So much more to offer than stains!

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We have discontinued our stain solution website.
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At Illinois Extension, our reputation is built on providing reliable, proven research-based information. It's behind every recommendation we provide, woven into the very fabric of every program, every encounter, and every word we write. Much has changed in the textile world since the Stain Solution website was created. We no longer have the expertise to confidently update the website to reflect those changes. 

We won't promise you something we can't stand behind. You deserve reliable information you can trust. 

Although we've discontinued the Stain Solutions website, there are still thousands of pages of content that can benefit your family, your business, and your communities. We hope you'll explore the many ways we can help you build a better world. When we are able to verify the information about stain removal, we'll begin again, a fresh start to helping you fix life's little hiccups.

 

Enjoy Our Blogs
photo of a shamrock

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with family-friendly activities

Here in the United States, St. Patrick’s Day – March 17 – has become a fun way to celebrate Irish-American culture. You and your family can join in the excitement with these engaging and educational activities! Catch a Leprechaun You’re probably already familiar with Rube Goldberg machines. You...
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Two photos side-by-side: Left, little bluestem in fall; right, purple and yellow violas

Garden worthy 'Plants of the Year'

With over 400,000 species of plants in the world, one might wonder which ones are the best to grow in your garden or landscape. Many plant associations select a “Plant of the Year” using rigorous criteria to highlight plants they feel are deserving of the title. Consider these plants when planning...
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pruners cutting dried hydrangeas

How to properly prune hydrangeas

When pruning species that bloom on new wood such as panicle and smooth hydrangeas, you can remove as much as one-third to one-half of the total mass of the shrub. Hydrangeas are a popular blooming woody shrub that add attractive foliage and large, striking blossoms to landscapes. An important part...
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Five to Thrive: The best foods to donate to food pantries

It is not until you begin to look for food to donate to a food bank or pantry that you realize just what a wide selection of different foods there are in the world. Most people only tend to eat a very small fraction of these foods when allowed to choose for themselves. But choosing what to donate...
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Girl with toothbrush

COVID-19’s effects on your dental health

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our world, ushering in an age of Work from Home, vaccination protocols, social distancing, and countless ways in our daily lives, but what if I told you that your dental health was also at risk during the pandemic! In 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) put...
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Force flowering branches for an early spring show

Every gardener can enjoy spring blooms a little earlier than usual, the trick is to do so indoors. Many of our ornamental flowering trees and shrubs have the 2022 flower buds ready and waiting right now. Typically, our ornamental landscape plants produce the next season’s bloom not too long after...
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an adult woman and adult man talking to a young girl

Talking to your children about war and difficult topics

The day after Russia attacked Ukraine, when I picked my 10-year-old daughter up from school, she asked, “Is it over?” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, so I asked her what she meant. She said, “the war with Russia and Ukraine-is it over yet?” Knowing that we hadn’t talked about it at home...
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Vegetable Gardening with Raised Beds

Vegetable Gardening with Raised Beds

The spring-like weather this past week has been phenomenal.  Although we may see a return to cooler weather since March is known to “come in like a lion”, it was certainly a sign of things to come.  I’m really looking forward to March’s exit as it “goes out like a lamb” and the 2022...
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A young girl sits in grass with a pile of harvested vegetables

Garden with your kids this summer

Cultivating a love and knowledge of gardening in youth can be a rewarding experience for all. A garden offers a place to learn, play, and grow through hands-on experience in the freedom of their own backyard. Kids LOVE to dig in the soil and get their hands & feet (or even head to toes!) dirty...
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Eat.Move.Save.

Make healthier choices on any budget. 

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Illinois Pollinators

Pollinators are vital to both plant life and human life on earth.

feeding baby spoonful of food

Feeding My Baby

When is the right time to introduce complementary foods?