Thanksgiving stain removal guide

Gravy, cranberry sauce, pie and wine, oh my! Here’s how to get out those pesky stains on your clothes from your Thanksgiving Day feast fast and when you are away from home.

Gravy or Butter

Use salt, flour, cornstarch, or talcum powder on any fresh stains and let it sit 30 minutes to absorb the greasy material and to keep it from absorbing further into the fabric. Shake off the excess material and then dab with dish soap and run the stain under hot water.

Red Wine

Use salt to absorb the wine. Shake off salt and flush the stain with cold water and dab on dish soap or baring that, club soda.

Cranberry Sauce

Flush with water or use a damp cloth or sponge and treat with a stain stick or good ole’ dish soap.

Isopropyl alcohol can also be used to treat a cranberry-sauce stain, according to this article on DeadSpin; put a small amount on a clean cloth or paper towel and dab at the stain.

Pumpkin pie or sweet potato

Scrape excess pie or sweet potato off with butter knife and run under cold water. Apply a bit of dish soap to the stain and rub the stained area against another part of the fabric.

Stain removal help general tips

• Treat any stain as quickly as possible.
•  Always check the clothing care tag for recommended washing temperatures and claning suggestions
• Apply any stain cleaning solutions to the back of a stain

After the stained clothing items comes out of the wash, allow the garment to air dry and check it before putting it in the dryer. Otherwise, you might set the stain.

If you do find a stain lingering, there is a product out there called De-Solv-it Plus! which is a cleaning product designed to remove tough stains from clothing, even after they have been through the dryer.

Get more cleaning tips based on fabric type at the Whirlpool Institute of Fabric Science.

The germs hiding in your refrigerator

“Clean Out Your Fridge Day” is Nov. 15. In addition to tossing out any old and expired food and wiping up any spills, you should also clean and check these refrigerator parts.

A 2013 study done by the NSF, a public health and safety organization, found that the meat and vegetable crisper drawers inside the average refrigerator were contaminated with Salmonella, Listeria, E.coli, yeast and mold. Be sure to remove these parts from your fridge and soak them in your sink with warm water and mild detergent. Wipe dry with a towel.

If there are any offending odors inside your fridge, install the Refrigerator Deodorizer which is 50 times more powerful than baking soda, to eliminate odors inside your refrigerator.

Be sure to clean and check the gasket around your refrigerator door. If it’s cracked or lose, it could be costing you money. You can replace the gasket on your refrigerator door if needed.

Don’t forget to clean  your refrigerator’s condensor coils (which are usually located behind the fridge.) Overtime, dust, dirt and especially pet fur can cover the coils which makes your refrigerator work harder trying to keep cool. Clean them with a condensor coil cleaning brush.

You can also buy replacement parts for any item broken on, or inside your refrigerator,  including vegetable crisper drawers, meat pan drawers, retaining door bars, shelves and more. Find a replacement part for your refrigerator at www.everyappliancepart.com.

Finally, when’s the last time you changed your refrigerator’s water filter? Now is a good time to order a new one and install it before holiday entertaining and cooking.

Veterans eat free on Veterans Day 2014 at these restaurants

Many local and national chain restaurants are thanking veterans and active duty military personnel by giving discounts or offering free meals to them on Veterans Day Tuesday, Nov. 11.

RestaurantNews.com has a list of restaurants offering veterans discounts as does Military.com. The offers range from a free beverage with a purchase, to a whole free meal including a discount for family and friends.

To receive your discount or free meal be sure to offer some proof of military service (like a valid Military I.D. or a VA Universal Access Card).

Many of the offers are:

• dine-in only
• do not include alcohol
• cannot be used with other coupons or discounts
• do not include gratuity

Also, if the restaurant is part of a chain, not all locations might participate in the offer, so be sure to phone and check ahead.

Why won’t my gas stove burners work?

If your gas stove top burners are not lighting, it could be caused by a blocked igniter or burner holes on your burner or a bad part in your ignition system.

WARNING! Before attempting to work on any appliance, make sure that all power (electricity) and utilities (water and gas) have been turned off and/or disconnected on the appliance. Read this before you start any repair.  

First, make sure your appliance is getting both gas and power. Check your home’s circuit breakers or fuses and make sure the gas supply is turned on. If there is no issue with the power or gas, then