Dear Home-Ec 101, I’ve seen a couple of posts where you’ve mentioned that sunlight is a disinfectant… I wondered if you had any idea how effective it actually is, and whether the temperature outside influences its effectiveness? I hang my laundry outside to dry whenever possible (generally when it’s above freezing) but a recent cold/flu …
Dear Home-Ec 101,I love your website, your tips have been extremely helpful to me. I have a question, though, whose answer I couldn’t find in your archives. Maybe you can help me out? I don’t have a washer at home, so I take most of my laundry to a laundromat. I’ve been washing my dishcloths …
Hello, Home Ec 101! I’m so glad I found you, considering the poor grade I got in school in the class. I’ve managed along over the years, honing my sewing skills, cleaning skills and, ahem, well the cooking part still would get a well-deserved C. Anyway, I need help or suggestions. My beloved husband was …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have a grey t-shirt that has significant memories and it has a grease blotch or something in it. Not sure, honestly. I’ve tried everything to remove it and give up. The stain is above the belly button location. So an odd place. However, I wondered how I might make a bleach …
Folding laundry is a giant pain in the rear, but it’s something that everyone (except those who pay for laundry service) has to do. I’ve taught all three of my children (currently 9, 7, and 5) how to fold a t-shirt quickly. If they can manage this simple shirt folding technique, you can, too. One …
Heather says: We have talked about fabric softener and dryer sheets ad nauseum on this site. We’ve talked about how fabric softeners can make your towels less absorbent. How some of you hate the smell of vinegar in the laundry. We know that dryer sheets have a few serious problems: Many are made from polyester …
Dear Home Ec 101, OK, Heather, help me out here! I’m about to have a baby, and while I’m loving all the hand-me-downs we’ve gotten, but I’m at my wit’s end trying to get the stench of fabric softener out of them. 🙁 I have really severe skin allergies, and all the laundry soap I …
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m not always great about making sure my towels get dried the same day they are washed. This leads to them smelling like mildew. Will the smell go away? Can I do anything to make it go away? Or did I just ruin all my towels? Signed, Mildewed in Minneapolis Heather …
Dear Home Ec 101, After doing yard work this weekend, my dear husband has poison ivy. What is the best way to launder his clothes and keep the resin from spreading through the laundry? Signed, Trying to Contain the Irritant Heather says: You’re in luck! Removing poison ivy from clothing isn’t that difficult, you just need …
Dear Home Ec 101, I read that I should wash clothes in cold water when doing laundry to save energy. However, I was taught to wash everything in warm water. Can my socks, toddler clothes, and my husband’s workout clothes get truly clean using cold water? Signed,Tepid in Topeka When I first launched this site …