There are two places where I still have to protect (using ear muffs) when I am there -- the market and the Laundromat. They are still both simply too loud for me to deal with at the moment. I do have the muffs with me when I'm out, but try not to overprotect. The sound sensitivity can vary from day-to-day; this past week, with the Fourth of July celebrations in the states, I protected more because of the fireworks, crowds, loud parades, etc. (I did not attend any of those events but there were more people, cars, motorcycles, etc. in the streets than usual, and during the fireworks I wound up using the earmuffs in the house because I live quite near where they were being shot off.) The last two times I used a vacuum cleaner I also used muffs. I'm really trying not to overdo it, though, but if my body sense is telling me to protect around something then I do it, even if it's for less than a minute. It's tough to know sometimes when it's necessary and when it isn't. This is the learning curve, I guess!
Mystery Reader