Oh, great Home-Ecers, We had a leak inside the wall behind our pantry during a bad storm last year. We repaired the leak, cleaned out the pantry, and got rid of the mold. But now we have another plague. Silverfish! I hate those slippery little [censored, because my grandma reads this site], and I know …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have cave crickets in my house. These things are nasty. Luckily, the cats make sure they are quickly turned into cave cricket carcasses. I’m wondering, though, if this indicates a problem of some kind with the house (gaps that need closing, etc.). Signed, Lemony Crickets Ivy says: I had to go …
Dear Home Ec 101: Have you any idea how to get the smell of smoke and sweat out of car upholstery without making the entire vehicle reek of Febreze? Too much Febreze gives me a massive headache, although I’d almost prefer that over the reek of man sweat in my new (to me) car. ~Longing …
Dear Home Ec Gurus, My husband and I have been house hunting lately and tonight we think we have found The One. There’s only one little problem with our dream home: it smells a bit of moth balls. I’m hoping that most of the stench is attached to the current owners’ furniture, but some of …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I cannot figure out where my dryer vent leads. Seriously, the washer and dryer hookups are in the middle of the house, where there is no wall touching the outside. The only thing I can figure is that it may be going into the crawl space beneath the house. Do I really …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Is there any way to keep rice good in the fridge? I love that nice and sticky rice they give you from take-out Chinese places, and I’ve never been able to recreate it, so I usually keep it in the fridge for the next day or so. When I heat it back …
Dear Home Ec 101: We just moved into a home with white mosaic tile in the bathroom. The grout is sealed. How do I clean it and what was I thinking? Going Grungy in Groten Heather says: I have no idea what you were thinking. White? Tan, speckled, khaki, brown, anything but white! Poor thing, …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Okay, I live in Taipei, Taiwan, and, as you may or may not know, it never stops raining here during the winter. It’s gotten so bad that my toes are wet nearly every day for hours (until I can get home to change). It’s anoying the sin out of me, so I’ve …
Dear HomeEc 101: My wife and I live alone without dogs, cats, children, or other pests. Until recently. Immediately after a painter touched up a ceiling and protected our hardwood floors with a drop cloth, we began to find fleas in our house. 3 flea bombs and 1 pest control visit later, we still have …
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, …