Ivy says: So much I wanted to write about, but alas, I’ve been spending all night dealing with a crayon in the dryer disaster. Anyway, my loss is your gain, since I’m sure you’ll remember this and make sure to apply the lesson I learned: always check the pockets of every item that goes in…
How To Get Rid Of That Chemical Smell On New Clothes
Dear Home-Ec 101, Could you please tell me what that awful chemical smell is on some new jeans? How I can get rid of it? I tried adding 1 cup of vinegar in my wash with soap 3 times and they still stink. I really love the jeans and hope you have a solution for…
The battle of the build-up
Dear Home-Ec 101, Ok, so I’ve noticed that I continue to get a build up of either laundry soap or fabric softener on inside top of my washer, the actual drum thing..I don’t know what its called. How do I keep that to a minimum… It seems like I need to wipe it down every…
Mildewed misery
Dear Home-ec 101, In the course of my Grand Poobah of the Home duties, I forgot about a load of wash in the washing machine. Of course, it’s almost the entire wardrobe for both my children and the entire load *reeks* of mildew. I’ve rewashed the load at least three times now using a total…
No, I never have smelled mothballs
Hello ladies, Recently I bought a nice tote bag at an airport shop while travelling. As soon as I got it onto the plane, I realized it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeks of mothballs. How does one get rid of this smell; a smell that permeates everything it contacts? I tried Febreeze, I tried leaving it ouside overnight…still stinky….
How To Get Grease Out Of Jeans
Dear Home-Ec 101, My husband is an engineer and sometimes likes to get dirty helping the techs repair his machine. Usually the grease spots on his jeans come out with Spray-n-Wash (sometimes I have to treat them twice) or it’s a pair of junk jeans and I don’t bother to worry about it. But he…
Quick frugal tip about dryer sheets
Heather says: If you just cannot manage without dryer sheets, try cutting them in half. Yes, yes, it’s earth shattering, I know. Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Sodium percarbonate? What is it again?
Dear Home Ec 101: Where can I get sodium percarbonate? Thanks, Short and Sweet Heather says: Sodium percarbonate is the generic name for the active ingredient oxygen bleach products like Oxo-Brite, OxiClean, or Clorox Multi-Purpose Stain Remover. When dissolved in water it creates hydrogen peroxide and soda ash. The bleaching action is accomplished by the hydrogen peroxide; soda…
How to save time with the laundry | Quick Tip
Ivy says: Folding laundry takes a lot of time, so why are you folding your underwear? Seriously, guys, when is the last time you saw wrinkly underwear? If you’re in an auto accident and they have to strip all your clothes off, do you think the paramedics are going to laugh at your wrinkly underwear?…
Another quick look at laundry
Dear Home Ec 101, Your recent post about sorting laundry brought up a question I’ve been meaning to ask someone for years. What, exactly, is permanent press? Thanks! ~Baffled in Beaufort Heather says: We love the questions that find their way into our email inboxes. I never knew exactly what permanent press was, either. I’m…
How To Get Sweat Stains Out Of Clothes
Dear Home-Ec folk, Okay, here’s the thing. I’m sick and tired of replacing work shirts every year when the only thing wrong with them is they’ve gone a bit wiffy from being in contact with smelly armpits too often. How do you get that deep-seated, almost died-in-the-wool B.O. out of clothes so that they can again…
To sort, or not to sort, that is the question
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m a guy so I’m sure this sounds like a dumb question. I don’t do separate loads of whites and colors because my laundry consists of whites for underwear and work out clothes. It seems such a waste to use that much water for so few whites. Yea, I’d like the whites to be bright…
How To Remove Grass Stains and Puppy Pee
Dear Home-Ec 101, My daughter has a grass stain on her pretty little, made with love by Grandma, Easter dress. How can I get it out before we see Grandma again? My 13 year old dog has recently urinated on our carpet, for reasons unknown to us. How can I get that horrible odor out…
Ironing out a plan.
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m a guy, and like most guys my age, I have quite a collection of polo/collared shirts. Most of them have developed some sort of collar disease–some are flipped, some are curly, and some seem to have permanent folds. Is there some sort of laundry technique I can use to save these…
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