HELOISE Take care of digital camera this summer

Dear Readers: Here are some important summertime care hints for digital cameras. You can fight off sand, heat, humidity and water with the following ideas:
UKeep your camera out of the heat! Indoors is best, but when outside, avoid leaving cameras in a hot car or in direct sunlight. When there's no place for shade, make your own with a T-shirt or towel.
UMoisture can also make digital cameras malfunction. When swimming or boating, keep your camera in a zip-top plastic bag until you're ready to snap a picture.
UIf moisture does get into the camera, turn it off and take out the batteries and memory card. You'll want to air-dry them for about 24 hours.
UAnd be careful when you have sunscreen on your hands. Getting it on the lens can damage it. To be safe, use a clean, soft cloth -- not your fingers -- to wipe the lens off. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I'm from the old school! I prefer to work in the garden with my bare hands. Gloves are so bulky. My diamond ring is difficult to remove, so I cut a 1-inch strip from a small-size bandage tape and slip it over my ring. It stays in place and protects my ring beautifully! Lorna B. from Nine Mile Falls, Wash.
Dear Heloise: When pillowcases are no longer & quot;pretty as new & quot; and you are ready to throw them away, just use them as an extra protective case on a pillow, and whipstitch the end. Put the regular case over it as usual, and it prolongs the life of the pillow. C.W., Idaho Falls, Idaho
Your hint is brilliant! We use a mattress cover to protect the mattress -- why not pillow protectors? Heloise
Dear Heloise: I had many half-empty boxes of different flavors of instant hot cereals, cocoa mixes, granola bars, etc., that took up so much space in my pantry.
I filled several baskets with the assorted packets and keep them on the counter with the fruit bowl. They look nice, the items are right at hand during the morning rush and my pantry is neater. Jane of Burke, Va.
Dear Heloise: Whenever I take my car to a garage or repair shop, I remove the house keys from the key ring.
It's easy for anybody to imprint your house keys if he has access to them, and you know what that means -- burglary, assault and even worse! George K., Buena Park, Calif.
Dear Heloise: I am so happy that my husband thought of this, and I would like to share it. Anyone having to take a pill at a certain time can set his alarm clock. It works like a charm! L.D. in Agawam, Mass.
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate