Heather Solos's Blog, page 40

Home-Ec 101 Guide To Spring Cleaning

The snow is finally melting and the smell of spring is in the air. The urge to open the windows and clean the house has come upon me. If I try hard enough I can squash it, but it is actually a good thing so I guess I won’t. Here are some articles with tips, tricks, and info to help; just click the title of the post you want to read.

Why Is Spring Cleaning A Thing Anyway?

Spring cleaning serves as a convenient time to perform annual and semi-annual chores both inside and outside of the home.

Don’t Forget To Dust Your Computer

The next time you are at the store and snicker when you see the canned air – grab a can anyway. Why? Because it’s time to clean out your computer.

Friendly Spring Cleaning Encouragement

Since I can’t send my mom over to your houses for cleaning encouragement, I’ll have to do my best here. There’s something very spiritual and emotional with a good, all-over cleaning and decluttering.

Spring Cleaning: The Family Room

This has been a hard one for me to write, because I have a small house. My living room or family room or great room or whatever you want to call it is also my office, sewing room, dining room, etc, etc, etc. So the way I spring clean my living room wouldn’t necessarily be the same as yours.

Spring Cleaning: Bedrooms

Let’s talk about spring cleaning your bedrooms. Here we go, wheee!

Spring Cleaning: Room By Room

If your kids are anything like my 4 year old who is part Tasmanian Devil, it can be hard and frustrating to have kids who go right behind you messing up as you’re cleaning. Don’t stand for it- put them to work.

There are plenty of people with super messy houses, it happens. Now you’ve just got to get it clean and I know you can do it!

Happy Cleaning!

Click the picture for lots more tips!

 

                 

Bleach Spots Appearing on Khaki Shorts

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 that’s it. Whatever I do, it will only create new red/pink marks across the khaki shorts. What is truly bizarre is that I tried not washing one of my new khaki shorts I bought and the stains still appeared! It looks like it has something to do with the water in the home I live in. It only occurs on my khaki shorts and not anywhere else. I need help with this as I have google searched for months without any answer. I’m afraid to buy new khaki shorts now.

Signed,

Shorted on the Shore

Heather says:

The stains you describe sound like bleach stains. Bleaching agents -not necessarily chlorine bleach- can appear in many innocuous forms in our modern lives. However, acne creams, whitening toothpaste and mouthwash are the usual culprits. Some dyes are less able to resist these bleaching products, which is why you will only notice this on some fabrics. After giving this some thought, my guess is splatter from vigorous toothbrushing landing on the bathroom counter or the shorts, themselves. Then, all it takes is a lean in for a close look in the mirror and voila, bleach stains on khaki shorts. The would appear either as a dot or a smear depending on the contact method.

In all likelihood you wouldn’t notice the tiny spatter or rub for several hours until that pink / orange / reddish spot appeared.

To prevent bleaching stains like these in the future, be extra careful with your bleaching products. Try to get in the habit of wiping off your bathroom counter and washing your hands thoroughly after applying acne creams or medication.

For what it’s worth, some people’s sweat seems to oxidize the dyes of some fabrics leaving mysterious stains. However these stains would be in very specific areas, prone to sweating. Since you mentioned spots rather than blotches -these would appear where the shorts crease when sitting- my money is on one of the previously mentioned products.

On an unrelated note, getting to the bottom of these mysterious bleach stains has felt like an episode of House the Domestic Edition and heck, I’ve been cranky enough to play the lead.

Submit your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

               
CommentsYes, set grease stains are the devil. /grumble by Heather SolosMy dish detergent warns: do not use with ammonia. ?? Turns out, ... by sarahI also had noticed the bleached splotches or spots on ... by deneicer1I have had the same problem with face washes. Pillow cases is ... by Mrs NelsonIn college, I briefly used a benzoyl peroxide face wash. I had ... by GigiWow…I've had the same problem with colored (dark red, gold ... by Nancy   

Happy 8th Birthday Home-Ec 101

Heather says:

Thank you all for being a part of Home-Ec 101 these past eight years.

