Home-Ec Guest Dear Home-Ec 101, Red Kool-Aid strikes again. This time on my new granite. How can I get it off? Signed, Cherry Ivy says: Kool-Aid (especially red) was invented in 1959 by Fidel Castro. It was originally meant to oppress Cuban housewives even further, by causing red stains all over their countertops, thereby making them have …
Dear Home-Ec 101, We are currently dealing with an invasion of clover mites in our two bathtubs. The current method of eradication involves flushing them down the drain with hot water when bathtime rolls around. Any non-chemical advice for letting them know they’re not welcome around here? They’re driving me buggy. Signed, A mite irritated …
Ivy says: Kathy sent us a new set of Stupid Questions™ , and it came at the exact right time! I had a long, crappy day at work, yo- and I had big teeth repairs yesterday. Send flowers and hugs, yo! Anyway, on with answering the questions: 1. I have a lot of bookshelves. What …
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 …
Dear Home-Ec 101, We’ve always had a problem with wasps (mud-daubers…are they the same?)….however, they seem to be much worse, and it seems they’ve arrived early…what can I do to get rid of them…or at least keep them to a minimum. Our back deck, back doors, and the back yard area, in general, are swarming. …
Ivy says: Kathy T has provided us with a new list of questions! This one doesn’t actually involve any bodily fluids, much to our relief. So without further ado, here are the answers! 1. How can you easily clean artificial plants in your home without having to wipe 200 individual leaves and when the little …
Dear Home-Ec 101, My son’s shoes stink so badly it is smelling up my entire house. How do you get rid of the smell that is coming from his room? Signed, Need to breathe in Texas Ivy says: Conveniently, one part of this question has already been answered. Have your son try some of the …
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 …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I keep finding mold in my house at every turn – first it was the sippie cups that for over a year had been mold-free. Next, my dishwasher. I ran it with a mug of vinegar in the top rack in an otherwise empty dishwasher but it is still dirty and is …
Dear Home-Ec 101, What’s the best plan of attack if I need to make the house *look* clean for visiting parents or (especially) in-laws, but I don’t necessarily have the time or desire to do it up right? In other words, what spots do I absolutely have to hit to make it look like cleanly, …