Desperate Housewives of ILX

These Zip-It things work great. We have a tub with a pop-up drain, so I use the largest of these sink strainers turned upside down on it. An even squirt of caulking around the rim helps seal it better.

I clean out the drain by digging around in the muck with two skewers held like chopsticks. It's super gross, but gets to the cloggy stuff without having to touch it.

In fact, it's REALLY REALLY gross. Works though.

Also -- regularly flush with super hot water, then plunge.

yeah i'm thinking about doing a vinegar/baking soda flush once a week - it doesn't seem do shit for any actual blockages, but it might be a good natural maintainer?

Try HOT HOT HOT water -- it works pretty well!

yeah that works for my sink too

The zip it things did nothing for my terrible drain. After the last time the maintenance dude came to unclog, he said pour some bleach once a week. We also have a mesh thing and I think hot water helps.

btw I love the baking soda/vinegar idea as opposed to bleach but it did nothing :(

I have a siliconey/rubbery ice cube tray from Ikea (star shapes!) and I took it out of the freezer to wash it and it really smells of... freezer :( Any ideas how to get rid of the smell or should I just chuck it?

Try soaking in a solution of baking soda and water?

what is the best way to treat a stain on clothing? (oil, blood, food or drink)

Oil needs detergents to get it out. Try a little ammonia--you can start with a dilute solution and see if it works, if not, dab a little straight from the bottle onto a cloth and PRESS (don't rub) on the oil stain.

Blood: cold water or cold water and OxyClean, seriously. Don't bleach blood.

Food: Detergent for the oil, and OxyClean for tomato, grape, etc stains.

Drink: There might be a panacea for red wine stains but I'm not sure what it is. Cold water IMMEDIATELY if not sooner, but that won't get it all, and after that I'm lost.

Laurel have you considered writing a Heloise style book/column/?? If not, why not? I would rather have you tell me how to do things around the house than, say, this lady

(although lol at ladies home journal cover topics in 1983)

http://www.entermyworld.com/cat/articles/lhj/hjsept831x1.jpg

thanks so much for those tips!

in terms of red wine, i have definitely had luck with club soda and salt

I took my blankets to the drycleaners today.

Oh I really need to do that for my quilt

Yeah Ive dumped a pile of salt on a red wine spill (as soon as its occurred) and that's actually made it about 99% removable.

Tell you the worst stain to clean - cat spew, especially as by the time you notice its there its usually been sitting there, acidly staining the carpet, for hours.

that's why i have no carpets (even tho i love them)

soo ... i need a new iron. i've had it. any ideas?

Rowenta was all the rage a while back, but I've been iron-free and loving it for about a decade now.

i have half a mind to call this hotel i was staying at recently and ask what irons they use. bc i swear it was a magical experience.

Rowenta is the only answer. Hefty & awesome. Lightweight irons are bullshit.

yeah this is what i've heard recently! did not know that before. thanks girls.

just came in to say hi to surm tbh

Having worked in a commercial laundry I can say w authority that heat/steam **plus weight** gets out wrinkles. Man can not iron with steam alone.

I want a proper steam press. But that
will never happen.

Fyi: if you get the Rowenta iron & you can afford it, front for the ironing board too. Don't skimp on the board, cheap ironing boards are the worst

ugh i know. i will forever hold a grudge against target for the irons and boards they pawn.

yeah I made that mistake once. NEVER AGAIN.

Do be selective with the Rowenta model--I think they do a whole range of cheaper Target models and more hefty, higher-end models. I think something in the middle should do you up just fine.

I can't remember which model I have, I'll check tonight & post it.

thanks. i mean -- i damn near burned myself because the target ironing board was so wobbly! it was awful.

we must have both got the same one.

Wobbly sucks something awful, but I also HATE when the padding sucks, too--either too thin, or shifts around, or doesn't let you move your fabric smoothly and easily. . .

This is making me sound like I actually iron. I honestly can't remember the last time I did--

Well, yeah I don't really iron a ton either.

otm re crappy padding. Nothing worse than getting a lovely criss-cross metal pattern in your nicely ironed shirt.

Ha, I was going to post that on the IA thread after ironing my interview shirt in a hotel!

it's the worst

I iron about twice a year, bf irons every morning and loves the rowenta but still curses having to iron!

this will sound super nerdy but I always wanted one of those steam-cabinet things, that go on top of your dryer and you can put your folded shirts etc in

my parents had one. so cool.

I would spring for a hard-core steamer if it meant I didn't have to store my winter woolens with mothballs.

My copy of "Home Comforts" (which is a thread in and of itself" is still packed because obviously I am a failure at housekeeping, but otherwise I would pull it to read the sections on ironing/steaming/moth-proofing/etc.

i think i need to buy that book.

ultimate dream would be a Singer Steam Press. I had to work the press at the laundry and once I learned how to do that, it's like...pressing a shirt vs ironing was no contest. Doing a shirt in what, 4 passes, vs fiddling around with an iron? pfft.

my mother worked at a drycleaner for many years. i've been meaning to ask her about that.

I still get weird flashbacks just from the smell of a drycleaners

ask her about the magic chemicals that make blood/rust/stains disappear
that was my favorite thing ever

worst = ppl who would send in their laundry for fluff/fold and would include their *underwear*
skeev attack x 1000

Ew ew ew!

Home Comforts is a great book

ppl who would send in their laundry for fluff/fold

Wait, wha? As in, already clean laundry, they just want someone to FOLD it for them, WTF?

nah sorry I just meant domestic laundry

so any drycleaner can both wash or dryclean, right?

is it acceptable to ask for specific garments to be hand-ironed?

Totally, assuming they offer it. We had an iron handy for delicate items.

I cant think of the last time I ironed anything, I am a savage.

(tbf because of this I basically never wear cotton or linen items, just stretch materials and woolens.)