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
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
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
Stains in clothes make me mentally debate how much I like the article of clothing and if I want to work on getting the stain out or just get rid of the clothing. Am I the only one that does that? My children only stain their most-favorite-ever clothing items and ask me to get it … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have been puzzled by this mysterious pink / red stains on my khaki shorts for years. Whenever I get new khaki shorts, it will get these red / pink stains on them whenever I wash them. I don’t use bleach or fabric softener. I only use powdered detergent, cold/warm water and … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m a brand new mom and I need to know if it is okay to wash clothes that have suffered through a diaper leak with the rest of the baby clothes. How do I make sure that poop (sorry!) doesn’t get all over the washer and the rest of our stuff without … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, After doing yard work this weekend, my dear husband has poison ivy. What is the best way to launder his clothes and keep the resin from spreading through the laundry? Signed, Trying to Contain the Irritant Heather says: You’re in luck! Removing poison ivy from clothing isn’t that difficult, you just need … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I’ve got a problem that I haven’t seen addressed on the blog, or anywhere else for that matter. We have an older twin-size, leather sofa-bed; which lived happily in our library in our home for several years, did an eight-year stint as extra seating at my office, and now has been … Read more
Heather says: Sometimes the questions come in via Twitter. Today’s query: @TheMorrisBunch: help!! I took clothes out of the wash and found red lipstick in the dryer and all over my clothes. First of all, yuck. I don’t envy your situation in the least, finding lipstick stains in the laundry is a great big hassle. … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, My two year old daughter has a white skirt that she absolutely loves to wear. The last time I washed it, I noticed lots of large yellow spots all over the skirt. Since she’s two, there is no telling what those spots may be. I have tried using OxiClean, Dawn dish soap, … Read more