Dear Home-Ec 101,I love, love, love my sweaters! I anxiously await the autumn weather so I can wear them again. When I dry them in the dryer (even without heat) they get beat up and often the seam (especially where a turtle-neck is attached) will begin to unravel and fray. I have attempted hanging the …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m making my husband a velveteen cloak for Halloween, and it’s already got cat hair all over it just from measuring and cutting the fabric. Can I throw it in the washing machine, or does it have to be dry cleaned? Signed, Hairy in Hailey Heather says: Do not throw your velveteen …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I live in NH and have hard water well water, which has been staining all of our light colored clothing and towels since we moved here 6 years ago. I figure I probably can’t get out the stains in our towels by now, but to prevent future stains, and to be able …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Are soap nuts ok to use in my high efficiency washing machine? Since HE washers don’t agitate like standard top loading washers, I was curious if the soap nuts would be effective. Signed, Curious in Cupertino Heather says: I have never used soap nuts, so my answer is based on the manufacturer’s …
Dear Home-Ec 101, First off I just have to say I love ur site, as a 27 year-old, first time parent it has been a lifesaver. Really wish they would teach these things like they used to in schools. Once had a friend throw away a brand new pair of pants because they and their …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have black underarm stains on many of my shirts. That’s right —BLACK. It started happening after we moved to the western NC mountains, where we have well water, but it’s only my shirts—not my husband’s. I’ve tried changing deodorants (though I suspect they all have the same active ingredients) with no …
Heather says: This may come as a surprise to some, but your clothes dryer is not a magic box that dries your clothes with sunshine and warm, fuzzy thoughts. Well there are some warm fuzzies, but not of the rainbow and unicorn variety. For the most part, and this excludes the new dryers that steam …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I like to think that you get what you pay for. I often find this to be true which is why after coming down from my high at a Nordstrom sample sale, I’m a little peeved. You see, my two prized purchases a pair of dark skinny jeans and a fabulous black …
Heather says: I don’t quite know where to begin with this. I suppose I must say I find it ridiculous, mostly because when I wear jeans, they get dirty. Maybe, maybe if I had a super fancy, only wear-out-to-events pair of jeans, I would consider the jeans freezing trick an option. However, I’m not that …
Dear Home-Ec 101,I’ve recently noticed a layer of scum around the agitator. I’d probably find it throughout if I could get my head in there. Is there a way to get this out without scrubbing the thing?Signed,Build Me Up, Buttercup This response focuses on top-loading clothes washers, but the same problem often occurs in front-loading …