Traveler gets the hang of drying hotel towels

Dear Heloise: I'm writing in regard to the reader who wrote in about the lack of towel racks in hotel rooms. When my family of four travels on vacation, we might take two showers a day if we've been hiking, swimming, sightseeing before going out to eat, etc. After each shower, we hang our towels up in the closet with the spring-clip hangers, and we space them so that enough air can circulate so they dry out. Hanging towels up in the bathroom usually doesn't work because the humidity keeps them damp.
Here are some things to have when traveling:
A small bag of pinch clothespins -- can keep drapes closed, can be used to hang up towels and can hold snack bags closed.
A small bottle of fabric freshener -- can be used to freshen up a "smoking" room when it is the only one available, as well as freshen linens.
A laundry pretreatment stick -- when we take an extensive road trip, once clothes are so dirty as not to be worn, we place them in a hotel laundry bag and keep it in the car. On the night before returning home (usually flying), we take out only the things we will need in the morning, and I sort through all the laundry at one time, separating it by load and pretreating it. Then I pack the clothes by load in the suitcases, and we use one suitcase to put all of our toiletries in. Upon returning home, I'm halfway to getting the laundry done, and it is so much easier to transition back into our daily routine. Gina Halle, Houston
Dear Heloise: Use outdated business cards as bookmarks for library books. Record the date due on the back. When starting a new book, mark through the old date and add the new one. Lois Morgan, Seneca, S.C.
Dear Heloise: Here is a hint for those who take over-the-counter vitamins and supplements. The dosage for each one is usually different. Without my glasses on or my contacts in, I could not read the fine print on the bottles, so now I take a fine-tip permanent black marking pen and write the dosage in larger numbers on the front of each bottle. This way, I always take the right amount and don't have to struggle to read the fine print or take more than I need. Marian in Montana
Dear Heloise: No matter how carefully I stacked my plastic containers, the whole kit and caboodle would come flying off the shelf when I reached for a container. I finally bought a plastic dishpan that fits my shelf. Whenever I need a plastic container, I take the dishpan off the shelf and pick out the containers and lids I need. The dishpan goes back on the shelf, and there are no "flying saucers." Mary J., via e-mail
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate