Dear Heloise: A lady I knew did all of her personal business in online accounts. She passed away unexpectedly, and her family is having a terrible time trying to settle all of her accounts because they don’t know any of her passwords. Please encourage your readers to make sure that whomever would deal with their financial accounts if they passed away unexpectedly knows where to find their user IDs and passwords for all their accounts! — Nancy D., The Villages, Florida

Nancy, we get so many letters about this situation of family members not knowing passwords. You need to have a family discussion about this to designate one or two people who will have a master list of all the family passwords that is placed in a secure spot with access for the designated family members. — Heloise

PAPER PLATES

Dear Heloise: I recently read a tip from one of your readers about using paper plates as a spoon rest or catching spills under a bowl of soup and then tossing the plate into the recycling bin. Recycling facilities do not recycle paper that has food waste on it. And many paper plates are not recyclable at all if they have certain coatings on them. I just wanted to caution your readers to be careful about assuming things can be recycled when they’re really contributing to waste. Thank you. — Anna B., Arlington, Virginia

TWIST TIE TIP

Dear Heloise: I think this idea is a great tip for your column — improving a used twist tie for free. Here’s what I do: We buy coffee in a sack that is secured with a double-wide twist tie. When the coffee bag is empty, I save these wide twist ties for use in my shop or in the kitchen. However, most applications are awkward because the twist ties are too wide. So I cut most of them right down the middle lengthwise, usually with a pair of scissors and a cutting board. That gives me two twist ties that are more useful for many applications and far easier to twist. — Edwin, Omaha, Nebraska

SAFETY IN CASE OF ­FALLING

Dear Heloise: I just read the letter about safety in case of falling. I recommend a medical alert device that you wear around your neck or on your wrist. It is worn in the shower, as well as whenever you are up and about. The newer ones work anywhere there is cell service. In case of emergency, you push a button and an operator responds. The operator asks what you need and where you are, then alerts your local 911 if that is what you need. Some devices have fall detectors, so someone is alerted even if you are unable to push the button. If you don’t respond, they will call for emergency help. Check the internet to locate one. — Margaret Lewis, via email

INSECT BITES

Dear Heloise: My husband came up with a fix for insect bites or stings. Apply a generous amount of gel deodorant to the spot. The itching/stinging stops almost instantly. Later, after the gel dries, if the itching starts again, just reapply the gel. We have used this method several years for everything from chigger bites to wasp stings to mosquito bites, and it never fails. — Gloria B., Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.