Hi, Home-Ec 101, I just read your article on Hydrogen Peroxide. I just love your website! I was wondering what you use to disinfect/sanitize your kitchen counters. I am trying to find something natural and have a hard time finding information on what actually kills bacteria, germs, etc. I read one way to kill bacteria/germs … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101: I live in Hurricane Country and there are often boiling water advisories after a storm. How long am I supposed to boil the water before it is safe to drink? ~Avoiding the Runs in Ravenel Heather says: Boil water advisories are much more common than you may think. Advisories can be … Read more
Heather says: I received a concerning email, yesterday, that made me realize it was time to send this post out again as a reminder. This is the first in our series on household chemicals. Over the past few years, I have gotten the impression that many people are using chlorine bleach in an unsafe manner. Chlorine … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have a refrigerator in my garage and for the last few weeks I have noticed the freezer isn’t as cold as it should be. Should I be worried? More importantly, is the food safe? The vegetables seem a little soft. Sincerely, It’s Frickin’ Freezin’ , Mr. Bigglesworth Heather says Garage refrigerators … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, Can one substitute vinegar -lots of it- for the bleach when cleaning and disinfecting? I can’t be around bleach, it triggers SEVERE migraines. Signed, Pickled in Pickens Heather says: There are certain times where I am reluctant to give a hard answer. In our litigious climate, I’m sure you can understand my … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I need help! I like my milk very, very cold, so the temperature in my fridge is very low (38 degrees), but my produce keeps freezing. I do keep some produce in the produce drawers, and some I put on the top shelf to see if that worked better, and the jury … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, My youngest decided to get a popsicle from my deep freezer and didn’t bother to make sure the door was closed. I know not to eat the meat products since I am not sure if they thawed and refroze, but what about the veggies? Must I throw out the ten tons of … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I love your website, your tips have been extremely helpful to me. I have a question, though, whose answer I couldn’t find in your archives. Maybe you can help me out? I don’t have a washer at home so I take most of my laundry to a laundromat. I’ve been washing my … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, We want to start using ground turkey instead of ground beef. There is a fantastic sale on Jennie-O ground turkey, but I know they had a recall last year due to salmonella poisoning. If we cook the meat to the right temperature, and wash our hands well after handling the raw … Read more
Hi there, Why can chicken stock only last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator? If it’s refrigerated, wouldn’t it be good for 4 or 5 days? I made some homemade chicken stock on Saturday and never got around to using it for soup. Is it really no longer good? Signed, Boiled in Boston Heather says: … Read more