Clearing Up a Purple View of China

Leonard Walker of Pasadena claims that his china is being discolored into an ugly, mottled lavender-purple because of frequent washing in his automatic dishwasher ; in addition, the dishwasher itself is picking up that unattractive stain, he says. Can you help give Walker some staying power, or will his language soon match the color of the dishes?

For her son-in-law, who owns an 85-pound golden retriever, Joan Bighead of Parker Dam is trying to locate a Doggie Dooley, a receptacle for canine droppings that is installed like a septic tank and uses chemicals and a pedal-operated lid. Can you step on it before the son-in-law goes to the dogs, or will this be another plea that goes down the toilet?

Because of the recent earthquake, Beatrice Price of Whittier needs to replace the glass dome that fits over a lovely display of birds made by her grandfather; she is looking for a dome about 14 inches tall and about 10 inches in diameter. Can you help put Price’s pheasants back under glass, or will her request be for the birds?

Reader-to-Reader Help Line: Marilyn at (619) 327-6528 is looking for a wooden Chinese cube puzzle , similar to a Rubic’s Cube, that has not been available for several years. Please don’t be a square; help, so that Marilyn can play her China card again. . . . Miriam at (619) 436-2944 wants to buy some Shelley salad plates in the Dainty Blue pattern ; she’ll even take used ones in good condition. Please play the carrot-and-stick game with Miriam and give her something to chew on. . . . Avie at (213) 665-9140 needs to replace the plastic outer shell of a GE Curl Tamer hair-styling appliance ; no one seems to carry the product or replacement parts for it. Please heed this fairly tame request before Avie’s hair stands on end.

Note: The Reader-to-Reader Help Line is only for one-time items or for products no longer available in stores. And you must give us written permission to publish your telephone number, so that others may contact you directly.

For Wilbur Young of Van Nuys, who longed for some short-short sports jackets, we have help up our sleeves. Only an arm’s length away is Boys Will Be Boys, at 14962 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; general manager Jerry Paust says they specialize in small sizes and have fitters and tailors that will redo a garment at no charge. (The firm also has stores in Santa Monica and Glendale.) Other places are farther away. Mrs. William Gordon of Newbury Park says a store at Santa Monica Boulevard and Sawtelle Avenue in West Los Angeles carries clothing for shorter men. Richard J. Sepic of Los Angeles mentions Zachary All, 5467 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; Dorman’s (various locations); Jimmy Au’s (various mall locations), and Joseph’s, 238 East 1st St., downtown Los Angeles. Marty Zimmerman of Santa Monica also mentioned Joseph’s. A mail-order source suggested by Sepic is Short Sizes Inc., 5385 Warrensville Center Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44137.

We now have a source for Elisa Hirsch, who wanted a full-cut fashionable boot. Lynda Anderson of the 9-12 Shoe Salon, 10750 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, says they carry a leather boot in Sizes 9-13 in narrow, medium and wide in various colors.

We’ve been getting a number of requests for out-of-print cookbooks. The person to contact is Marian Gore, Bookseller, P.O. Box 433, San Gabriel, Calif. 91778; she specializes in difficult-to-find books on cooking, food and wines.

Herb Hain cannot answer mail personally but will, space permitting, respond in this column to readers who need--or have--helpful information. Write (do not telephone) to You Can Help!, You section, the Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.