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
Hello, So, on Monday, I came home to my apartment* and there was as best defined as an old cooked broccoli smell coming from my bedroom. Please note that no broccoli was cooked in the house for a couple weeks. I can’t seem to figure out where the smell is coming from in my bedroom. … 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
Dear Home-Ec 101, I followed all of the advice in your how to deal with stubborn body odor in laundry article and my clothes still stink. There’s sort of a rotten egg odor and nothing I do gets rid of it. How do I get rid of this sulfur smell in my laundry? Signed, Sick of … Read more
Scientists say that people can smell at least one trillion distinct scents, scent cells are renewed every 30 to 60 days, and women have a better sense of smell than men. Combine all those things together with a house full of people and there is potential for A LOT of odors. On top of all that … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, Help! Due to a series of unfortunate events, my small chest freezer (that sits under the house) was left unplugged for 3 WEEKS! Of course the entire inventory was a total loss, but the real problem is the SMELL. It really smelled like something died down there, and it permeated the house for … 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, The problem in our family is confined to specific cotton undershirts and one specific dresser drawer. It does not matter how we wash the shirts. We’ve soaked, used vinegar, borax, triple rinsed, air dried for a week, used the gas dryer and everything is fine until the shirts are put in a … 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 recently officially moved out of my parents house. I was living in a condo while at school, but got a house with my fiance, and have been moving a lot of my old stuff from their house into our new home. While I was away at college though, my sister’s cats … Read more