HELOISE: Hints help with storing luggage

Dear Heloise: I’ve come up with some simple hints for storing luggage. My goal is to use the space that I have, and to maintain my luggage in good condition. Here are some of my luggage hints:

First off, be sure to remove all articles from the luggage. This is important, especially if you’re returning from a beach vacation or a cruise, where wet swimsuits and clothes may have been tucked into pockets of luggage.

Keep luggage, especially leather pieces, in your home (not in the garage, damp basement or hot attic).

Look for places in your home that are out of the way to store bags. Under the bed is ideal if the luggage will fit.

A used dryer sheet can go in the bag to freshen it. (New dryer sheets may leave an oily spot if subjected to high heat).

Luggage set pieces usually can “nest” inside larger pieces.

J. Hines, via e-mail

For those who use traditional luggage once in a while, these are good hints. For others, especially using rolling totes, find a closet to store it in between trips.

Heloise

Dear Heloise: I have found that a bag with dividers (meant for wine bottles) comes in very handy when taking children on trips to museums, play groups, etc. There are six divided compartments, and I use four of them for water bottles, snacks, gloves, eyeglasses in cases, pop-up wipes or whatever else might be needed. You can slip this bag inside a larger bag for longer trips. This gives you room for things like coloring or storybooks, a washcloth and towel, or even a change of clothes.

Betty Harris, Goffstown, N.H.

Dear Heloise: The two most germ-laden items in hotel rooms are the remote control and the doorknobs. My husband cleverly uses the plastic bag from the drinking glass to cover the remote. We use it without getting the germs.

A Reader, San Antonio

Dear Heloise: For a neat and organized address book, here’s my way of keeping it updated: Use a program on the computer to create a label document. Type a label for all friends you keep in your address book. Include the address, phone number, e-mail, birthday, kids’ names, etc. Paste the labels in a store-bought address book. If something changes, it is easy to just change the information in the computer and print out a new one.

Letty in Orange, Calif.

Dear Heloise: After recently moving for my first and only time, I have a suggestion: Pack a suitcase as if you were going on a trip — toiletries, clothing for one day, medication and any other next-day items you need. A scavenger hunt for my toothbrush was not what I wanted to do after a long day of carrying boxes and directing a moving crew.

Fran, via e-mail

Send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate