Now and then I open my mailbox to find a letter than makes me want to jump up and run around yelling: "I know the answer! I know exactly how to fix this problem!" That's exactly what happened the day I heard from Chris.

Dear Mary: As an older woman whose hands tremble a bit (I've been thoroughly checked, and it's not a serious matter.), I am forever dropping food on my clothing while I eat. That results in grease spots that set in no matter what I do. I have tried prewashes, baking soda, double-washing and stain removers. I have not found anything that will remove the grease stains, and I am not willing to wear a bib, especially while eating in a nice restaurant with friends and family. I am on a limited budget, and this is becoming a real issue. Please help! — Chris

Dear Chris: I can identify because I have the same problem, only mine is a result of cooking over a splattering stove while failing to wear an apron. I'm a mess in the kitchen, so I know what you mean about grease spots setting in and refusing to budge. But not to worry. I have the perfect solution — one I use nearly every day of my life now that I have found it.

Lestoil Concentrated Heavy Duty Cleaner (think "less toil") has been around for at least a hundred years. Your mother probably used it on your clothes when you were a kid. It is a thick liquid stain treatment that is not easy to find. I understand that some Wal-Mart stores carry it in the laundry aisle. Now and then I see it at Home Depot. But you can always find it on Amazon.

Here's the thing with Lestoil: It is stinky. It smells like the inside of a greasy machine shop. But that all disappears in the laundry once you wash the stain-treated garment.

I pour Lestoil into a spray bottle for ease of use. With it I can blast grease stains, old stains, food stains, make-up stains and any other stain I manage to pick up. I'm so used to the smell by now that I find it rather lovely because I know what's going to happen — no more stain.

Next — and this is very important — I roll up the treated item and leave it overnight. (I've tried leaving it for an hour or so, but I've found that it's not long enough to guarantee a good result.)

In the morning, I wash and dry these items as usual, and voila! Stains are gone without a trace of the Lestoil odor.

One last thing: There have been a few times when a stain did not come out completely on my first attempt. On that rare occasion, rather than give up, I repeat the process. So far, I've never had to resort to a third attempt.

Lestoil: It's just plain wonderful.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.