My suggestion is to carry two different types of major credit cards. When in a foreign country recently, I found an airport desk that would accept only one type, and I had the other. It was quite an annoyance. -- Tom Cronin, Houston

Good advice, Tom. It's not only an annoyance, but it could be a real bother if you can't use a credit card for a meal, hotel or shopping! -- Heloise

FAST-FOOD NAPKINS

Dear Heloise: When I go to a fast-food place for an order, I get a handful of napkins. I used to toss them. Now, I put them on the kitchen counter and use in place of paper towels. -- K.M., via e-mail

LAUNDRY HINT

Dear Heloise: Here is my favorite laundry hint: Conspicuously mark the tag on each item of clothing to indicate its washing requirements. For example, a big "W" for warm water, "G" for gentle, "I/O" for inside out, etc. This will keep you from having to find and read the small-print instructions on each item. Also, keep a permanent marker wherever you sort laundry to mark any new items that come through. -- Jeremy Stein, Rochester, N.Y.

BATHROOM CLEANING

Dear Heloise: I love your column. My bathrooms are small, and using a mop or broom to sweep is awkward. I've found that dampening a paper towel or two and using them to wipe up the floor, register, bathroom scale and heater makes a quick, effective dusting job. It just takes a minute or two. -- Marcy Holland, Kane, Pa.

CURTAINS

Dear Heloise: I remember an article a long time ago about rinsing curtain sheers in Epsom-salt water to make them stiff. Will you please reprint this information for me? -- Janet H., via e-mail

This is an easy way to make laundered sheer curtains crisp again. Fill the sink with cool water and mix in 1 cup of Epsom salts until they are completely dissolved. Put the curtains in the sink and make sure they are completely saturated. Be careful not to wring or twist, but dip in and out, and then hang them to drip-dry. Once dry, your crisp curtains are ready to be rehung without ironing. -- Heloise

KITCHEN PANTRY AND CABINETS

Dear Heloise: I have succeeded in keeping my kitchen pantry and cabinet straight by taking a snapshot of each cabinet after cleaning and reorganizing. Each photo is taped inside the cabinet door, and whoever puts away the items knows where they go. It also helps when trying to find things. -- Connie from Wisconsin

COLD BATHING SUIT

Dear Heloise: With summer swimming, I found that putting on a wet, cold bathing suit for the second swim of the day was uncomfortable for my kids and me. A solution was to soak the suit in warm water, wring it out, and then put on a warm bathing suit. -- Sheldon Zablow, San Diego

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