DEAR HELOISE: Here's a way to cut down on your chances of getting stuck with wobble-wheeled grocery carts. Pick up a cart in the parking lot and "test-drive" it to the store entrance. If it rides straight and true, keep it. If it wobbles or veers off in one direction, exchange it for one at the door, and at least you've saved the courtesy clerks one cart pickup in the lot.

– Cathy L. from California

DEAR CATHY: Good advice! Not only are you making your trip easier, you are doing a good deed by taking a cart in.

DEAR HELOISE: When replacing your furnace filter, use a permanent marker and, on the outside border of the new filter (the edge that shows after the filter has been installed), write the date the filter was installed. This will enable you to determine when it should be replaced.

– Bill in Nebraska

DEAR HELOISE: I used a method you mentioned for keeping sheer curtains in "like new" condition. If I recall, it involved Epsom salts. Can you tell me what your recommendation was? Thank you.

– Carol, via e-mail

DEAR CAROL: Your memory is not playing tricks on you. The answer is indeed Epsom salts. Here's what you do to make sheer curtains crisp again:

• Mix 1 cup of Epsom salts in a sink filled with cool water (until salts are completely dissolved).

• Put the curtains in the sink and completely saturate them in the solution.

• Dip curtains in and out. DO NOT wring or twist!

• Hang over a bathtub or outside to drip dry.

You can rehang your sheers once they are fully dry. No need to iron, as this will remove the "crisping effect" you've just worked so hard to achieve. Good luck!

DEAR HELOISE: Don't lose those pierced studs in a jewelry box! Instead, stick the posts of two pair through the holes on a medium- to large-size button and attach the backs. This will help keep them visible, and they'll stay together, too!

– Mona, via e-mail

DEAR HELOISE: My husband has a problem with colorblindness. I write the color with a permanent marker on the inside pocket of his trousers. The pockets usually are white. This makes it much easier for him to select pants and match with shirts.

– May P., Universal City, Texas

DEAR HELOISE: I love my liquid yogurt, but I hate to throw away the cute little plastic bottle. So, I found another way to use it. They make lovely little vases for small bouquets of flowers. Now they are all over my house.

– Madeleine Adams, San Antonio

DEAR HELOISE: Are the cushions of your couch always sliding out from under you? Place a square of rubber shelf liner (the same size as the cushion) directly under each cushion to prevent it from moving out of place.

– James S., Artesia, N.M.

DEAR HELOISE: I recently bought a house, and the linen closet in the hallway has a musty smell and damp feeling. I placed baking soda in it to absorb odor and dampness, but it's not working. Help! I have to crack the door open sometimes to "dry" it out, and all my towels smell musty and damp.

– C.M. Jerger, via e-mail

DEAR C.M.: Yuck! Baking soda is a great odor neutralizer, but first, I'm concerned that you have to open the door to dry it out. If that works, that tells me either there is a water leak or moisture coming from somewhere. You can try these hints:

• Charcoal: Either plain barbecue briquettes or activated charcoal, found in pet stores. Charcoal is great for neutralizing odors.

• Cat-box filler: Clay-type cat-box filler in a margarine tub.

Litter is wonderfully absorbent and sometimes works as a last resort.

If these hints don't help, you'll need to be a detective and try to figure out what the dampness is and where it's coming from. If it persists, you should call a professional – it's not going to go away on its own! Also, if left alone, it could get worse and grow into black mold, which is extremely hazardous to your health.

DEAR HELOISE: Wednesday is leftover night, and we clean out the refrigerator because Thursday is garbage day. If food is not eaten, it is tossed. No chance of anything going bad or being forgotten.

– Nancy, via e-mail

DEAR HELOISE: Tackle boxes aren't just for fishing equipment. They make great organizers for facial-care products, makeup, dusting powders, perfumes, etc. Just store under the vanity, or grab and go. This is especially nice if several girls share a bathroom.

– B. Hayes, Schertz, Texas

Send a great hint to Heloise, P.O. 79500, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.