DEAR HELOISE: I recently found out something that I think should be shared with your readers. You printed a letter from a person who had a hint about allowing your electric toothbrush head to spin around for a few seconds after you rinse it so that it’d dry out faster. When I tried it, I noticed that the head I had on my toothbrush didn’t spin around.

Turns out, it was a cheap knock-off brand, and little did I know, some of these just vibrate for effect and don’t rotate or do a very good job of cleaning your teeth! So, I went back to the original, name-brand electric toothbrush heads. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to cut corners!

• N.K., in California

DEAR HELOISE: This is in response to the reader who wrote that she cleans her kitchen sponges by putting them on the top rack of the dishwasher when she runs a load of dishes. I, too, used to do the same until one day, the dishwasher wouldn’t drain. After a costly repair bill, the plumber showed me that the drain was clogged with eroded bits of sponge, as well as small fibers that comprised the scrubbing side of the sponges.

I now put sponges into a medium-size, fine-mesh laundry bag, and after a few times of running the dishwasher, I unscrew the drain to check for any sponge particles. To date, there haven’t been any problems, and the sponges stay intact.

Lori H., in California

DEAR HELOISE: I’ve found that with many burner dials, it’s difficult to easily see whether the burners are in the on or off position. So, I take a small fine-point paint pen that is usually bright yellow, and I paint a small dot at the top of the dial when it’s in the off position. My wife and I can easily glance at the stove and quickly determine that all of the burners and oven nozzles are in the off position. It has saved us a number of times from either leaving an unused burner on or burning a pot that was left on the stove.

• Jerry, via email

DEAR HELOISE: I find that our modern society seems to shun baths and opt for showers. People are in such hurried states these days. If they’d set aside even one day a week to relax in a warm/hot bathtub (maybe with bubbles?), I think they’d have less aching and a more relaxed attitude that would benefit them greatly. Yes, it may entail using more water, but what price can one put on a calm, relaxed body and mood?

Frank A., in Ventura, California

Frank, I think it’s just a matter of personal preference. For me, a bath means sitting in water with daily perspiration, body oils, dirt, and dead skin cells. I find a shower to be very relaxing at night and invigorating in the morning. Readers, how do you feel about showering versus bathing? Let us know at Heloise@Heloise.com.

• Heloise