2008 Woodie Awards
Life in the fast lane
Use resources around the house for fast fixes
Kelli Kennon
Issue date: 2/17/05 Section: Feature
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There's a stain on the carpet and the landlord is coming over tomorrow. Your favorite sweater has a snag and your date will be here in 10 minutes. You've caught the Freshman 15 and your jeans won't button.
Whether it's stains, snags or snacks, college students don't have to resort to expensive alternatives to fix their sudden misfortunes. Instead of grass stains or ketchup spills, the most common problem with young adults is ink pen markings on clothing. According to Helpful Hints from Heloise, a syndicated columnist, the best way to get rid of a stubborn ink stain is to treat it right away using an inexpensive spot cleaner.
If spot remover isn't in reach, try 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Turn the clothing inside out, place it on clean paper towels and rub the mark out. Make sure to wash the whole article of clothing when finished.
Set-in chocolate stains can be treated with regular detergent and cold water or with one tablespoon of household ammonia before regular washing. Ketchup or other red sauces can be removed with ease by using one part household vinegar and three parts water with regular washing or just use regular white hand soap on the spot.
For athletes: Deodorant stains on white shirts can be removed. Just soak the stained area in vinegar for 30 minutes and then wash in hot water with regular detergent. A repeat wash may be necessary.
Not every college student has a needle and thread handy to sew on a button, but most have dental floss. According to www. heloise.com, thread dental floss through a button to hold it in place. Be careful to put the button in an inconspicuous place, bright white floss doesn't match with everything. A $70 sweater from The Limited may sound like a good idea, but what happens when it snags? Simple, push the snag back through the sweater and put a dab of clear nail polish on the snag from the inside. Clear nail polish can also be used to prevent pantyhose from "running." According to www.heloise.com stop the run by putting a small amount of nail polish on the snag as soon as possible.
Whether it's stains, snags or snacks, college students don't have to resort to expensive alternatives to fix their sudden misfortunes. Instead of grass stains or ketchup spills, the most common problem with young adults is ink pen markings on clothing. According to Helpful Hints from Heloise, a syndicated columnist, the best way to get rid of a stubborn ink stain is to treat it right away using an inexpensive spot cleaner.
If spot remover isn't in reach, try 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Turn the clothing inside out, place it on clean paper towels and rub the mark out. Make sure to wash the whole article of clothing when finished.
Set-in chocolate stains can be treated with regular detergent and cold water or with one tablespoon of household ammonia before regular washing. Ketchup or other red sauces can be removed with ease by using one part household vinegar and three parts water with regular washing or just use regular white hand soap on the spot.
For athletes: Deodorant stains on white shirts can be removed. Just soak the stained area in vinegar for 30 minutes and then wash in hot water with regular detergent. A repeat wash may be necessary.
Not every college student has a needle and thread handy to sew on a button, but most have dental floss. According to www. heloise.com, thread dental floss through a button to hold it in place. Be careful to put the button in an inconspicuous place, bright white floss doesn't match with everything. A $70 sweater from The Limited may sound like a good idea, but what happens when it snags? Simple, push the snag back through the sweater and put a dab of clear nail polish on the snag from the inside. Clear nail polish can also be used to prevent pantyhose from "running." According to www.heloise.com stop the run by putting a small amount of nail polish on the snag as soon as possible.