I was just looking over my calendar, this afternoon, when I realized it was March 1, 2007 when Ivy and I officially launched this site. The past eight years have been one hell of a ride. Thank you for being there when my youngest was born, when my sister passed away and all those events in between.

In that time, almost 9 million people have visited this site, that’s like having had the entire population of NYC pass through the door.

I have learned and experienced so many things thanks to you, the Home-Ec 101 community.

Thank you for your comments, your companionship, your wisdom, and your patience.

Thank you for letting me run a site where we’re allowed to be human. Where we can screw up, we don’t have to be perfect, and we know that time is sometimes the best remedy.

Thank you for inviting me into your homes and trusting me in your kitchens (and bathrooms and and and)

It’s only the slightest token, but on March 15, 2015 I’m going to give away a $100 Amazon Gift Card, you just need to be a current newsletter subscriber to be eligible. (If you’re reading this via email, you’re already entered). The winner will be contacted via email.

This giveaway is sponsored by Home-Ec101.com and is in no way affiliated, sponsored by, or approved by Amazon.com.

How to Enter:

Subscribe to Home-Ec101.com via email.

Rules:

You must be over 18 years of age to enter. This giveaway is open to US Residents except where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary.

Thank you, here’s to the next eight years.

                 

The Home-Ec 101 Guide To Keeping The Kitchen Clean

It’s said to be the heart of the home. The kitchen is certainly the most used area with a lot of traffic. It’s also the source of a lot of work, but there is a certain satisfaction in making it clean and shiny. Here are some articles that might help you; click the title of the ones that you want to read more of.

How to Handwash Dishes

Here’s a question for those of us in Nashville who are conserving water due to the flood, what’s the best way to conserve water while washing dishes? I know the dishwasher is out. Should we wash dishes individually, or do the whole fill-up-the-sink-with-water thing? Does that really get dishes clean?

How to Repair Stained Grout

I’ve swept and mopped for three years on my tile floors, and I’ve been knowing I need to do something to make the grout white again. I did the test to see if my grout had been sealed. It hasn’t! Will I be able to restore them to white again?

How to Reduce Cooking Odors

I love having my home grown bacon or sausage on the weekend, but how do I get rid of the horrible grease smell after I have enjoyed breakfast?

Cutting Board Basics

This past weekend I attempted to fix a wood (plank, not end-grain) cutting board with some pretty deep cuts in it, and wound up totally botching the project. Do you have any tips or tricks for cutting board maintenance?

How to Clean a Dirty Broiler Pan

Even though I sprayed my roasting rack and pan with Pam, it still took a large SOS pad, an overnight soaking, and a lot of elbow grease to get it clean. Every time I use that pan I think there must be an easier way. How do you do it?

How to Clean a Smooth Top Range / Stove

I have a glass smooth top stove. Recently I managed to burn it pretty badly – I think there were some food particles either on the burner or the bottom of my pot, because when I put the pot on the burner it sizzled and then a very bad burning smell filled the air. I was able to scrub the pot bottom clean, but am not sure what to do about the burner.

How to Clean Dirty Drip Pans

How in the WORLD do you clean off the reflectors on the stove top after you’ve successfully made them the most horribly dirty items in your house? I am down to one burner that I can use without setting my fire alarms off!

Click the picture for more tips!

Click the picture for more tips!

                 

Well That Wasn’t Fun

Heather says

Hi, it’s been a couple weeks, hasn’t it?

Things started off with the best of intentions, but then my youngest decided to play Typhoid Mary (only she was sick, too) with a fun thing called Rotavirus.

Parents of very young children probably know this term and are cringing. I took the kids to a water park and she thanked us by giving us the gift of a highly transmissible stomach virus. And one by one we fell.

While I’m doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, and disinfecting all of the hard surfaces, why don’t you tell me how you have been?

