Fixit: Set car headrest correctly for safety

Q What is the correct placement of the car headrest in relation to the head?

A It's a good question considering that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that up to 90 percent of vehicles have their head restraints positioned incorrectly. A properly positioned head restraint will minimize neck injury in a crash, especially from a rear-end collision.

The general recommendation is that the top of the head restraint be positioned so that it is at the same level as the passenger's eyes. In other words, the bulk of the head restraint is directly in line with the passenger's ears. And the passenger's head should be close to the restraint, a space of no more than 4 inches.

Dusty bathroom vexes Q Why is my bathroom always the dustiest room in my house? The window is closed, yet dust accumulates. I wet-mop it weekly and always pull out long "strings" of wet dust from under the tub. The rest of my house just doesn't get this dusty.

A About 5,000 possible ingredients make up dust. The location of the problem -- the bathroom -- offers clues as to why it might be the dustiest place in your house.

Toilet paper and facial tissue put out a lot of fibers that become dust. Take a roll of toilet paper or a box of tissues, stand in a stream of sunlight and start unrolling or pulling tissues and you will see the cloud of dust being released.

Towels, rugs and curtains also shed fibers that contribute to dust.

These fibers and particles float and circulate on air currents. In areas where the current slows, such as in corners or under furniture, the particles fall to the floor. Once there, they snag or collect more particles until there's a large cluster, commonly called a dust bunny (or wool mouse, "wollmaus" in Germany).

You can't get rid of the dust generators in the bathroom -- you need tissue, toilet paper, towels -- but you can try various brands to see if it makes a difference.

Consider changing the filter on your furnace. If it's the standard, nonpleated filter, it should be changed every month. However, you will get better dust control with better furnace filters, typically pleated ones. They are more expensive but generally aren't changed monthly. Read the package for directions.

Otherwise, just continue cleaning up the dust bunnies.