HELOISE Turn water off before vacation

Dear Heloise: I would like to advise people to stop and remember to do something that could save them thousands of dollars if they would only take a minute: Turn off the water at the main valve before going on vacation!
My brother and his wife just returned from a two-week vacation to find that they had an upstairs toilet that had sprung a leak while they were away, and it must have run water for at least two days. This was not an older home -- in fact, it was fairly new. But the water hose that goes into the tank came loose and then came off, allowing water to continuously run.
Now they have to replace a lot of kitchen cabinets, flooring, carpets, ceilings and some walls! In order to do that, they have to move out of their home for at least three months. You just never know what can go wrong while you are out.
So, please turn off the water when leaving for a vacation. L.A.L., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I buy an assorted package of colored, 11/2-inch-wide electrical tape. I cut two or three colored strips about 5 inches long and place them together alongside each other on all sides of my luggage. As soon as it comes down the carousel, I can recognize my bags at once. An 80-year-old traveler who has never lost a bag, McKinney, Texas
Dear Heloise: Until I came up with this solution, I was always checking pockets two or three times before putting an item in the washing machine. It was always that one pocket that I didn't check that contained a tissue. Now, whenever I have checked pants pockets thoroughly, I then zip up the fly or zipper and do up the waist button.
That way, when it comes to sorting before laundering, I know that I have checked the pockets and don't need to check them all over again! Vedra Hill, via e-mail
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