Almanac for Homemakers

Check Those Labels When You Buy Clothing "There should be a label on every garment you buy. You may find two or more labels - both important to you and both required by the Federal Trade Commission regulations." The Federal Trade Commission was established in 1914. Our Almanac post today is about those labels on every piece of clothing. As consumers, we have the right to know what our clothing is made of, where it came from, care instructions, and warnings if there are any. This is how we know how best to wash our favorite dress. Is is machine wash or dry clean? Is the fabric safe for high temperature washing? This is how we know what that dress is made of. It is all cotton or wool or a blend? If is is a blend what are all the fabrics? This is useful for anyone who might be allergic to certain textiles. If you ever find a piece of clothing without a label, notify the store. They could be in violation of certain standards. I think tha...

Caring for and Using a Vacuum Cleaner "You can avoid many problems with a vacuum cleaner by knowing practical points about its care and building these points into your cleaning routine." Today's Almanac reading is about being smart with your vacuum cleaner. We had a small entry about this in the March Mix blog where I definitely said don't use your vacuum to clean out your fireplace. So let's go over a few more vacuum care tips. Before vacuuming your floor: Make sure you pick up any objects that could damage the vacuum. Pins, clips, or sharp objects. It might be tempting to vacuum up a lego that your kid has left on the floor for a week but maybe you shouldn't. Also, don't run your vacuum over the cord. You risk ruining the power cord and making a dangerous situation for yourself. Additionally, unless you have a wet vac, you should never try to vacuum up water or wet surfaces. Empty the container. You can overh...

Facts about Cotton for Homemakers "Cotton is strong, absorbent, and washable. Mercerized cotton has been treated with caustic soda to make it even stronger." John Mercer was a chemist who lived in England in the 1800's. He never went to school but was very interested in dyeing fabrics. He read books on the dyeing process and experimented on his own. He eventually created the Mercerization process. By treating cotton with sodium hydroxide, the material shrinks, becomes stronger, and overall changes cotton on a chemical level. This process is still used today! ... Not in today's almanac post, we are supposed to learn about how to take care of cotton. So here you go: 1. Cotton can shrink.  So follow the cleaning rules. 2. Cotton can easily grow mildew and be eaten by silverfish. So store in a clean and dry place. 3. Dirty cotton fabrics should be washed ASAP! Don't put in a hamper and wait until the next laun...

Taking Care of Your Formica Surfaces "So many homes have Formica laminates on kitchen counters and other surfaces that we want to pass along some good care information from a booklet put out by the Formica corporation." Formica Laminate was invented in 1912. You have probably seen it and abused it in kitchens where you live or have lived. I hate it. It is a flimsy plastic that stains and damages easy. You can get laminate in different styles other than off white. You can get all kinds of fake looks from wood to granite. Our Almanac has some tips on taking care of your liar liar pants on fire counters. 1. Don't use your counters as a cutting board. I didn't really think that this was a thing that had to be told to people but I recently saw a video of a woman cooking on a flat surface stove. ON the stove without a pot or pan. WTF people. 2. Heat up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit So basically boiling water should be ok if some ...