Heloise

Dear Heloise: One serious point about trying to replicate the wide plank floors of early American homes: The wood that you can obtain at a semi-reasonable cost is not the same as the antique stuff. It is of a different quality. It is wetter as it is not well-seasoned and often an entirely different species. Wide boards will be more apt to shrink and/or warp.

I grew up in some older homes with lovely oak wooden floors that were polished to “a treat,” as my grandmother would have said. I have several family members and friends who are very happy with the newer, not-as-expensive composition flooring that is available now. It looks very authentic but does require more careful use. You can not sand out scratches or marks. Most have tile in the high traffic/gritty areas, such as entry ways. — Pan L., in Arizona

Pan, I have been in some very old early-American homes on the east coast, and there is a beautiful charm to them. The early settlers cut down trees that had been growing for centuries. Today, most of these old trees are gone except for ones that are protected by state laws and by people who value the beauty of these old, deeply rooted trees. — Heloise

TUCKING IN SHIRTS

Deat Heloise: In reply to the inquiry of why women tuck part of their shirts into the front of their pants, my reason for doing so is to prevent my belt or the closure on my jeans from creating a hole in my T-shirts or other tops. My waist appears to be at the same level as my top, and if I don’t tuck shirts in the front of my pants, an automatic hole appears almost immediately! So annoying! — Cindy, in Kenosha, Wisconsin

Cindy, this is merely a brief fashion trend that will one day be gone, just like bouffant hairdos, bell-bottom jeans, and sit-ins. One day, we will all look back and wonder “What was I thinking?” when we wore something. I cringe every time I see myself in photographs wearing wide shoulder pads in the ’80s that made me look like a linebacker. — Heloise

PERCALE SHEETS

Dear Heloise: I have been reading your and your mother’s column for many years in the Colorado Springs Gazette, but I have never seen this problem addressed. It may not even be a problem for most readers, but it sure is for me:

I buy very good percale sheets for our beds, but no matter what, the edges of the top sheet always curl in and leave a permanent crease that cannot be ironed away. I like my top sheet, especially the top where it folds over the blanket, to be smooth. I do iron it, to no avail. Is there anything else I can do? Thank you. — Doris, in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Doris, the manufacturers recommend this: Take a dry bed sheet and place it in the dryer with a wet cloth for about 15-20 minutes. While the sheet is damp, use an iron on a low-heat setting and iron the area that had the crease.

If any of my readers have a suggestion that’s worked for them, we’d love to hear from you at Heloise@Heloise.com Let us know what you did to solve this problem or one like it. — Heloise

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