 

                CommentsIt is its own special funk, isn't it? Thank you, we're ... by Heather SolosALL THE SYMPATHY! My daughter had rotavirus when she was 18 ... by AmyIt is so scary when they get that sick, isn't it? Thankfully ... by Heather SolosWe did that once about 17 years ago. It was awful. My one year ... by Dawn   

Menu Monday 26

Heather says

Well, last week didn’t work out as planned. There were a lot more let’s make do with what we have that’s quick dinners, but I was able to reshoot one of the most popular recipes on this site.

Quick beef and cabbage skillet, it’s a handful of ingredients and thirty minutes until you’ve got a warm, filling (and believe it or not paleo if you’re into that) meal.

 

If I keep this up and manage to re-shoot one recipe a week, I may manage to catch up by 2018.

I kid.

Mostly.

I also started to make an interesting chicken fajita soup but I left the wheat-free flour somewhere else and ended up making a tortilla soup that the family loved, but it was too thrown together to write up. It’s still movement in the right direction and I’ll take that.

So what’s up for next week? Well, I’ll be sharpening my knives if the sharpening stone and ceramic rod arrive (they should).  Lent starts this week and I’m going to buckle down on the whole let’s not eat out thing, unless I’m on the road for work. I have to have the practical caveat in there, sorry.

And on the menu:

Monday – Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, cabbage, carrots Tuesday – We’re headed out with some friends for Fat Tuesday, otherwise it’d be the perfect excuse for Shrimp Etouffee Wednesday – Lentil casserole, baked sweet potatoes, kale (Ash Wednesday) Thursday – Taco soup, tortilla chips (or maybe I’ll remake last week’s soup with a lot more attention to detail) Friday – Fish and tomato stew, with bread and / or potatoes Saturday – Sloppy joes / tacos, broccoli with cheese sauce (experimenting with a gf version) and what the heck chips Sunday – Let’s shoot for the Chicken, mushrooms, and peppers dish, rice and peas, acorn squash

What will you be cooking this week?

Are you trying anything new?

 

                CommentsAnd for those of you looking for the Beef and Cabbage Skillet, ... by Heather Solos   

How Long Will it Take to Clean My House?

Dear Home Ec 101,

How long will it take to clean my house?

Signed,

Curious in Corpus Christi

Heather says:

Well Curious, what is your favorite color?

Blue?

Ok. I’ve plugged that variable into the top secret Home-Ec 101 House Cleaning Algorithm and I’ve determined it will take you exactly 18.36 hours to thoroughly clean your house. Oh. Wait. That doesn’t make much sense does it? A question like “How long will it take to clean my house?” has an incredible number of variables.

What kind of home do you have?

Someone who lives in a McMansion is going to have a lot more surface area to clean than someone who lives in an efficiency. In that case, just doing surface cleaning? Just mopping? The person who lives in the tiny apartment will be done in no time. Even if the floors are equally grubby, it simply takes longer to mop more square footage.

How many people live in the house?

More people means more messes. Humans are rather nasty creatures and in this case I’m not even counting what the young ones do -one of my minions has a cold and she’s at the age where I have to remind her to blow her nose, good times. People shed skin cells and hair, they track in dirt, even if they wipe their feet. The oils from our skin lingers on keyboards, remote controls, wall plates, and door jams.

Did you know there is actually a guideline for how often you should vacuum? Don’t feel badly if you didn’t know I was recently involved in a focus group discussing a vacuum cleaner and it surprised the hosts. Each week you’re supposed to thoroughly vacuum a carpeted room AND add a quick vacuum of high traffic areas for each additional family member, including large dogs. So, if you have a family of four, that’s one deep vacuum and three quick. . . do you see how this adds up? For what it’s worth, babies don’t count, but you’ll probably vacuum even more often once they can crawl.

Are there pets?

We love our animal friends, but anything other than beta fish tend to bring their own measure of mess into a home. From tracked in dirt to litter boxes, shed hair and damage to furniture. They all have a cost when it comes to extra work. -How long until someone tells me about the hairless cat they trained to use the toilet? That’s the exception that proves the rule, people-

Are there children under the age of reason?

Do I really even have to explain this one? It’s chaos in a 3 feet tall package -unless you’re my kid and then you bump it up to under 5 feet-. Sure children can be taught to help with damage control, but for years even the most perfectly behaved, helpful, and polite children create more mess than they can possibly undo.

