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Home Ec 101

Skills for everyday living.

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Eco-Friendly

How to Reduce Lint

September 16, 2015 By Heather Solos 17 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

How to Stop Lint Before It Starts

Dear Home Ec 101,
My husband just started a new job that has him wearing dress slacks -like Dockers- and dress shirts instead of the jeans and t-shirts he’s always worn.  Even though I wash and dry them separetely (to avoid any ironing!)… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Wash It Tagged With: Eco-Friendly, Frugal Living, Smart Living

Is Vinegar an Acceptably Safe Alternative for Chlorine Bleach when Disinfecting

December 4, 2014 By Heather Solos 25 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dear Home Ec 101,

Can one substitute vinegar -lots of it- for the bleach when cleaning and disinfecting?
I can’t be around bleach, it triggers SEVERE migraines.

Signed,
Pickled in Pickens

home ec logoHeather says:

There are certain times where I am reluctant to give a hard answer.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: Clean It Tagged With: Bleach, Cleaning 101, Eco-Friendly, Food Safety, Smart Living, Vinegar

What About Soap Nuts?

October 18, 2011 By Heather Solos 7 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

soap nuts for washing clothes

Dear Home-Ec 101,
Are soap nuts ok to use in my high efficiency washing machine? Since HE washers don’t agitate like standard top loading washers, I was curious if the soap nuts would be effective.
Signed,
Curious in Cupertino

soap nuts for washing clothes

Heather says:

I have never used soap nuts, so my answer is based on the manufacturer’s claim, my understanding of chemistry, anecdotal evidence, and a huge pet peeve.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: Wash It Tagged With: Detergents, Eco-Friendly, laundry, soap nuts, Washing Machine

How to Use Rubbing Alcohol Safely

April 13, 2011 By Heather Solos 8 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

rubbing alcohol safety

Heather says:

This is another post in the series on household chemicals. Rubbing alcohol is frequently recommended by frugal and green bloggers for use as household cleaner, and needs to be used with care.

rubbing alcohol safetyRubbing alcohol is a general term that most often refers to isopropanol, but can also refer to ethanol.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Clean It Tagged With: Blinded by Science, Common Household Chemicals, Eco-Friendly, Frugal Living, Safety, Smart Living

How to Use Vinegar and Borax in the Laundry

January 21, 2011 By Heather Solos 28 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

HOW TO USE VINEGAR AND BORAX IN THE LAUNDRY

Dear Home Ec 101
You mentioned using vinegar or borax to remove detergent build-up from towels.  We have hard water in our area and I believe this could be a problem for us, even though I haven’t had a problem with odor. … Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Wash It Tagged With: Eco-Friendly, Frugal Living, laundry, laundry odor, Smart Living, Stains

20 Quick Tips for Using Leftover Coffee or Coffee Grounds

December 13, 2010 By Heather Solos 8 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It seems like no matter what amount of coffee I make there is always a half-cup of leftover coffee in the pot at the end of day. I hate wasting it.

Dear Home Ec 101,
It seems like no matter what amount of coffee I make there is always a half-cup of leftover coffee in the pot at the end of day. I hate wasting it. Are there any handy uses around the house or garden for leftover coffee?… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Drink It Tagged With: Ask the audience, Eco-Friendly, Reader Questions, Smart Living

The Unappreciated Importance of Regular Toilet Cleaning

November 19, 2010 By Heather Solos 8 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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 much as I try to wipe down that area it is never really free of grime and hair.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Clean It Tagged With: Bathroom, Body Fluids, Cleaning 101, Eco-Friendly, Germs, toilet

Removing Candle Soot from the Wall

October 1, 2010 By Heather Solos 15 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

how to remove candle soot from paint

Dear Home Ec 101,
I am a 25 years old mother. My daughter just started her terrible twos and I need some me time. A great way for me to relax is to curl up on the sofa once she is asleep, light some candles and put my iPod on.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: Clean It, Fix It Tagged With: Conscientious Consumers, Eco-Friendly, Reader Questions, Smart Living

Vinegar as a Dishwasher Rinse Aid

September 27, 2010 By Heather Solos 14 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

white vinegar

Dear Home Ec 101,

Can white vinegar be used as a natural dishwasher rinse aid?  It seems that I remember reading that somewhere. White vinegar seems as though it would be more environmentally friendly and less expensive than the commercial dishwasher rinse aid products.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Clean It, Fix It Tagged With: Eco-Friendly, Frugal Living, Smart Living

Let’s Talk About the Voluntary Phosphorus Ban in Household Detergent

September 21, 2010 By Heather Solos 14 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Heather says:

Some of you may have noticed that there has been a change in the formula of your Automatic Dishwashing Detergent, others may have just picked up a new box as usual, without paying much attention. Sixteen states including: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, have instituted strict restrictions on the amount of phosphorus that automatic dishwashing detergents can contain.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All, Clean It, Fix It Tagged With: Conscientious Consumers, Detergent, Dishes, Dishwashers, Eco-Friendly, Smart Living

How to Get Rid of Ants in Compost

September 14, 2010 By Heather Solos 12 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dear Home Ec 101,

Every time I have tried composting, it gets full of ants and I freak out and spray the compost pile. That’s probably not so good, eh? Is it okay for a compost pile or bin to be full of ants?… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All Tagged With: ants, Composting, Eco-Friendly, From the comments, Frugal Living, Gardening, Pests, Smart Living

Passive Composting, Win Win I Say

September 10, 2010 By Heather Solos 29 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Heather says:

I’m not a gardener. Every once in a while -usually in late winter- I have these grand ideas that it’s going to happen and suddenly I’ll have the time and energy to invest in the garden. Then life shows up and it sits on my bucket list for a while longer.… Keep reading...

Filed Under: All Tagged With: Compost, Composting, Eco-Friendly, Passive Composting, Smart Living

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