The best stain removers for those holiday mishaps

In a matter of days many homes will be swarming with all manner of friends and relatives and the treats, decorations and messes they leave behind. Don't be surprised if you have wine spilled on your oriental carpet or candle wax melted on your grandmother's tablecloth. In fact, you should expect it and arm yourself with both store-bought and homemade stain removal treatments. Here are some tips from our experts on how to remedy the most common holiday mishaps.

Spills on carpet or fabric. For wine, first blot it with water. Next use the detergent solution below. For red wine you can then dab with 3 percent-strength hydrogen peroxide. (Make sure the fabric is colorfast first.) For soda spills, blot the area with the detergent solution, then use the vinegar solution, also below. Rinse with warm water. If a trace remains, dab with 3 percent-strength hydrogen peroxide.

White rings on wood. Blot the spot with an absorbent cloth, wipe with a damp cloth to help dissolve the stain, and then dry with a soft cloth. If the stain remains, apply a little non-gel toothpaste, or liquid or cream car polish, rubbing with the grain. Wipe with a dry cloth and polish, if needed.

Lipstick on cloth napkins. Blot the lipstick with acetone-based nail-polish remover. Then try a store-bought cleaning solvent,such as Afta or Goo Gone. If that doesn't work, try the detergent solution, then rinse.

Candle wax on the table cloth. Pour boiling water through the washable fabric from a height of one foot (the height increases the velocity of the water, which helps separate the wax from the fibers). If the fabric can't be laundered, sandwich it between paper towels and apply a warm iron.

Home remedies
To make the detergent solution. mix one teaspoon of a mild clear or white dishwashing liquid—no bleach—in one cup of warm water. For the vinegar solution, mix one-third cup of white vinegar with two-thirds cup of water.

Commercial stain removers
In our tests of laundry stain removers, Resolve Laundry was tops and is a CR Best Buy. But don't buy by brand alone, a Resolve product was also the worst performer. Shout Advanced Action was almost as good as Resolve Laundry and can be applied up to a week before laundering, a plus when you have a house full of company. Other stain treatments typically direct you to apply them right before washing.

What a Little Paint Can Do

In my last post about my new back garden I thanked Rant readers for their design tips, all of which I incorporated. Well, most of which until now. The super-honest Christopher C wrote to tell me that he CRINGED whenever I posted a photo of my neighbors privacy screen, shown below, because it looked like a beat-up old pallet.

Veteran bloggers like myself are known for their thick skin but Ive gotta say, that kinda stung. But in a good way, an inspiring way. So I anxiously researched my co-op rules and learning that paint is allowed, determined to make this one purple the primary color Ive chosen for the plants. (Following Thomas Rainers directive to choose a color scheme and stick to it religiously in a space this small).

But then another super-honest gardenblogging friend came to visit and immediately nixed the purple idea and while she was at it, expressed HORROR, I say, HORROR at the sight of my bright green garden hose. (Not the one above, which doesnt look bad but was damaged.)

Being a faithful follower of suggestions at least when my gut says theyre right on I set out to find a better looking hose (done! Post to follow when it arrives) and chose this deep green for the screen, a color destined to be less controversial with the neighbors than purple. It also A, matches the Adirondack chairs perfectly and B, is an actual color that colored stain comes in; purple isnt even on offer.

So Christopher, its not the light green you suggested but has it at least put an end to the dreaded cringing effect? I sure hope so. Itll soon be festooned with the evergreen vine Bignonia (crossvine) that you see here in its first season.

In the corner is a Blue Maid holly thats supposed to grow to 6-10. The groundcovers in this little court are the vigorous Sedum takesimense for sun and Creeping Jenny for shade.

Me, I love the big dose of color, which also looks good from the living room, where its a prominent feature out the window. I just hope it stays this way, despite my failure to follow directions for applying it. I declined to use the wood cleaner I was supposed to use first; the chemicals in it are SO NASTY I couldnt stand the idea of washing them down into my garden soil. So, time will tell.

Paint Rules!

