Dear Home Ec 101, Last night, I left an aluminum pot on a burner I thought I had turned off. I served dinner and by the time I came back to it, all I found was a pan full of burnt food. Is my aluminum pot ruined? How do I remove the mess? Signed, Tempted to …
Dear Home Ec 101, I love having my home grown bacon or sausage on the weekend, but how do I get rid of the horrible grease smell after I have enjoyed breakfast? Signed, Bacon Bits Heather says: The aroma of cooking food is a mixed blessing at best. The odors drift throughout the house as …
Dear Home-Ec 101, One of my darling monsters spilled acrylic paint on my laminate counters. Then, being the smart little cookie he is, he placed one of my cookbooks over the stain to hide the mess. I don’t know when this happened, but it was long enough to let the paint dry. I don’t care …
Dear Home Ec 101, My spouse, it’s not me, no never me, has a bad habit of leaving his dirty plastic containers in the back of his car. I have to tell you, they are FUNKY. How do I remove the bad odor? Signed, Smelly in Smyrna Heather says: I feel your pain. First let’s …
Dear Home Ec 101, How does one remove dried milk from wood? Every low surface in my kitchen (chair legs, table legs, cabinets) is full of dried milk spots from spills that always go farther and cover more area than you can initially see. No matter how I try to clean them, I get the …
Dear Home Ec 101,Any suggestions for cleaning a burned pan? It is glass, and I am hesitant to use steel wool on it. The glass cleaners don’t seem to be helping.Signed,Bummed in Burnsville Dear Bummed in Burnsville: Always listen to your gut. If you used the steel wool you’d remove the food, but in the …
Ivy says: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from people wondering, “Where do you start when your house is a mess?” Yes, sometimes it is very overwhelming when pretty much everywhere is a disaster. I ask people: “What bothers you the most? Start there.” Now, the answer does differ some, but largely …
Dear Home Ec 101, How in the WORLD do you clean off the reflectors on the stove top after you’ve successfully made them the most horribly dirty items in your house? I am down to one burner that I can use without setting my fire alarms off! Signed, ~Smells Like Smoke in Smallville Heather says: …
Dear Home Ec 101, I just had a kitchen fiasco and you ladies were the first people I thought of after it happened! I burned carrots… how do you burn carrots? Anyway, while dumping the carrots in the trash the plastic bag that the carrots came in, that was in the trash can, jumped up …
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 …