Ask our experts

Is it wise to inflate tires
to 110 percent of the recommended pressure?

Alan Paulding
Plymouth, MA

Inflating your tires to a higher pressure than the automaker's recommendation can reduce heat buildup and decrease rolling resistance, resulting in slightly better fuel economy. But it can reduce the tire's grip on the road and decrease ride comfort. Overinflating can also make the tread wear unevenly, shortening the life of the tire. For maximum performance and safety, keep your tires at the auto manufacturer's recommended pressure, which is usually found on a placard in a doorjamb, not on the tire's sidewall.

What's the easiest way to cancel a credit card?

Vic Strano
Sewell, NJ

If you want to close an account and aren't concerned that doing so might lower your credit score, pay off the entire balance. Then contact the card issuer's customer-service department to inform a representative that you've canceled the card and confirm that the balance is zero; interest might have accumulated between the date you received your monthly statement and when the issuer received final payment. Refuse efforts to keep you from closing your account unless the offer is too good to pass up. Get a confirmation in writing that the account is closed. A few months later, check your credit report to make sure the account is closed. If it's not, contact the card issuer.

Can I safely use an oil-filled electric heater in a two-car garage where I don't store paint, gas, or solvents?

Charles Gardner
Falcon, CO

No. Other items in a garage are also sources of flammable vapors, including gas-powered lawn gear. Any heater's controls can generate an arc or spark that could cause an explosion or start a fire if surrounded by the right concentration of flammable vapors.

Do alcohol-free hand sanitizers work as well as alcohol-based ones?

Paul Susman
Chesterfield, MO

Most alcohol-free sanitizers contain benzalkonium chloride, which has some antiseptic properties and may be helpful, federal health officials say. But they recommend washing hands with soap and water, and when that's not possible, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

Send your questions to www.ConsumerReports.org/askourexperts.