3+ hour, 30+ min ago  (486+ words) DEAR HELOISE: Here's a hint about maintaining clothes' absorbency. Perhaps I had previously learned this from you, but it's worth repeating as long as we're on the subject. Softeners decrease clothes' absorbency, so dry them without any softener. -- John S., in…...

1+ day, 3+ hour ago  (477+ words) DEAR HELOISE: How do I get mold out of my washcloths without taking out the color? Everything I find online includes bleach, which ruins my washcloths. Also, how do I prevent it from happening in the first place? I wring…...

3+ day, 3+ hour ago  (492+ words) DEAR HELOISE: I just bought my first house, and I need to learn how to take care of it now. Do I still need to drain my water heater? The former owners said that the heater was 4 years old, and…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago  (429+ words) -- Sally, in Fort Wayne, Indiana Some of my most cherished, irreplaceable memories are summer vacations where the last school bell finally rang, and we were free -- joyfully free -- to play, explore, and learn life lessons. They'll never learn these lessons…...

3+ week, 3+ hour ago  (492+ words) DEAR HELOISE: The easiest way to clean a shower is with a squeegee. They come in different widths, and it only takes a minute to run the squeegee over the door when you’re finished showering. I also use them to…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago  (226+ words) For our household of two, a single-ply roll costs less than $1 and lasts for eight full days. The quilted rolls, on the other hand, cost more than $1 and barely last for two days. That’s right — the single ply lasts four…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago  (388+ words) DEAR HELOISE: People have written to you with tips on how to dry clothes that you have handwashed (usually while traveling), but there’s one step that most people don’t seem to know about. After you wash clothes (and I’ve read…...

1+ mon, 6+ day ago  (233+ words) DEAR HELOISE: #0000 steel wool won’t scratch glass. It’s also the best thing for cleaning up chrome that is rusty and pitted. It can make things look almost like new. (I collect British sports cars from the ’50s and ’60s. You learn all…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago  (377+ words) DEAR HELOISE: I read L.C.’s letter about recycling mascara wands to clean hummingbird feeders. I wanted to share what I use if I need tiny applicators. I get 400 of them at a very small cost. They’re dental microbrush applicators that…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago  (623+ words) QUESTION: I want to buy a waterfront property with a septic system. What should I be aware of before doing so? ANSWER: New Hampshire has strict septic system inspection requirements prior to the sale of waterfront properties. Under RSA 485-A:39, any…...