DEAR HELOISE: The key fob for my 4-year-old Toyota can be pressed to lock or unlock my car, and it can also be pressed to sound the horn. If I can’t find my car in a large lot, I hold the key fob over my head, press the horn button, and follow the sound. This is especially helpful because my car is white, which is a predominant color for vehicles.

• Jo M.K., in Houston

DEAR HELOISE: It’s impossible to get lost in an airport. Everywhere you go, there’s signage. Even if you’ve never been to a particular airport before, you won’t get lost as long as you can read. Why don’t hospitals follow this example?! Hospitals are mazes, and finding your way through most of them is a logistics nightmare. Hospitals, get a clue!

• Meg D., in St. Louis

DEAR HELOISE: One of the easiest hacks for packing shoes when traveling is to stuff your shoes with socks and cover each shoe with a disposable shower cap. The shower caps don’t take up extra space, and they can last for many trips if they’re being handled carefully. They can also be doubled up with a cap over the bottom of the shoe and another one covering the top of the shoe if needed.

You can mark the inside or outside so that you don’t accidentally put the dirty side with your luggage. Being able to separate my shoes and tuck them into separate nooks and crannies is helpful. Packs of a dozen or more shower caps can be purchased inexpensively online, and as you travel, you can pick up the occasional replacement cap from a hotel’s vanity set.

I’ve traveled to Europe for months at a time sometimes with carry-on luggage, and this method has been very helpful.

• Sheri C., A Faithful Reader in Camarillo, California

Sheri, as a veteran traveler myself, I’ve always loved ideas that make life a little safer and cleaner while traveling. When I traveled, I used this method to cover my shoes, and it worked beautifully. I have also used freezer bags, which I recycled many times to keep my shoes from spreading dirt and germs on my clothes. Thanks for the hint!

• 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.