LOVE HELOISE: I am writing in response to your column that appeared in the Washington Post on Thursday, February 18, 2021 and opened with your advice to readers on tankless water heaters. You have only told one page that lists the potential positive benefits of this technology. Unfortunately, that’s not even half the story.
I planned with my HVAC specialist to have a new stove and air conditioning installed in my Maryland home. I asked him and my plumber if he wanted to go to a unit without a tank. Her answer was a flat one: “Don’t do it.”
A water heater seems to save energy costs, but those savings will never be enough to cover the higher cost of the tankless run and the additional installation costs, and not add any significant value to my home.
Cynthia, thanks for the great email! Much to think about.
Ewww …
LOVE HELOISE: I am writing in response to Kathryn L. from Michigan who wrote that her family has been using a towel for a week and believes the towel is clean and can be used for an extended period (February) because they are clean after bathing . 18).
In reality it is right, but it is also wrong. There is no floor, but these towels are contaminated with dead skin cells that the towel has peeled off. These skin cells are a growth medium for bacteria in the air, and colonies of bacteria will live and grow on them after about 48 hours.
Some of the bacteria are harmless, but not all, depending on what’s in the air or what’s brought into the home. I’m not saying that if she wishes she shouldn’t, but I think people should be aware of all the facts when making a choice.
Count crackers
LOVE HELOISE: I always enjoyed your column. Keep it up. Here’s my hint: when my daughters were young enough to be excited about their upcoming birthdays but not old enough to fully understand days and weeks, I took two small bowls and counted the days until their birthday.
I put so many goldfish crackers in each bowl. We kept the bowls on the kitchen table and every morning with breakfast they ate a goldfish and could “see” how many days were left before their birthday. It worked wonderfully.
– Terrilynn K., by email
Organization Nation – Cheese Guide
LOVE HELOISE: We love cheese in my family and freshly grated is just better, fresher and tastier. We use the old-fashioned metal box grater “Knuckle-Buster”, but turn it on its side. The grated cheese collects in the grater and not on the counter.
LOVE HELOISE: When I make my bed every morning, I use a lint roller on the bottom sheet to pick up whatever was left on the sheet during the night. i.e. hair, dirt, lint, etc.
– Joyce B., Sebring, Fla.
Send notices to Heloise, PO Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or email [email protected].
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