Home Economics for the Domestically Challenged Quiz

Answer: bleach

Many bathrooms, especially in damp areas, accumulate the ugly spots known as mold and mildew. The best way to get rid of this, according to experts, is with a mixture of bleach and water. NEVER mix bleach and ammonia- noxious and possibly dangerous fumes will result!

Baking soda is a natural alternative to eliminate mold, but it is more difficult to use correctly and does not kill all species. If you prefer natural remedies, by all means use it, but if the mold comes back quickly, you may have to resort to bleach.

Answer: by color and fabric

Clothes should be washed with those that are similar in color. As a general rule, all whites should be washed in hot water; light colors in warm water; and black and bright colors in cold water. Delicate things, such as silk and satin, should be washed in cold water, perhaps by hand, and allowed to air dry.

Answer: sweep it into a dustpan

A dustpan is an implement, usually made of plastic, designed so that you can sweep your dirt right into it and then dispose of it, preferably in a proper receptacle such as a garbage can. Did you know that most of the dust in your house is made of shed human skin? Yuck.

Answer: supersonic

As far as I know, they have not made a supersonic vacuum cleaner- but it would be cool if they did. There are actually four types of vacuum cleaners: hand-held, which, as the name implies, are small sucking implements held in your hands; stick cleaners, which are basically large hand-helds- used for hard floors; uprights, the most common type in the USA; and whole-house, or central, vacuums, which will set you back a few thousand dollars. You also have canister vacs.

Answer: dry pasta

Items such as dry pasta, white rice, powdered milk, and salt can be stored for indefinite periods, when kept in an airtight container. Things like canned fruits, vegetables, soups, and meat (like Spam) have a shelf life of at least two years. After that, they might still be safe to eat, but their quality might have deteriorated. Potatoes should be used within six months.

Answer: salmonella

Salmonella, a nasty microorganism that causes Salmonella enterocolitis, can breed in raw eggs, turkey, and chicken. Make sure eggs are stored at 45 degrees (F) or lower. When you cook them, cook them until the whites and yolk are firm. Eat them promptly after cooking- don't let them sit around. Also, reptiles are carriers of salmonella, so after playing with your python, make sure to wash your hands.

Answer: paprika

Detergent, the stuff that gets clothes and dishes clean, is actually a very complicated product. According to the Soap and Detergent Association, here are some things that are in a dishwashing detergent: 1) a surfactant, which lowers the surface tension of water, helping to emulsify and remove fatty acids (food slop); 2) a builder, which combines with water hardness minerals to prevent stains from forming on dishes (or clothes); 3) a corrosion inhibitor, which protects machine parts and prevents the corrosion of metals such as aluminum; 4) a chlorine compound, which helps to sanitize dishes and makes protein stains, such as egg and milk, soluble 5) alkalis, such as sodium carbonate and trisodium phosphate, that dissolve greasy food stains. Most detergents also have some sort of perfume to make them smell pretty, like spring meadows or orange orchards. Paprika, in case you didn't know, is a spice used in cooking (which I don't know anything about).

Answer: because copper is a better conductor of heat and cooks more evenly

Since my "good dishes" are plastic ones from Wal-Mart, I consulted a website called "SoYouWanna" for this one. With all the different kinds of cookware for sale nowadays, how do you know what to buy? Most good cookware is made of stainless steel, and some is coated with Teflon, a non-stick surface.

The kind with copper bottoms is best, since copper is a better conductor of heat than stainless steel. Also, look for cookware that is oven- and microwave-safe.

Answer: chorizo

Chorizo is a spicy, coarsely ground pork sausage, mainly found in Spanish and Mexican cuisine. The others are all spices.

Answer: iron clothes while they're on your body

An iron is an appliance, usually electrical, that when properly used, implements heat and/or steam to remove wrinkles from clothing and other fabric items. Usually a special contraption called an ironing board is used for this procedure, but a table or desktop also works. Even I know not to iron clothes while you're wearing them, as this may cause burns. Most irons come with a dial or some sort of temperature meter that tells you on which setting certain types of fabric should be ironed; usually, delicate fabrics should be ironed at the cooler settings so as not to burn the fabric.

There are fancy accessories, such as presscloths and hams, that you can use to help you iron things like lace and sleeves.