Dear Home Ec 101, I received a duck down comforter as a gift last Christmas. The tag says to have it taken to the dry cleaners, but not only would it be a pain, it wouldn’t be easy on the wallet. Now, I love my comforter. But I’m so terrified to wash it on my …
Ivy says: My latest in bathroom reading has been a book of household hints from 1970. Some of the hints are useful, some of them are truly amusing in their datedness, some of them are perplexing. Something that really struck me was this quote: “There is no point in embroidering or buying a ‘Welcome’ mat …
Dear Home Ec 101, I was hoping you could help me with a cleaning problem I have been having lately. I can’t get my floors clean! No matter if I wash the floor on my hands and knees or if I use a mop, there’s still a dirt residue that will not go away. I …
Ivy says: Today was just a day of wrapping up loose ends- putting the curtains back up, finishing up the holiday decorating, finishing up laundry. You know the routine. Another thing I did yesterday and finished up today was sorting and neatening and de-cluttering all my holiday stuff. My mom has an easy way of …
Ivy says: I am so sorry I didn’t update yesterday, my darling Home Eccers. It was my dad’s birthday and we got home much later than I anticipated. Yesterday’s fall cleaning task was to hunt down all the laundry that was hiding under beds, in closets, and any other place it might be hiding. That’s …
Ivy says: It’s been so long since it’s rained in Nashville that I nearly took the day off cleaning to dance in the rain. Today, we’re washing walls. I like to mix up a bucket of something that smells fabulous- currently I’m digging Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Geranium All Purpose Cleaner. It makes the whole …
Ivy says: My kids are on fall break this week, and the weather is spectacular, which means it’s time for fall cleaning! I think fall cleaning is actually more important than spring cleaning- you want to get your house as clean as possible before the busy holiday schedule starts. Plus, I like to throw open …
Ivy says: I have a longstanding agreement with my friends from both in town and out of town. You’re welcome to come see me anytime, whether it’s short notice or if you schedule weeks in advance. Just come on. I want to see you. I’m often tested on that, and people have come to my …
Ivy says: When I worked as a professional maid, sometimes the boss would come into a house we had just cleaned and would do what she called “the white glove test.” She’d wear a white pair of gloves and check areas we were supposed to have cleaned, and if so much as a smudge appeared …
Dear Home Ec 101, My cats seem to drop enough fur to make a few new cats on my furniture every day. It’s ridiculous. How can I both prevent this and keep my furniture fur-free? Thanks, Fuzz Butt Ivy says: There are several things you can do to help keep the pet hair at bay. …