Dear Heloise: Please urge the woman who chose the name of the street she grew up on as the same password for all of her accounts to reconsider. Passwords should never be the same. If a hacker manages to gain access to one account, then all of the accounts will be at risk.

Common names, while easy to remember, are not secure. Almost anyone can search online and determine your mother’s maiden name, the names of your relatives and children, the addresses and streets you have lived on, old phone numbers and the mascots of the schools you attended. If you must use a somewhat familiar name, change out some of the letters with numbers or symbols. This makes it much more difficult for a hacker to crack. — William Dunwoody Jr., Manasquan, New Jersey

KEEPING SPINACH LONGER

Dear Heloise: I usually buy fresh spinach in the 16-ounce clam shell packaging. To keep it fresher longer, as soon as I get home from the grocery store I place a double layer of paper toweling on top of the spinach before placing it in the refrigerator. I replace the towels when they become too damp. Sometimes the spinach lasts for 10-14 days! — Jane H., San Antonio, Texas

CHARITY SITE CHECK

Dear Heloise: I read your column in today’s paper about making sure your donations are going to be used as directed. Here’s a great website to go to: www.charitynavigator.org.

Hopefully this will be helpful to your readers. I always enjoy the tips and tricks. — Laura M., Gilbert, Arizona

Laura, there are so many scams today. Before you donate to a charity, check it out carefully. The above is one organization that can help; ask friends and family, too. — Heloise

USES FOR PLASTIC SLEEVES

Dear Heloise: I saw the recent tip for uses for plastic sleeves that newspapers sometimes come in and thought I’d write with my own tip. It occurred to me not long ago that they’d be perfect for shoes. So I now save them instead of recycling, and when I travel I put my shoes in them before placing in my luggage to ensure that any dirt that might be on the bottom of my shoes doesn’t transfer to my clothing.

I read your column all the time. I love it. — Muriel Sterling, Bedford, New Hampshire

DOG BED MESSES

Dear Heloise: In a recent article, Chris Greene from Houston suggested using crib mattress covers on dog beds if one has a dog with a bed-wetting problem. That’s a great idea, and perhaps he had already checked my suggestion out with his vet.

When our dog had leakage, thinking it was due to old age (16), we also lined her dog bed. But then we decided to take a urine sample to the vet to be tested. As it turned out, she had a UTI. My suggestion is to make sure there isn’t a UTI going on before accepting leakage problems. Our dog never leaked again after her antibiotic treatment, which cured it almost immediately. — Dina Mauro, via email

Dina, great information. When your pet has unusual issues like this, take it to the vet to find out what’s going on. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.