Heather says: The short answer? Door mats, welcome mats, and runners can extend the life of your flooring. Don’t believe me? It takes an average of six to ten steps for all of the dirt on shoes to fall away and let’s face it, not everyone is diligent about wiping their feet. All but the …
Dear Home-Ec 101,There is a musty / mildew smell in my home, but I’m having issues locating the source of the smell. As far as I can tell, it’s restricted to one bedroom. I’ve examined all of my clothing, removed the air conditioner, checked all of the furniture, and even the air ducts. I’m guessing it …
The floor of a home is the canvas that family life gets lived on. Sometimes it is a fresh clean canvas and other times it is full of stains and spots. It often gets overlooked, but keeping it in good shape does improve the room. Here are some articles about taking care of flooring; there are …
Dear Home Ec 101, How often should you vacuum? I want to know to settle a debate, and I will have to vacuum my friend’s place if I’m wrong. And can you tell us WHY I’m right? Sincerely, I May Be OCD, but at Least my Carpet Tracks are Straight Heather says: Friendly wagers on …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I recently officially moved out of my parents house. I was living in a condo while at school, but got a house with my fiance, and have been moving a lot of my old stuff from their house into our new home. While I was away at college though, my sister’s cats …
Dear Home-Ec 101, What is your recommendation for having carpet professionally steam cleaned (whether to do so, and, if so, how frequently)? In other words, can you tell me how to clean my carpet? Signed, Dingy in Dillon Heather says: The basics of carpet cleaning are pretty standard. However, it is important to adhere to your …
Dear Home-Ec 101:I did some awesome cleaning in my closet and swapped out my winter for summer stuff. I noticed my closet has a funky shoe odor. I googled it and saw a lot of ideas for getting rid of the shoe smell, but I trust Home-Ec 101 ideas more. Signed,Imelda Marco, I’m Not The …
Dear Home Ec 101, I recently moved some furniture only to discover rust rings on my carpet. Can you help me figure out how to safely remove the rust stains from my carpeting? Thanks! Rusty in Rucksburg Heather says: Whatever you do, do not get chlorine bleach anywhere near the rust stains. Bleach sets rust …
Dear Home Ec 101, My two year old has started potty training. She’s very good at taking off her clothes and getting naked, not so good yet at actually making it to the potty on time. So, I was wondering if you had any brilliant tips for cleaning toddler poop out of carpet? I do …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Our cat marks all areas of our house by peeing especially when another animal comes to visit or where she last marked. We are at our wit’s end…. is there any solution to this problem? Signed, Kitty Mama in Kalamazoo Ivy says: I know way more about cat behavior than any normal …