Recent content by foxchapel

unplugging is the only sure protection . . . from lightining strikes nearby or direct hits. Now that ALL our laundry and kitchen appliances are computers that cook & wash, I have researched whole-house surge protection at the breaker box, and get mixed-bag reviews. Apparently if the house...

Studies in Europe have shown that children who grow up on farms, especially pig/hog farms, have less allergies than other children. There is something to be said for exposure to/playing in the dirt, bacteria, etc. It is how we build up immunities. Fifteen or so years ago, parents started...

@bwoods - Have you learned the correct southern pronunciation for Maryville (TN)? LOL Even I can't quite pull it off although daughter-in-law has tried to tutor me. Maryville = Sounds something like Mar-vul. Shelbyville = Sheb'vul Murfressboro = Murf'sb'ruh

@bwoods - Ack! Ack! Please do not confuse illiteracy with Southernese. Those Craigslist ads are just sad. Most of us do not talk like that. Really. The wording would clue me in ahead of time, though, on the demographics of the authors. What I love about The South is that one can order a...

bacon stripes, racing stripes . . . ... under this roof they are called skid marks. I'm chuckling over the various terms for such. All this concern about sanitizing underwear sort of makes one wonder about the seating surfaces in nudist camps. (eek!)

The Costco/Kirkland "free & clear" liquid detergent label says to use MORE detergent in the front-load than a top-load dose. Go figure.

Do women even still wear girdles? Yes, some do, sort of. The new millennium version is called Spanx.

washing in 20c/68F . . . . . . I can just imagine what all the mothers who cloth diaper their babies would have to say about that.

We really should keep quiet about Sears Ultra . . . . . . because as soon as anything becomes popular, the formula gets changed to "new and improved" which generally trnaslates to "worse than the original."

liquid chlorine bleach . . . . . . will eat up the fabrics, and hasten their deterioration. An oxygen-based non-chlorine bleach is kinder to fabrics and will still help prevent the dreaded mold in HE washers.

I would also suggest going with an HE version of the Wisk, just to reduce the suds. If that doesn't help, then your water quality may be not as hard as you think, or perhaps it has changed.

Clear rinses . . . The only detergent that rinses even more clear than Sears, is Charlies Soap. On the negative, Charlies lacks enzymes. On the positive, Charlies lacks OBAs.

Sears "Advanced Formula" Ultra Plus is awesome We use the version in the blue & white box, and it is my favorite of the detergent stash. No suds, no bubbles, rinses very well, nice light clean scent, works great in cold water, too. Link below to the product at Sears...

I've been using coffee grounds in my refrigerator or freezer, whichever one needs deodorizing, for decades. Only takes one Tablespoon and works like a charm.

Seems to be a contradiction to have a self-cleaning oven & n I agree completely. These new ovens are a joke. Hidden bake element in our new oven, so must pre-heat for 30 minutes. Such a waste of electricity, not to mention the nice fan that will blow the heat into an already warm kitchen...