How many people actually clean in the home?

How well chores are divided will help reduce the amount of time any individual has to spend cleaning a home. For even the most well adjusted adults, this often requires a lot of effective communication of wants and needs on both parts.

Do you cook in your home?

Cooking food adds moisture and often sends aerosolized grease particles -yes, even vegetarians, just less so- into the air. The particles float around and cling to surfaces. Once they are on a surface a dust magnet has been created. The longer the dust magnet sits on the surface, the harder it will be to remove.

Let’s consider clutter.

Imagine two book cases. One has neat rows of books and the other has glass figurines, odds and ends, a pile of papers, etc. The first only requires the soft bristle attachment of the vacuum or a feather duster. The other? You’re going to have to unload each shelf, wipe the item carefully and replace gently. Multiply this around every horizontal surface in a home and it quickly becomes obvious that the amount of STUFF in a home drastically affects the time it takes to clean.

How often has the home been cleaned?

If you’ve lived in a home for five years and never cleaned the tub, it is going to take a long time to undo the damage. Some of it may not even be fixable. Regularly attending to chores keeps grime from building up. Without a lot of grime to remove, cleaning takes less time.

I wish I had a simple answer for you, Curious. The truth is I can’t give you a good answer, just trying to figure out how long it should take a person to clean their home without any other variable is a very overwhelming task. Here is what I do know.

Click the picture for more cleaning help!

How to reduce the time it takes to clean:

Communicate Delegate. Don’t procrastinate.

Good luck.

Send your questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

                CommentsI don't think my whole house has ever been clean… I have kids ... by AngelaIt seems like cleaning my house will take the entire weekend! ... by Bringing Pretty BackHahaha.. love your post. And it highlights all of the tiny ways ... by regular readerHahaha, I wouldn't have even gone with the magic 8 ball – I ... by JenYou are very good, Heather. I would have told the questioner to ... by Alice Dick[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by andrawatkins, ... by Tweets that mention How Long Will it Take to Clean My House? -- Topsy.com   

The Home-Ec 101 Guide To Taking Care Of Furniture

Since I have 3 young children, a dog, and 3 parrots it’s just not the right season of life for me to buy brand new furniture. I buy secondhand and then try to take care of it – or cover it – until I get my money’s worth out of it. Here are some articles that will help you take care of your furniture whether it is wood, leather, microsuede, stained, stinky, and more! Just click on the title of the article to read the complete answer.

How to Care for Acacia Wood

We are young and with a house full of Ikea furniture it did not even dawn on us that we would have to take special care with our new lovely table in this dry, desert climate. We did some googling and found that it is recommended to use a wax on acacia wood. However, my husband’s parents said NOT to use a wax but an oil instead. Help!

How to Care for Leather Furniture

What is the best way to care for a leather couch? I have had my leather couch and loveseat for four years, and they have held up well, but a few scratches are starting to show up.  What can I do to keep them looking good in the long run?

How to Clean a Couch

I have tile floors and a couch, this sounds normal enough, but the couch slips and slides all over the tile and drives me crazy. How do I stop the couch from sliding? And the cushions, don’t get me started on the cushions, why won’t they stay on my couch? While we’re talking about couches, is there a specific way I should be cleaning mine?

How to Clean Microsuede Furniture

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?

How To Fix A Stained White Dresser

We have a lovely bedroom set of furniture from a big box baby store. In white. One sick child + one classic orange popsicle + one apparently cracked emesis basin + one day = one bright orange stain on the white dresser. I tried a diaper wipe thinking the mess was still wet. It wasn’t. Then I hit it with one clorox wipe. Haha. HELP!!!

How To Remove Cat Hair From Furniture

We are getting a sofa and two chairs from my brother-in-law today. I know they will be covered in cat hair. I’m allergic to cats. Do you have any good tips for getting as much cat hair as possible off of the furniture fabric??

