Dear Home-Ec 101, I have special, red guest towels. I really love their bright color, but they sat in the washer too long one day and now have that mildew smell. How can I get rid of the musty odor without losing the bright color of these towels that can’t be washed on hot? Thanks, … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, My husband and daughter have allergies and I am sensitive to certain scents, so when our beloved Tide began to irritate my daughter’s skin and their perfume seemed to get stronger with every bottle, we switched to a Free and Clear detergent with no dyes or scents. This has helped with … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, There is a musty / mildew smell in my home, but I’m having issues locating the source of the smell. As far as I can tell, it’s restricted to one bedroom. I’ve examined all of my clothing, removed the air conditioner, checked all of the furniture, and even the air ducts. I’m guessing … Read more
Hi Home-Ec101,I have been following your site for a while and am super excited about how well the chore chart is helping around my place; it has made a huge difference! Anyway, I have an odd question, I have an older car that was in storage for about three years, and in that time the … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, When I am in the basement, my allergies kick in, immediately, with all the typical allergy symptoms! It may be associated with dampness in an 1880’s basement. We keep it very clean, and no moisture seems to be present, except on a wall or two in which the paint is affected. … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, My problem is that I keep towels that we have used in a closet until I do laundry at the end of the week, and I wanted to know if there is anything I could put inside the closet to keep down the musky smell until laundry day? Signed, Musky in Muskogee Heather … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m not always great about making sure my towels get dried the same day they are washed. This leads to them smelling like mildew. Will the smell go away? Can I do anything to make it go away? Or did I just ruin all my towels? Signed, Mildewed in Minneapolis Heather … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I have a serious problem with the old lady, musty laundry smell. I keep my sleeping bag, electric blanket and my baby blanket in a chest at the foot of my bed. Since these are all seasonal items, they quickly get musty in my chest (which isn’t cedar). I’ve tried potpourri, … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, Here’s my dilemma. The house is clean, but there is a fusty, musty odor, like a large dog is secretly living in our house. We have an older, small house with the kitchen being basically open to everything. Sometimes I think it is cooking odors that are being trapped in the … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, Why do towels and washcloths smell sour and how do I get rid of that funky odor? Signed, Sour in Soux Falls Heather says: High on my list of most favorite thing ever is stepping out of the shower and drying my face with a sour smelling bath towel. Yeah. Absolute … Read more