Dear Home-EC101 gurus, Every morning I shave my face to what I degree is an acceptable level of closeness, somewhere between a Geico caveman and a baby’s bottom. Too close leads to pimples and ingrown hairs, while not close enough leads to razor burn for my lady friend. [cue sexy background music] My problem comes …
Dear Home Ec 101:So, uh, how bad is it if I add a little liquid dish detergent when I’m running out of laundry detergent? I swear my momma didn’t raise me this way.~Bubbling in Beaumont Heather says: Chances are if you have some laundry detergent to add to a load of laundry you probably have …
Ivy says: From Twitter this morning: Geriatric cat peed on relatively new couch. Cushion doesn’t feel wet to touch, but when you sit down, you get a surprise. I think it’s all soaked into the middle of the cushions. they don’t detach completely. Argh. Twitter only gives you 140 characters, so you have to be …
Heather says: Apparently we’re having an unofficial week of Laundry Lovin’, here at Home Ec 101. Have you ever looked at the care label on your shirt only to find it covered in mysterious hieroglyphics? Well never fear, I have the Rosetta Stone for decoding those pictograms. Now you can wash with confidence.
Ivy says: I’ve been wanting to touch on this for awhile, but have been unsure of how to bring it up. It’s a multi-faceted discussion, so this post might get long. Or, it might not, since I’m the queen of conciseness. Sort of. Anyway, one of the things people say to me when they first …
Dear Home Ec 101:It seems like all my colored T-shirts come out of the washer with a few faint stains on the front. It looks like I spilled a drop or two of water on me when I put them on. It’s on them all, no matter what load they went into or what they …
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 …
Heather says: Commenter Keter raises some interesting points: Formaldehyde in clothing also makes it more flammable, and can cause contact dermatitis. Washing will remove the chemical treatment. Baking soda adsorbs (yes, that’s spelled right, it is a chemical process, no a physical one) some of it, but does not neutralize it. Try soaking the clothes …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I bought some new jeans and they smell strongly of chemicals? Could you please tell me what that awful chemical smell is on some new jeans? Also, how can I get rid of that chemical smell? I tried adding 1 cup of vinegar to wash with laundry detergent 3 times, and they …
Heather says: It’s back to school time in my neck of the woods. Try to have the rugrats in bed at a decent hour, lay out clothes (including shoes!) the night before, and check those backpacks. These simple routines help cut down on the morning scramble. Over the next few weeks I’ll supply some quick …