Clothes can get clean with just the basic soap and water, but good laundry supplies make doing the wash much easier. There are many detergents, softeners, and accessories and we’d like to help you figure out which ones work the best for you. Following are articles answering reader’s questions and sharing tips that we have … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have long wished to use washing soda and borax–suggested in all sorts of green home guides for everything from dishwashers to washing machines–but I cannot find them locally. Internet searches have been to no avail either. Do you know where I can buy them online? Thank you! New reader of your blog Heather says: … Read more
Heather says: We have talked about fabric softener and dryer sheets ad nauseum on this site. We’ve talked about how fabric softeners can make your towels less absorbent. How some of you hate the smell of vinegar in the laundry. We know that dryer sheets have a few serious problems: Many are made from polyester … Read more
Heather says: Noah is back and this time, he’s got the marching band (hello Blue Devils!*) getting their act cleaned up with the Method Just Say No to Jugs Campaign. Enjoy the video: I’m a child of the 80’s, if you need details, I was in grade school, where Nancy Reagan drilled (indoctrinated?) “SAY NO … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I like to think that you get what you pay for. I often find this to be true which is why after coming down from my high at a Nordstrom sample sale, I’m a little peeved. You see, my two prized purchases a pair of dark skinny jeans and a fabulous black … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I was hoping you could help me find some lingerie bags. I’ve been looking for the kind with a very fine mesh so the bra hooks don’t snag my other clothing. I found the one I have at K-Mart several years ago, but it seems to have been discontinued. I have been … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, In thirty five years of doing laundry, I have never made a mistake. That’s right, I have found the perfect way of doing laundry through a very complicated method of washing clothing by color and weight. Except…well, today I did a load of tablecloths. One of them was red and another was … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I have what is probably a stupid question, but I’d really love an answer. If I have a particularly dirty load of laundry (say, woke up to find the cat had puked on the bed), does it do any good to add extra laundry detergent? In other words, does more detergent=cleaner laundry? … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101:So, uh, how bad is it if I add a little liquid dish detergent when I’m running out of laundry detergent? I swear my momma didn’t raise me this way.~Bubbling in Beaumont Heather says: Chances are if you have some laundry detergent to add to a load of laundry you probably have … Read more
Ivy says: So much I wanted to write about, but alas, I’ve been spending all night dealing with a crayon in the dryer disaster. Anyway, my loss is your gain, since I’m sure you’ll remember this and make sure to apply the lesson I learned: always check the pockets of every item that goes in … Read more