I live in a part of the country where our usual emergency preparedness includes being ready for hurricanes from June until the end of November, small tornadoes in the spring, and extremely rare earthquakes. 2020, of course, threw in plague and civil unrest.… Keep reading...
Fix It
How to Remove Smoke Stains from My Cupboards
Hi Home-Ec 101
I had a candle burning under the edge of my cabinet, and it got hot enough to burn it. Some of it is light, and some a pretty dark burn. I have attached pictures.
I tried baking soda and water, didn’t work. The furniture markers and crayons did not work. … Keep reading...
How to Remove Sticky Residue From Furniture
Dear Home-Ec 101,
My furniture has become very sticky after years of polishing it. Sticky to the point of having to give it a little pull to lift it off the furniture. Googling for a solution, I have used a mixture of water and vinegar.… Keep reading...
The Microwave Glass is Broken, Can I Still Use It?
Dear Home-Ec 101,
Not Me and I Didn’t Do It struck again. Do they ever visit your house? This time Not Me threw a ball in the kitchen and I Didn’t Do It Either batted it with the broom handle into the microwave or the broom handle itself hit the microwave.… Keep reading...
Why Do I Have Fruit Flies With no Fruit?
This week’s random pest question comes from Twitter:
Calling @HeatherSolos and her @HomeEc101 knowledge: How do you get rid of fruit flies? Note: There’s no fruit in the house.
Twitter
If I had suspected my friend had fruit flies, I would have suggested the following.… Keep reading...
How to Clean Hardwood After a Toilet Overflow
Q: How do I clean up my hardwood floors after a toilet overflows.
This question appeared as a comment on How to Clean Up After a Toilet Overflows
The difference between cleaning up toilet water on your typical bathroom flooring e.g.… Keep reading...
Bad Disaster Advice
I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the information being spread with regard to how to prepare for a disaster, like a hurricane.
Bad Advice I’ve Seen Circulating
Hotels must take your pets in due to a law passed after Hurricane Katrina.… Keep reading...
Why Is the Ice in my Ice Machine Melting?
Dear Home-Ec 101,
I have a fairly new ice machine at the beach, a house we use roughly every other weekend. Lately, the ice machine does not seem to be cold enough to keep the ice it makes frozen. I have vacuumed the coils, ran a “Clean cycle” with the cleanser, turned it off and completely cleaned and dried.… Keep reading...
Help, how do I get rid of drain flies?
Dear Home-Ec 101,
I have three window wells in my finished basement. I am forever finding little black dead flies. I have sprayed, thrown gallons of bleach and ammonia down the window wells. In the window wells I found something like yellow cocoons that I think they have built.
… Keep reading... Pantry Moths in Pasta
Dear Home-Ec 101,
I put my pasta in a new container to store in my pantry and still found moths. What did I do wrong and how can I prevent pantry moths in the first place?
Sincerely,
Bugged in Buckhead
Heather says
Unfortunately, pantry moths are a part of life.… Keep reading...
Hurricane Matthew – What We Learned
Heather says
I hope everyone is doing as well or better than can be expected. Last week, starting on Tuesday, it became readily apparent that Hurricane Matthew was coming for a visit. It was Thursday before we had a good idea of the type of visit he’d be paying.… Keep reading...
Help Washing the Walls – A reader question that wasn’t what I thought
Hello. My name is [redacted].
I need some people, maybe 2 or 3 to help me wash my walls before we paint them
and I’m wondering where I could look for someone who needs a bit of cash. The walls are dirty and need cleaning.… Keep reading...
Let’s Talk Life Skills
Heather says:
Over on the Home-Ec 101 Facebook fanpage someone asked:
What would be on your list of skills to know for a homemaker and adult in 2015?
This list is by no means complete:
- Prepare a meal without setting fire to the kitchen or poisoning guests.
How to Remove a Stuck Outdoor Flood Light
Dear Home-Ec 101,
I cannot remove a burned out flood light. I guess I have to break it first unless you have another suggestion.
Thanks,
Donna, in the Dark
.
Heather says
The good news is we have a couple of ideas to try before resorting to Hulk smash to remove the floodlight.… Keep reading...
How to Unclog a Kitchen Sink, Naturally
Dear Home-Ec 101,
Is there a “green” way to unclog the kitchen sink? I really hate having to use heavy drain cleaning chemicals. I have used boiling water (2 pots full) then the drain cleaner set 10= minutes followed by a pot of boiling water again. … Keep reading...