Id painted garden walls before and recommended paint many times for the unsightly sheds and garages of my clients and agree totally with the sentiments of Maureen Gilmer:

I believe in paint. Its cheap. It makes huge changes in a matter of hours. Paint is the poor garden makers Yellow Brick Road to bold, beautiful spaces.

Click that link to see her excellent examples. Googling painted garden walls also led me to an example by designer Shirley Bovshow, who uses a slightly lighter green to cover a cinder block wall.

I did manage to find an example in purple by an English designer whos far bolder than I am.

Searching for painted garden walls on Houzz yields a few good examples, like the fabulous one below.

Eclectic Landscape design by San Luis Obispo Landscape Architect Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

Anybody else using paint in their garden? And why do you think we see so little of it used?

In 2013, it's lights out for the 75-watt incandescent

Let's use the occasion of the shortest day of the year to say so long to another energy-wasting incandescent lightbulb. Federal law mandates that 75-watt bulbs can no longer be made in the U.S. or imported as of January 1, although retailers can sell remaining stock. Fortunately, in Consumer Reports lightbulb tests we found an LED that uses only 17 watts but is as bright as a 75-watt bulb.

Most screw-in bulbs have to use at least 27 percent less energy by 2014 as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The phase-out started last January with 100-watt bulbs and now 75-watt lightbulbs will fade away. If you're looking for replacements consider the Philips AmbientLED (model 17W 75W A21 Soft White 418400). Using 17 watts, it instantly brightens and casts a nice warm light—it scored an impressive 99 out of 100 after 3,000 hours of testing. This dimmable LED can be used in lamps and ceiling fixtures.

Philips claims these LEDs will last 25,000 hours, or nearly 23 years when used 3 hours a day. If that sounds awfully long, it is. An incandescent typically lasts about 1,000 hours. But at $40 this LED takes about 4.5 years to pay for itself. However, our lightbulb tests found you can save about $160 in electricity and replacement bulbs over its lifetime, compared to 75-watt bulbs. Our lightbulb Ratings include dozens of CFLs and LEDs, so take a look, and be sure to check online for rebates from manufacturers and your utility for Energy Star-qualified bulbs.

Three cooking goofs that can ruin a turkey dinner

Turkey isn't just a Thanksgiving Day tradition. It's popular at Christmas too, with 22 million consumed, according to the National Turkey Federation. Ask friends for their best turkey tips and you'll get an earful of advice on brining, basting, glazing and grilling, even deep-frying. But does anybody tell you where it can all go wrong with the turkey changing from being much anticipated to maligned? Here are three common mistakes cooks make and what to do instead.

Not allowing enough time for thawing. Sure, it's safe to roast a frozen turkey, but you have to increase cooking time by about 50 percent and you can't grill or smoke it, and don't even think about deep frying or microwaving a frozen bird, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And then there's the matter of taste. "The bird is very lean to start with and I don't care if you put a sweater or coat on this turkey, cooking it that much longer means the exterior of the bird will be very dried out," says Chef Brendan Walsh, dean of culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America.
Tip: Plan ahead. Allow 24 hours of refrigerator thaw time per four pounds of frozen turkey—a 16-pound bird should thaw in four days. Keep the turkey in its original wrapper and place it breast side down in a shallow roasting pan. This lets the juices flow into the breast meat.

Overcooking. Use a meat thermometer and roast a whole turkey until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, checking the thickest part of the breast and innermost part of the thigh and wing.
Tip: Don't rely on the pop-up thermometer. It's calibrated to pop at 170 degrees F to 185 degrees F, depending on the weight, and chefs have told us that's past ideal. Need a reliable meat thermometer? Take a look at the top-rated Polder THM-360, $30, a leave-in model, or the instant-read Taylor Weekend Warrior 806 for $16, two standouts from our tests of meat thermometers.

A rush to carve. Let the turkey rest at least 15 minutes and up to 25 if it's over 25 pounds. You want to allow enough time for the internal juices to be absorbed back into the bird, making it moister, and so the sliced turkey looks more attractive.
Tip: Using the wrong knife or a dull knife can result in a butchered bird. If you need new knives consider two impressive sets from our kitchen knife tests, the Zwilling J.A. Henckels Twin Professional "S", $315, or the more economical Ginsu Chikara, $75.