Dear Heloise: My hint concerns kitchen towels. When buying them, I look for double-sided towels. By that, I mean the absorbent waffle weave pattern should be on both sides. They may cost a bit more, but you will get a better and longer-lasting towel. Of course, be on the lookout for a sale so that you can stock up.

I read your column in the Orange County Register. Thanks, and keep ’em coming. — Ira Blair, Lake Forest, California

SELF-CLEANING OVEN

Dear Heloise: The idea of cleaning the grate in my outdoor grill was not pleasant, so I decided to put it in my self-cleaning oven. It worked like a charm. — Janet R., Plano, Texas

THE PERFECT MEATBALL

Dear Heloise: I found an easy way to shape meatballs into a beautiful round form. I put the meat in a 3-1/2-by-1/2-inch bottle cap, mold it in, then remove a perfectly round meatball from it. Thanks for all of your terrific tips from you and your dedicated followers. Aloha. — Miss Maui Mary, via email

CLEANING OUT THE WASHING MACHINE

Dear Heloise: I read your column daily and immediately thought of how most washing machines have removable filters on the inside that you can remove and clean out. These get clogged up (but seemingly never dried out), so they can begin to smell bad if they’re not taken care of.

I take mine out once a month and clean the gunk out. I then rinse it out with water and put it back into the washing machine. My machine also has a “clean cycle” that I use once in a while to clean it all out. These things might help Linda’s clothes get rid of that bad smell. Just a thought. Thank you always for your helpful hints! — Diane M., Fort Wayne, Indiana

LUGGAGE TROUBLE

Dear Heloise: We haven’t come across this in your column yet. Here’s what to do if the retractable handle of your suitcase suddenly gets stuck and won’t go down, no matter how hard you try to jiggle or force it:

This happened to us at Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, a couple of hours before our flight. We were told to go down to the basement where there was a shoe and luggage repair shop. The fellow injected silicone oil into both sides of the handle, and within a minute, he got the handle to slide right down.

We hope this fix will save some of your readers the expense of having to buy replacement suitcases. (By the way, the kind fellow did not charge us for his service and absolutely refused to take any money from us!) — Phyllis and David Stolls, Riverside, California

MEDICAL RECORDS

Dear Heloise: I read the letter from M.D., in California, who says that they print out a document of their prescriptions and supplements for years. I have done the same thing, but additionally, I save a smaller copy that I fold it and put in my wallet. I also keep a copy in my passport. During any medical event, the emergency help can look in your wallet for identification. There, they would find all your medications and surgeries on one page.

For years, I have passed this information out to other travelers, so I hope this is helpful. I read your column daily in the Springfield News-Sun, in Springfield, Ohio. — Joanne Harris, via email

OUTDOOR WEDDING

Dear Heloise: My sister said that you had a way to keep insects from attacking the wedding cake during an outdoor wedding ceremony, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Could you reprint that secret? I’m getting married in an outdoor wedding on June 22. — Jennifer H., Ponca City, Oklahoma

Jennifer, here it is: Place each leg of the table in a pan of water. The legs must not touch the sides of the pan. This will keep ants out. Next, take some lightweight netting or chiffon and gently drape it over the food or cake, making sure that the sides and bottom are carefully tucked under the tablecloth. This will keep out flying insects. — Heloise

Send a money-saving or time-saving hint to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can’t answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column.