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
evergreen trees

Selecting Your Christmas Tree

With Thanksgiving last week, holiday tree shopping – whether you are going to cut your own or visit your favorite lot to purchase your tree – is in full swing now. Some of the common favorites are balsam fir, Fraser fir, Scotch pine and white pine, each having different...
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Welcome to My Jungle - December, 2019

How we shop and buy plants is changing, so gardeners need to sharpen their ‘internet savvy’ skills to avoid disappointment when ordering plants online.  First, let’s talk about shipping.  Shipping costs may be the single largest impediment to buying plants online due to outright sticker...
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The sweet potato produces more biomass and nutrients per acre that any other food crop, making it a globally important agricultural crop.  Photo Credit: Andrew Holsinger, Illinois Extension

The Amazing Sweet Potato

So many foods are epitomized by their annual appearance in Thanksgiving feasts, with sweet potato often right alongside the turkey and stuffing. This plant also has an interesting world history as both a food-security and subsistence crop in developing countries as week as a delicacy if...
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Brittnay Haag teaching at Horticulture Center Children's Garden

Extension Grows Youths' Interest in Horticulture

Our unit director, Bobbie Lewis-Sibley, often says, “I wish there were a garden in every school,” a response to youths' unfamiliarity where their food comes from, and a deficiency of interaction with the natural environment. At the Unity Community Center, Extension’s after-school site in Normal,...
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potatoes

The Secrets of Sour Cream

Sour cream has so many uses that it’s often a refrigerator staple from January to December. It adds richness and acidity to both savory and sweet dishes. It’s similar to it’s substitutes, yogurt or crème fraiche, yet remains a distinctive ingredient. Sour cream is a fermented dairy product made by...
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National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior- ultimately interfering with daily life. Dementia is a term that covers a range of medical conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s...
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woman standing under lights

Managing Holiday Stress

With the anticipation of the holidays, there can also be that feeling of dread – how are you going to get everything done on an already busy schedule? For many people, the extensive preparations they engage in to pull off those picture-perfect holidays create so much stress, that they can’t even...
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picture of sweet potatoes in a bucket and yams in metal bowls

What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

Pass the sweet potatoes. Or is it pass the yams? We often use these names interchangeably, but in reality, they are two very different plants. So, what is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? True yams are monocots (like grasses and lilies) in the family Dioscoreaceae that are native to...
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woman and man making snow angels

Embracing Winter

Winter is my least favorite season. In fact, I would go as far as to say I really rather dislike it. The cold, bitter winds and snow are just not my thing. So you might think this month I would just say, “Stay inside. Don’t nature journal.” You would be mistaken. You see, while I dislike almost...
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Houseplants provide beauty as well as a plethora of human health benefits during winter although indoor plant care can often be challenging this time of year.

How to overwinter house plants

Winter is a stressful time for many plants in the landscape, given the drought conditions brought on by freezing temperatures and the effects of extreme cold. Although these stressors typically don’t impact our houseplants the same way, indoor plants experience their own form of winter stress,...
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Eat.Move.Save.

Make healthier choices on any budget. 

butterfly on plant for illinois pollinator

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?