Dear Home Ec 101, Do you have any tips for cleaning poop off of the cover of a cloth bean bag chair? The tag reads “Do not open under any circumstance.” It’s a $20 bean bag chair from Target and I don’t just want to “get anodder one” as my toddler suggests. As you may have guessed, the toddler was…
The Unappreciated Importance of Regular Toilet Cleaning
Dear Home Ec 101, I have a 9 month old baby girl and as she is becoming more mobile, it is becoming a lot more important to me to keep things really clean. She loves crawling into the bathroom and playing with those little plastic screw covers at the base of the toilet and as…
Removing Poop Stains from Carpeting: Potty Training Accidents
Dear Home Ec 101, My two year old has started potty training. She’s very good at taking off her clothes and getting naked, not so good yet at actually making it to the potty on time. So, I was wondering if you had any brilliant tips for cleaning toddler poop out of carpet? I do…
Cats in the Carpet
Dear Home-Ec 101, Our cat marks all areas of our house by peeing especially when another animal comes to visit or where she last marked. We are at our wit’s end…. is there any solution to this problem? Signed, Kitty Mama in Kalamazoo Ivy says: I know way more about cat behavior than any normal…
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…
Hiding the evidence: getting bloodstains out of fabric
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do I remove blood stains from fabric? Signed, Lizzie B. Ivy says: Turn yourself in, Dr. Michael Baden‘s on the case now, I hear. I’ll answer the question anyway, though; I hear we have quite the following in prisons all across the nation. Most everyone knows the old peroxide trick to…
Cleaning Up After the Dog Pees on the Linoleum
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do you get chewed up plastic off the carpet? My puppy and my big dog chew everything! When I had hardwood it was easy. . . carpet, not so much. Also, I have trained the puppy for the most part to pee outside, except for one area of the house. She…
A Naptime Diaper Travesty
Dear Home Ec 101: My daughter shredded her diaper before I knew she was awake. There are diaper crystals everywhere! The room smells like pee, can I vacuum it? I never knew a diaper had that much stuff. Horrified in Helena Heather says: Ay yi yi, there is nothing like body fluids to start a…
Answers to some of life’s questions
Ivy says: Kathy T over at Where’s the Mute Button asked us some questions. We at Home-Ec 101 are here to help, so here’s where I answer those questions. Kathy’s questions are in bold: 1. How to clean up *shart-stains. In case anyone was unaware, shart stains are those brown stains that mysteriously appear in…
Poop + Carpet = Nasty Mess
Dear Home-Ec 101, What is the best way to clean diarrhea off of carpet? I’ll spare you the exact details, but let’s just say it’s pretty heinous. Signed, Poopy in Peewauket Ivy says: Oh, dear. Clearly, your day has been crappier than mine, so I shall cut out the bad puns and get right down…