Whether you call it the living room, family room, great room or den, that’s the room getting cleaned today. The layout of homes has changed a lot over the years. All it takes is watching any home renovation show to hear plans of ripping out all the walls to open the space up. Now, after … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, In 2006, we bought several pieces of microsuede furniture in a chocolate brown. Over time, the arms and headrests have become oily and dirty. The code on the label is “WS”. Can we remove the grime from our couch and recliner? How hard is it to clean microsuede without damaging the … Read more
Hi Home-Ec 101, I admit, I am a terrible housekeeper, but I am trying to improve, and I long for a house I can be proud of. We have lived in our 1957 Cape Cod home for 8 years. It probably came with a certain amount of wear and tear, but our 3 kids, 2 … Read more
The living room, or family room, often becomes a catch all place. At my house it’s where we love to crash, watch a movie, have a snack, play with toys/games, and more. I’ll confess that we let the dog on the couch in there too. A lot of use of the room means a lot … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I love your blog (and book), but have a question I don’t think has been addressed. We live in a small duplex with 5 animals (three dogs and two cats). While I’m learning to keep stuff clean -mostly 😉 – there is one recurring issue that I’ve been having. We have … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, Can you tell me how to clean throw pillows? A friend made me a pillow cover for a throw pillow on my couch, but she sewed it shut over the pillow, so there is no way to remove the pillow to wash it. Are there any options as far as cleaning the … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, We just bought a house, and the fireplace is surrounded by marble. It may be faux marble since most things in the house are builder-grade materials. Anyway, the marble surround is stained. There are blotches of yellow above and Kool-aid type stains on the hearth. Any suggestions on how to clean the … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, My mother has wax build up on an antique secretary. It is a dark wood with a shiny surface. Over many years of waxing the wax has built up and in places the shine has dulled. Can you help? Signed, Smudged in Smyrna Heather says: Are you sure that it’s wax build … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, What is the best way to care for a leather couch? I have seen several leather conditioners advertised, but do these leave a waxy finish? I have had my leather couch and love seat for four years, and they have held up well, but a few scratches are starting to show up. … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I have tan microsuede dining room chairs and, with four children, you can imagine what they look like. I’ve looked, but there isn’t a cleaning recommendation tag on them. What is the best way to clean them? Signed, Dingy Diner Heather says: Oh I can imagine. I’ve given up on salvaging the … Read more