Heloise

Dear Heloise: Regarding favorite/least-favorite chores, I used to dislike folding laundry until I started seeing posts about different folding techniques on social media. Now I enjoy the numerous different ways of folding laundry items to minimize the space that they require. — Jerry A., in St. Louis

Jerry, I know what you mean. I saw one video on folding blue jeans, and it changed the way I fold mine. Below are a few more letters from readers who wrote in about their favorite/least-favorite chores. — Heloise

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HARD WATER FRUSTRATION

Dear Heloise: My least-favorite chore is cleaning the shower. It’s very difficult to get the hard water spots off the glass, and it’s physically tiring to get all the soap scum off the walls and floor. — Kathy R., via email

Kathy, we have this same problem where I live. Try taking a sponge or rag that is soaked in vinegar and wiping down the shower walls with it as soon as you finish showering. You can also buy various cleaners from a hardware store, which are designed to remove hard water deposits from shower walls. — Heloise

DUST BOWL

Dear Heloise: By far, my least-favorite chore is dusting. I’d rather scrub floors. Dusting is so useless. The dust just returns in minutes. — Criggle, in Colorado

Criggle, you might try using a damp (not wet, just barely wet) rag to dust furniture. The dampness helps to keep the dust from flying around. You also might want to vacuum first, then dust an hour later. Any dust that was thrown in the air will settle by then, and you’ll pick up more of it with the damp rag. — Heloise

NO ENJOYABLE CHORES

Dear Heloise: My least-favorite chore is remaking the bed after laundering. For someone who is 86 years old, wrestling with the mattress to put on the fitted sheet, tucking in the top sheet, and putting the bedspread back on is a real chore. As far as I’m concerned, there is no such thing as an “enjoyable chore.” — Rich, via email GOODBYE, WHITE STREAKS!

Dear Heloise: I have wrestled with preventing soap scum on dark clothing for years. Finally, one day, I decided to try putting vinegar in my fabric softener dispenser after wiping the inside clean with a damp paper towel. It works like a charm! No more white marks on my clothes. — Judy R., in Granville, Ohio

Judy, what a clever solution! Thank you so much for sharing your trick about using vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser to stop soap scum on dark clothes. I’m sure that many of my readers will be happy to try this. — Heloise

STERILE NEWSPAPER?

Dear Heloise: Newspapers are the opposite of dirty. They’re almost sterile because of the way they’re processed. Public health nurses used newspapers for clean surfaces during home visits. I, too, get ink on my hands, but I see it as another good reminder to wash my hands. — Kat B., in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Kat, I don’t think that I’d call a newspaper surface “almost sterile,” but you are correct when you say that it’s been used for a number of home visits and other things. I saw a woman use a newspaper to wrap a baby when the mother was stuck in a traffic jam many years ago.

For many years, newspapers were a part of every home, and we relied on them heavily. We read them, wrapped all sorts of things in them, covered up windows with them, and even made kites from them! — Heloise