Dear Home Ec 101, How can I make my husband help around the house? Signed, Nags Head, NC Heather says: I moved out quite young and lived with an interesting variety of roommates until I married. Different people have different standards of cleanliness and tolerance. If you are the Felix of your relationship, odds are …
You are not alone, we promise. There are plenty of people with super messy houses; it happens. Now you’ve just got to get it clean, and we know you can do it! There were a couple of questions in the comments we wanted to address. Angela wrote, “I always have the problem of once it …
Ivy says: I remember when I was in college, I didn’t feel like I had time or energy to deal with cleaning, so my house was constantly messy. My mom was constantly on me about making sure my house was clean. I’d get depressed for long stretches of time, and she told me if I’d …
Dear Home Ec 101:My husband and I both grew up in homes where the father worked, and the mother largely stayed home and attended to all of the household duties. We both work and sometimes have a hard time agreeing on who should be doing which chores, how often, and how well. I tend to …
Dear Home-Ec 101, My boyfriend has recently gotten bug bites, mostly on his right arm but other places as well (legs, etc.). They are small, red, and itchy. Smaller than mosquito bites. I haven’t gotten any. He thinks they happen more on a particular couch, but it’s hard to pinpoint (the bed and a computer …
Dear Mavens of Fabulosity, Our family went on a 3 week vacation only to come home to flock of little tiny gnats in the kitchen. The sink was clean, dishwasher clean and empty, but alas they were there and from where, I don’t know. I cleaned the sink again with Clorox. We don’t have a …
Dear Home Ec 101: I have several faux wood white blinds that I have stored in the garage. I want to use these now and they have -needless to say- their share of spider webs, dust and other weird things on them. What is the best way to clean them? Thanks! ~Dust in the Windows …
Dear Home-Ec 101, We have two dogs and two cats, all dark-haired. Our house is COVERED in pet hair-hardwood floors, carpeted floors, tiled floors and counters. Even the back of our television collects HUGE fur-balls. Help! How do I keep this under control without having to spend 2 hours a day sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, and washing? Our animals are taking …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I clean houses part time to bring in some additional income. . My newest client has severe allergies, no strong chemicals can be used in her home. Currently I’m using soap and water or a vinegar mix for most of the jobs, but her tub and shower combo are quite grungy, (not …
Dear Home-Ec 101, My kids whine incessantly when I ask them to help clean, and they do a halfhearted job when they finally clean. How do I get them to help out? Signed, Ripping my hair out in Riverdale Ivy says: I know what that’s like. My kids still put up a fuss about cleaning, …