How To Remove Cigarette Odor From A Couch

The set appeared to be in great shape, and I got the furniture for what appeared to be a bargain.  When I got them in place in my basement rec room, I noticed a horrible odor of cigarette smoke emanating from both pieces of furniture.  They are upholstered pieces with foam cushions.  Do you have any idea how I can get rid of the cigarette smell?

How to Remove Feces ( Poop ) from Upholstery and Fabric

Do you have any tips for cleaning poop off of the cover of a cloth bean bag chair? The tag reads “Do not open under any circumstance.” It’s a $20 bean bag chair from Target and I don’t just want to “get anodder one” as my toddler suggests. As you may have guessed, the toddler was the poop culprit.

How to Remove Urine from an Upholstered Couch

Help!! Our adorable, yet slightly dumb dog has decided to use back of our lovely microfiber couch as a toilet! We contacted the manufacturer, who suggested spot cleaning the urine stained area with diluted dish soap. This got the stains out. Unfortunately, the smell of pee still remains. I’ve (unsuccessfully) tried some pet cleaner and multiple soakings with Febreze, but it just won’t go away!

How to Keep Fur off of the Furniture

My cats seem to drop enough fur to make a few new cats on my furniture every day. It’s ridiculous. How can I both prevent this and keep my furniture fur-free?

How to Remove Musty / Mildew Odor from Furniture

I recently retrieved a table from my garage that was stored for about a year and it smells like there could be a mold or mildew issue. How do I clean the table to remove any traces and the odor of mold and mildew?

How to Remove Wax and Silicone Build Up

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?

How to Remove Candle Wax from Fabric

I accidentally spilled some candle wax on my favorite pair of jeans. What should I do to get it out?

How to Remove Grease from Upholstery

My husband works in a kitchen, so he comes home sweaty and covered with kitchen grease and steam and all that good stuff (Ivy, you know what I’m talking about).  After a year and a half of him coming home exhausted and flopping into his beloved chair, we’ve got a nice dark mark right where his head rests.

How To Remove Heat Marks From Furniture

At Thanksgiving I was being so careful not to put anything down with out a trivet but then I did it- I knocked over one of my candles and spilled wax all over it. There’s now a huge white mark from the heat of the wax. Is the finish of my table completely ruined? Is there anything I can do?

How to Remove Ink from Upholstered Furniture

My three year old son decided it would be fun to draw on our car upholstery with black pen. In the past I have been able to use hairspray on crayon with wonderful success (couch and table cloth), but I have never attempted it on pen. Any tips or am I better of just leaving the unsightly mess? I’d hate to try something and have it look worse.

How to Remove A Musty Odor from Dresser Drawers

An old roommate of mine borrowed a dresser from me and used it while we lived together. After she gave it back the drawers had a musty smell that I couldn’t get rid of. If I put any clothes in the drawers they come out smelling funky and musty too. What should I do??

How To Remove Dried Milk From Wood

How does one remove dried milk from wood? Every low surface in my kitchen (chair legs, table legs, cabinets) is full of dried milk spots from spills that always go farther and cover more area than you can initially see. No matter how I try to clean them, I get the same result: it looks clean while it’s still wet and I think I’ve won, but as soon as it dries, the spots are still all there!

How To Handle A Nail Polish Remover Spill

My daughter spilled finger nail polish remover on her dresser.  What can I do to repair it?

Click the picture for more tips!

Click the picture for more tips!

                 

Weekly Menu 25

Heather says

Last week turned out to be a really good week overall.

I used my stick blender to experiment with a sauce for fish tacos, it still needs some tweaking before I share it, but we’re on to something good. I didn’t make pho on Wednesday, instead I went with a Must Go style soup, loosely based on Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup.

And then, I finally broke out some of my photography stuff and managed to get a decent picture of chicken bog.

