Reader Won’t Throw In the Towel

For an arthritic woman who cannot towel herself adequately after a bath, A. G. of Beverly Hills is looking for medium-size terrycloth trousers. She says that most department stores no longer carry this item, which used to be popular for around-the-pool and leisure wear. Can you pool your brains and come up with an answer, or will you get under our reader’s skin because she will probably have to take a bath on this problem?

For her kitchen sink, Alicia Castrellon of Pico-Rivera would like to buy a rubber mat with a hole in the middle for the garbage disposal opening ; she has seen these advertised but can never find them in any of the stores. Can you go to the mat for Castrellon on this one, or will it be such a drain on her nerves that it will forever color her disposition?

For a husband with problem feet, Edith Ehlert of Calabasas needs some Size-12 men’s travel slippers in glove leather with padded inner sole and elastic ribbing on the sides and at the heel . Can you see to it that the shoe fits, or will she have to keep toeing the line because nobody will work hand-in-glove with her?

Raymond Johnson of Canoga Park would like to locate a source for obsolete eyeglass frames , specifically one that carries glasses with triangular markings 54-20 near the eye pads and 5 3/4 on the ear parts and used for safety lenses. Can you help Johnson see straight again, or will he be unable to make eye contact in his present frame of mind?

Reader-to-Reader-Help Line: Scott at (213) 258-9370 is looking for an out-of-print music book, the vocal selections for the animated movie “Charlotte’s Web,” with songs by the Sherman Brothers. Please see to it that Scott can start the year on a high note by giving him something to sink his teeth into. . . . Brenda at (619) 481-8002 is looking for Martex bathroom accessories in Pepperell’s “What a Zoo” or “Celebrations” designs--animal prints in black and white; they are out of production, but the manufacturer says they get requests for them all the time. Please stop dogging it and let Brenda monkey around with home decorations the way she used to. . . . Emma at (213) 943-6565 is after a countertop Corningware cutting board about 12x18 inches ; she’s afraid the item has been discontinued. If you give Emma another chance to be a cutup in the kitchen, nobody will be bored.

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 Mary Greenburg of San Bernardino, who wanted a club that breeds fancy pet rats, we have a source just a scamper away. Dave Kelman of San Diego says to contact the American Fancy Rat & Mouse Assn., c/o Karen Hauser, 9230 64th St., Riverside, Calif. 92509; the telephone number is (714) 685-2350.

Mary Bem of Newbury Park, who wanted lipstick with aloe vera, has had a few people paying more than lip service to her request. Bemi DeBus says she is very pleased with Double-Shine Plus Color Lip Gloss from Flame Glow Cosmetics Division, Del Laboratories, Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735. And L. Leverton Hood of Los Angeles says aloe lipstick with Vitamin E and built-in sun screen is advertised in a catalogue put out by Starcrest of California, 19465 Brennan Ave., Perris, Calif. 92379, phone (714) 657-2793.

Elaine F. of Alhambra, who needed Size 8 underpants with band legs and large leg openings, again has a leg to stand on. A Santa Barbara reader writes that such underpants can be found in the Lane Bryant catalogue, and possibly in some of their stores; they come in packages of three and cost about $15 per package. And Margaret Beyer of Santa Ana reports that the catalogue put out by National Wholesale Co. Inc., Lexington, N.C. 27294, features several styles of underpants with band legs and large leg openings.