Dear Heloise >> For so many years, I’ve battled with my drawer-style freezer and our deep freezer, digging for items and losing things at the bottom. When I complained, my genius husband suggested I go to the dollar store and get some big plastic trays that nest inside each other, with sides about 3 to 4 inches high for storing and organizing the food packages. It works! I’ve got four in the deep freezer and two in the house’s freezer.

My small bags of vegetables, nuts, homemade dog food, etc., stay organized now, and I can just pull out a tray at a time to find something. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to solve the problem. Be sure to measure the inside of your freezer before you buy the trays.

— Karen S., Oxnard

Dear Heloise >> The aluminum fins on the refrigerator and window air conditioner units can easily be bent out of shape while cleaning them. So, a bird feather that dropped in the yard was an ideal tool for brushing the lint that had accumulated on the condenser without damaging it.

— Janelle Sprick

Dear Heloise >> Here’s our list of hints for planning ahead before going on vacation:

• Turn your hot water heater to the “vacation” setting or, even better, just turn it off.

• Write a “things I have done” list and leave it on the bar or table, so when you get back home, you know the first things you have to do before unloading the car.

• Turn your ice maker off so it won’t go on a “dry cycle” and get ruined. Many homes have a water cutoff on the outside of their homes.

— D. Hansel, Houston

Dear Heloise >> I have found a great way to tie up my climbing plants. With tomatoes, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, etc., ready to plant now, I went to my local dollar store and purchased some hair clamps in different sizes to use as ties to attach the climbing vines to the racks.

These are reasonably priced ($1.00 each) for as many as 10 per card, depending on the size. I purchased several and keep them on hand to use as the plants climb the racks as they grow. I use the larger ones as the plants bear fruit and they get heavier. I started this last year and saved the clamps to use this year. Much easier and reusable — who knew there was something better than the green plastic tape?

Love your column, and your dear mother’s before you.

— Penny, Ventura

Dear Heloise >> When parking a new car in a tight space, choose a spot next to a vehicle of the same body or paint color so that any scrapes or nicks from nearby door(s) won’t be as noticeable.

— John B., Ohio

Write to Heloise at P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; Fax 210-HELOISE; or email Heloise@Heloise.com.