WASHINGTON -- Q: Why do they tell you to pour the water out of steam irons after you finish using them? I very rarely do it.

A: We took it to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. It has to do with hard and soft water. Hard water can build up calcium deposits that harm the iron's performance. That calcium reduces the size of the holes in the bottom of the iron. It also causes water to turn to steam more slowly. The water in D.C. tends to be on the harder size, so empty your steam iron.

Q: I am not Asian, but I constantly get calls from Chinese-speaking telemarketers. Since I'm on the do-not-call list, how do I stop these calls?

A: We got your answer from the Federal Communications Commission. It says the do-not-call list applies to all telemarketing calls in any language. To register a complaint you need the registered phone number of the caller, the date the call was made and the company's name. If the caller won't give you that information, use caller I.D. to get the number. If you don't have caller I.D., use star 69 to capture the number, then call the company and ask for the information you need to file a complaint.

Q: I know I'm entitled to a free credit report once a year from the three credit agencies. Can my spouse also request a free credit report from those three agencies in their own name?

A: We got your answer from credit expert Evan Hendricks. Hendricks says free credit reports are available per person, not per household. Which means your wife can request her own credit reports, and she can do this free, three times per year at annualcreditreport.com. You can get there easily through our homepage at NBC4.com, then click Consumer Watch and consumer links. Be careful, similar sounding Web sites will try to sell you credit information you can get for free.

Q: I get 15 calls a day from a telemarketer whose number shows up as 000-000-0000. My phone company says it can't help out. How cam I put a stop to this?

A: The Federal Communications Commission tells us this is called "caller ID spoofing," and it is a violation of the law. The problem is these calls are linked to Internet telephone equipment, and that equipment can set any number to appear on caller IDs, such as the one you're seeing. In 2006, Sen. Bill Nelson, of Florida, tried to pass a law prohibiting manipulation of caller ID information, but it failed to pass. The FCC says you should file a complaint with the FCC so it can further investigate the problem, but that's about all it can suggest.

Q: Do I pay sales tax on the free item when I use a buy one, get one free deal?

A: We called officials in D.C., Maryland and Virginia and each told us it depends on the type of coupon you're using. So here's the deal. If the coupon is a manufacturer's coupon, the consumer must still pay the tax on the get-one-free item. However, if the coupon is issued by the store, the consumer does not have to pay the tax because the store will end up paying it.

Q: I tried to use a $100 bill in a retail store in Montgomery County, but the store wouldn't take it unless she gave them my driver's to record my information. Is this legal?

A: We called Montgomery County Consumer Affairs for your answer. It says if a business chooses to only accept small bills, it needs to indicate this policy with a visible sign in the store. Meaning stores are free to deny use of large denomination bills; they just have to post the notice so you know in advance.