Dear Home Ec 101:OK, here is a gross one for you ladies. How do I fix my smelly washer? It smells so nasty that it’s embarrassing. I have tried wiping it with bleach and water, and it just comes back. Should I air it out? Is it mildew or something worse? Signed,~Smelly in Smyrna Well, …
Ivy says: Kathy sent us a new set of Stupid Questions™ , and it came at the exact right time! I had a long, crappy day at work, yo- and I had big teeth repairs yesterday. Send flowers and hugs, yo! Anyway, on with answering the questions: 1. I have a lot of bookshelves. What …
Dear Home Ec 101: How do you make gravy? Does it all come from a jar? ~Dry in Dover Heather says: There is a knack to gravy, but it’s simple to make once you understand the secret. When the meat (roast, chicken etc.) has finished cooking, pour all of the drippings* into a fat separator. …
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do I remove blood stains from fabric? Signed, Lizzie B. Ivy says: Turn yourself in, Dr. Michael Baden‘s on the case now, I hear. I’ll answer the question anyway, though; I hear we have quite the following in prisons all across the nation. Most everyone knows the old peroxide trick to …
Dear Home-Ec 101, We’ve always had a problem with wasps (mud-daubers…are they the same?)….however, they seem to be much worse, and it seems they’ve arrived early…what can I do to get rid of them…or at least keep them to a minimum. Our back deck, back doors, and the back yard area, in general, are swarming. …
Dear Home Ec 101, In the bottom half of my freezer lies a turkey that’s been sitting there since mid-December. We got it free as a grocery store give away and I can’t bring myself to defrost that bird yet. Mostly because I don’t know what to do with it once I get it defrosted. …
Ivy says: Kathy T has provided us with a new list of questions! This one doesn’t actually involve any bodily fluids, much to our relief. So without further ado, here are the answers! 1. How can you easily clean artificial plants in your home without having to wipe 200 individual leaves and when the little …
Dear Home-Ec 101, My son’s shoes stink so badly it is smelling up my entire house. How do you get rid of the smell that is coming from his room? Signed, Need to breathe in Texas Ivy says: Conveniently, one part of this question has already been answered. Have your son try some of the …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I keep finding mold in my house at every turn – first it was the sippie cups that for over a year had been mold-free. Next, my dishwasher. I ran it with a mug of vinegar in the top rack in an otherwise empty dishwasher but it is still dirty and is …
Ivy says: Kathy T is at it again! She tells me she’s going to send me stupid questions as long as I’ll answer them, so here we go with yet another edition of Stupid Questions™. 1. Is it true that the chemical in soft drinks are strong enough to clean things? Eh, kind of. Coke …