Dear Home-Ec 101,Do you need to use hot water to kill germs in the laundry? What about COVID? I work with kids, so I’m around germs all day. I do all the standard stuff. I wear a mask and wash my hands frequently. I also change as soon as I get home, but what about … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do you get out set-in stains, especially in clothes?They have been there a while. I don’t want to have to throw these tops out. Signed,Teresa the Terse in Terra Haute Heather says, I wish I were more comfortable on camera. Sometimes long answers, like those about set-in stains, are better heard than … Read more
Yes, it’s still 2020. How? Good question. This month, I took a cue from my friend Amiyrah Martin of 4hatsandfrugal.com. We’ve been friends for a very long time, and I keep up with her on Instagram, you can find me there, too, but I don’t do a lot Home-Ec stuff; it’s mostly family life stuff. … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101,A couple of months ago, blue stains started appearing in the armpits of my light colored shirts, and on the darker shirts, there were even darker, but more normal looking, stains after the shirts were washed. At first, I thought the issue was the natural deodorant I had started using, but even after I switched … Read more
I was minding my own business at work yesterday when a dear friend texted me a link to a tweet, with the comment, “This kid needs Home-Ec 101.com.” My 20 year old cousin got his own apartment and it's going pretty well pic.twitter.com/SaPSogpo0r — Henpecked Hal (@HenpeckedHal) October 8, 2020 I started laughing. I want … Read more
As I write this, many people are under shelter in place orders. While we are allowed to go to work for an essential job, to exercise (walk the dog), to go to the doctor/pharmacy, or to the store, our primary role in this pandemic is to stay home. Yes, it sucks. It could be so … Read more
This post was written in July of 2010. Ten years have passed and it’s more relevant than ever. I want to emphasize that I am not saying hoard all of the toilet paper. As you make your trips to the grocery store just set a little aside each time. If this gets worse, you will … Read more
It has been a very long week at our house. Hurricane Dorian and a newborn* worked together to ensure we are all very short on sleep and patience. While I’m glad that our state government orders evacuations in plenty of time, the wait can get very stressful. There’s only so many times you can refresh … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I saw your email reply to someone asking why they were getting grease-like stains on their clothing after washing them. Your reply said it was from a liquid fabric softener. The problem is I don’t use fabric softener, and I get these grease like spots on my clothing quite regularly. I cannot … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, We’ve been married for nearly 25 years, and for about 7 or 8 years now, his pillowcase and [upper] part of the sheet reeks! I DON’T SEE how he can stand it. I’m not sure if it’s oil or sweat; he does have very oily skin. I read your advice to someone … Read more