How Does Your Water Affect Your Laundry?

Hard Water and Iron in the Laundry

Dear Home-Ec 101, I have well water and found out that using bleach in the wash will turn my cloths brownish. And yes they have become dingy and not as bright.  What can I use, if anything, to make them white again or keep this from happening again to newer cloths I get? And also …

Read more

Removing Peanut Butter from Nubby Upholstery/Fabric

How to remove spilled peanut butter from nubby fabric

Dear Home-Ec101, My husband dripped peanut butter on our nubby weave couch and rubbed it in when he tried to clean it off. Can you tell me and your readers how to get messes like this out without further ruining the upholstery? Signed, Excuse the Mess, We Just Live Here I dream of the day when …

Read more

How Much Vinegar Should I Use in the Laundry?

How much vinegar should you use instead of fabric softener in a high efficiency washing machine?

Dear Home-Ec 101, I read your information on why liquid fabric softener causes stains on dark clothing and that you use white vinegar instead. I have a front loading machine. How do I add the vinegar and how much? Sincerely, Washing in Walhalla Dear W.W., To add the vinegar to your washer, use either the …

Read more

Wilted Spinach Salad with Peppered, Candied Bacon

Spinach Salad with Candied Bacon

Spinach salad: Toss ingredients in a large bowl, and reserve some egg and bacon for garnish. Optional additions: Candied Peppered Bacon Preheat oven to 425. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, watch closely. Drain on …

Read more

Home-Ec101.com Is turning 10

Home-Ec101 is turning 10 and it’s about to get personal. If you don’t want to know the back story, we’ll see you next week. We could just talk about the numbers, more than 16 million people have visited and read more than 30 million pages of this site. I can no longer wrap my head …

Read more

Can I Mix [cleaning product] with Bleach

Household chemicals can be dangerous if used incorrectly Home-Ec101.com wants you to keep your home clean and more importantly safe

Dear Home Ec 101, I love your site! Love the 50’s look! I want to mop with bleach once a month to help keep our grout white, but mopping with bleach and water does not seem to clean the floor well. Your site came up when I googled which cleaners/soaps can safely be mixed with …

Read more

Tackling Difficult Stains on a Smooth Top Stove

How to clean a very stained smooth top range

Dear Home Ec 101, I am well acquainted with the razor blade to clean the dried food spots on my smooth-top stove; however, there are “places” on my stove that cannot be felt with the fingers, and there is nothing to scrape with the razor blade, they’re just mars, I guess. I have a less …

Read more

How to Fix Dye Stains in the Dryer

How to remove denim stains from the dryer

Dear Home-Ec 101, I’ve noticed inside the drum of my dryer that there are blue and gray streaks, they look like they are from jeans. How do I get rid of these stains in my clothes dryer? Sincerely, Blue in Bluffton Heather says The simplest thing you can do is to close the dryer door …

Read more

Wash the Walls, Really?

Washing walls before painting helps the new paint adhere better, saving time and effort

Dear Home Ec 10, My living room desperately needs to be painted and I’ve rounded up a few friends willing to help sell their time for beer and pizza.  I really want to do this right, is it true that I have to wash the walls before I paint? Signed, Short-Cut Shelby Heather says: Look at it …

Read more

Pantry Moths in Pasta

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?

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. We can take a lot …

Read more