This is a big step for me; I just haven’t had the mental or personal bandwidth to do this. And if any of you have any idea what I have done with my tripod, that’d be good to know. I guess it’s just lost in that mental fog of 2013.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyhow, let’s keep the ball rolling and make plans for this week:

Monday – CORN (That’s clean out refrigerator night as there is a ton of that chicken bog left) Tuesday – It’s like Taco Tuesday, but on a. .. oh, Tuesday. Buffalo Chicken Tacos & BLT Salad (If there are any good tomatoes, doubtful but a girl can hope) Wednesday – Let’s try that pho idea again… maybe, but definitely soup of some sort Thursday – Spaghetti (squash) and meatballs  Friday – Baked Fish and Chips, Broccoli Saturday – Chicken roasted with mushrooms, peppers, and onions -It’s definitely time to redo these photos- Roasted potatoes, some kind of green vegetable or salad, it’s going to depend on what looks during the week.

Here’s hoping we can keep that momentum going and have another good week.

Is there anything you are looking forward to trying this week?

What did you make last week that worked (or didn’t)?

 

                 

Chicken Thighs and the Reduced Budget

Dear Home-Ec 101,

My husband was recently laid off -sound familiar?- and we really need to cut our food budget while he looks for a new job. In your opinion, what’s the most economical cut of meat or poultry I can get to feed our family? I pretty much stuck to boneless skinless chicken breasts before, but right now they don’t seem to be such a good deal.

Signed,

Stretching in Stratton

Heather says:

First of all, I feel for you guys. I hope he finds something soon.

When budgets are tight, it’s really hard to beat chicken thighs as an economical cut of poultry. I’m not a huge fan of dark meat, but I’ve matured enough  (hush, peanut gallery) to know that sometimes my preferences just don’t matter that much.

Here are some recipes that work perfectly, without extra steps, for chicken thighs (even if they say chicken pieces, you can use a package of thighs):

 

Some people will try to argue that the thigh bone makes the difference in cost between BSCBs and chicken thighs acceptable. I completely disagree. Whether you first remove the thigh before cooking or separate them after cooking, those chicken thigh bones are valuable. Save the bones in a freezer bag and use them to make chicken stock.

If you’ve never made chicken stock before, here are two ways to make chicken stock, and Eugene in the comments offers his method for making stock in his slow cooker. Homemade chicken stock sounds like a luxury, but using it to make rice or vegetables can significantly improve their flavor and boost the nutritional value without adding a ton of sodium.

So what else can you make with these budget friendly chicken thighs?

Any recipe calling for boneless skinless chicken breasts can be made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs. Debone the thighs yourself.

Any recipe calling for a whole, cut up chicken.

Examples:

Chicken Bog Chicken Peppers and Mushrooms BBQ Chicken – dry rub / slow roast

Any recipe calling for leg quarters.

Examples:

Pineapple Grilled Chicken Stewed Chicken

If you find a recipe for chicken and want to alter it specifically for chicken thighs, here is a guide to altering chicken recipes based on cut.

Additionally:

Whole chickens are economical in their own right. Here’s how to cut up a whole chicken. With a little practice, this takes about five minutes and gives you a break from only dark meat.

Don’t forget your side dishes.

When you are trying to reduce your overall food budget side dishes become extremely important. Ounce per consumable ounce, vegetables, grains, and legumes are often significantly cheaper than meat.

When planning your meals allot your 10 – 35% of the calories to come from protein. That leaves a LOT of room for vegetables and whole grains. Treat your protein source as the after thought and focus on filling your dinner plates with other lower cost items. This doesn’t mean only empty calories, sides like: lentil pilaf, rice and peas, roasted broccoli, collard greens with northern beans, and roasted vegetables all are filling, but not terribly expensive. -With the broccoli, peel and slice the stems so they don’t go to waste). And don’t forget the poor maligned potato, just keep them out of the fryer. Try your hand at roasted potatoes or ranch potato wedges. Don’t be scared to get creative.

Good luck.

                CommentsActually, chicken thighs are my favorite. They have more fat ... by Faith StillMaybe being raised vegetarian has biased me, but meatless meals ... by LisaI frequently buy leg quarters on sale for 49 cents a pound – ... by Toy LadyLet's not forget that chicken cooked on the bone is MUCH more ... by HeatherSolosWe've started buying the family packs of legs and leg quarters. ... by @MusicCityFoodiePlus 7 more...