Dear Heloise: I have a couple of hints to suggest for your column:

— I rubber band my accesible parking placard to my sun visor so that when I park in a parking space, I just have to pull down the visor to expose the parking sign. It is very visible, and I do not have to hang it back up on the rearview mirror when I vacate the parking lot. I observe other drivers wgi leave their permit hanging on their mirror while driving. This is against the law in our state! I have suggested this to several friends and family members, and they like my idea as well.

— My wife and I prefer to place our wills and funeral instructions in our bank safety deposit box. Our co-personal representatives have access to the pass keys. In my opinion, this is more secure than having a safe in our home since most are not fireproof! Our funeral director also has a copy of our instructions. — Ken F., in Nebraska

REFRESHING TOYS

Dear Heloise: I’m writing about a reader’s advice that you printed regarding freshening a teddy bear. The writer suggested a used dryer sheet that was sprayed with air freshener. I would not recommend this hint! The chemicals in the air freshener and dryer sheets are not healthy for a child to ingest or inhale up close.

There must be a better way, such as lightly misting the bear with water and air-drying it outside on a spring day. — Trish, in Buffalo, New York

Trish, my personal favorite is washing the toy by hand or on a gentle cycle in the washing machine. I wash dog toys this way and usually let them dry overnight. The toy is clean, and if they are not dry by morning, I toss them in the dryer for about 15 minutes.

While a number of toy manufactures suggest using a dryer sheet, I prefer a completely clean toy whenever possible. — 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.