Plastic trays keep freezer organized

Heloise

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 dol- lar store and get some big plastic trays that nest inside each other, with sides about 3 to 4 inches high for stor- ing 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 vegeta- bles, 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, California

Bird feather

Dear Heloise: The alu- minum fins on the refriger- ator and window air condi- tioner units can easily be bent out of shape while clean- ing 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 dam- aging it. — Janelle Sprick, via email

Household Hints

Vacation planning

Dear Heloise: Here’s our list of hints for plan- ning ahead before going on vacation:

■ Turn your hot water heater to the “vacation” set- ting 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

Car hint

Dear Heloise: When park- ing a new car in a tight space, choose a spot next to a vehi- cle 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