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
The smooth and shiny, aromatic leaves of basil provide both ornamental beauty and culinary use.

Basil

Every gardener has several of those go-to plants, the ones that seem to always grow nicely in their particular gardening system, making them a repeated addition over the years.  I just love it when one of these go-to specimens can not only provide ornamental beauty, but an edible harvest as...
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Sensational Senses

By Joy Clough, Cook County Master Naturalist, July 2020 We think we have five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste. But there are more: imagination, curiosity, memory, insight, play, and emotions that range from fear to surprise to delight. Engaging our outer and inner senses...
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wheatgrass growing in a cup

Kids in the Garden: Grow & Explore this Fall

Fall is the perfect time for little ones to get out in the garden to explore plants at their peak, and even grow their own plant projects in the cooler temperatures. Here are a few ideas to get them outside and appreciating nature. Cut Grass Hair Grow your own grass head, then snip or style the “...
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Growing and Using Peppers

If you want to add zip and heat to your favorite entrée add a chile pepper. Peppers come in a variety of shapes, colors, range in taste from sweet and mild to hot. They are used in a wide variety of dishes from eating raw to seasoning and main dishes.  Peppers have the same basic growing...
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Yoga as a way of life

When one hears the word yoga, it is common to simply think about the physical practice of holding yoga postures. As viewed by the ancients, yoga is a way of life that also includes breathing techniques, sense withdrawal, concentration, meditation and transcendence. For the next several weeks, we...
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photo of downed tree

Understanding storm damage to trees

Strong winds and heavy rains have caused damage to our larger, older shade trees. Wind and rain together provide the “right ingredients” to bring down limbs, especially those that have had structural issues like decay or poor crotch angles, creating included bark which weakens the crotch physically...
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The okra plant produces cream colored flowers. Once pollinated, these will produce the okra pods to harvest and cook.

Growing and Harvesting Okra

Growing up in East Tennessee, okra was one of the most common vegetables I both ate and grew. Now that I live in the Midwest, I don’t see the crop as often in community gardens and at farmers markets. Yet you may have found this summer, as I have, that okra deserves a place in the summer garden....
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plant based protein options

Power up with plant protein

More interest has surrounded meat alternatives and reducing the use of animal products recently. One concern about meat alternatives is they may not provide enough protein to meet protein needs. However, that is not the case. Plant proteins can be excellent sources of protein. Plant proteins are...
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