microwave odors. Well, the tricky thing is that they often work their way deep into the oven’s mechanisms, where no amount of scrubbing gets rid of them. So instead of trying, put a handful of chopped lemon rind or a tablespoon of vanilla extract in a microwave-safe bowl. Add one cup of water, then put the bowl in the microwave and heat it until it boils, usually for one to two minutes. The heated citrus or vanilla acts as an air freshener, covering the bad odor. Just make sure you let the water cool in the microwave for about 15 minutes before you take it out. Then, wipe out the oven.
• Heloise’s next tip: To remove gravy stains from a tablecloth sprinkle flour or artificial sweetener over the stained area. This should absorb most of the grease. When the flour or sweetener becomes clumpy, brush it off and put the stained section of the tablecloth in lukewarm water. Add a teaspoon of mild, colorless laundry soap for each cup of water in the sink, soak for 20 minutes, and then wash the tablecloth as normal.
• One last household tip from Heloise, in honor of her 50th anniversary: Let’s say you spill candle wax on your carpet. No problem! Just fill a metal pan with ice cubes and set the pan on top of the wax until it freezes solid. Use a hammer to shatter the frozen wax and then vacuum up the shards. Next, press a piece of tape, sticky side down, into the carpet to pick up the rest of the pieces. Within minutes, your carpet will once again be wax-free.