Dear Home Ec 101, Is there a trick to not supergluing the lid onto the superglue tube? They have a tendency to turn into a one-time-use product! Signed, ~Stuck on You Heather says: There actually is a very simple solution for this problem. Coat the threads of the cap with petroleum jelly. Super glue is …
Dear Home Ec 101: My dishwasher just isn’t doing as great a job anymore. I haven’t changed anything: same soap, I scrape the plates, I still use a rinsing agent. What could be going on? Signed, My Dishwasher is a Dud Heather says: Did you know your dishwasher requires regular maintenance to provide consistently clean …
Dear Home-Ec 101, It seems every time we take something apart for storage, we manage to lose any screws that go with the items. How do you manage not to lose the screws? Signed, Not all who wander are lost, but my screws are gone forever Ivy says: Screws are wily little buggers and will …
Dear Home Ec 101: This is embarassing, but I can never remember which way to tighten a bolt. ~A nut with more than a few loose screws Heather says: Don’t be ashamed. If you have never been shown, how could you know? There is a simple rhyme to keep things straight: Lefty loosey, righty tighty. …
Ivy says: Those of you who have ever remodeled your home can totally relate to the title of this post. It’s living life on the edge of sanity, a strange half-life where you have entire useless rooms that you have to keep the kids out of and attempt to find time to work on the …
Dear Home Ec 101: Have you any idea how to get the smell of smoke and sweat out of car upholstery without making the entire vehicle reek of Febreze? Too much Febreze gives me a massive headache, although I’d almost prefer that over the reek of man sweat in my new (to me) car. ~Longing …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I cannot figure out where my dryer vent leads. Seriously, the washer and dryer hookups are in the middle of the house, where there is no wall touching the outside. The only thing I can figure is that it may be going into the crawl space beneath the house. Do I really …
Dear HomeEc 101: My wife and I live alone without dogs, cats, children, or other pests. Until recently. Immediately after a painter touched up a ceiling and protected our hardwood floors with a drop cloth, we began to find fleas in our house. 3 flea bombs and 1 pest control visit later, we still have …
Heather says: Let’s give my pal Crystal a round of applause. She saved herself $95 by tackling basic home appliance repair. Not too bad for 1.5 hours worth of work, including the trip to the part store. She IMed me asking if I knew anything about dryer repair. I suggested she check and see if …
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 …