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

Beautiful Butterflies: The Tiger Swallowtail

A recent sunny morning ushered in a visiting butterfly to my yard and I was lucky enough to snap a few portraits.Then, a couple of friends asked about Tiger Swallowtails and how to attract them to their own yards. According to the Illinois Natural History Survey book Butterflies of Illinois...
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Berries and Brambles: Raspberry Management and Pruning

Now that you've decided on the type of raspberry you are going to grow, you'll need to address the plant's needs through management. Raspberry plants benefit from mulching around the plants. This should be no thicker than 2 inches to avoid rodents. The mulch can help with weed control and keeping...
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Trying New Things

The other week, a colleague of mine and I began a youth program called Junior Master Gardener – Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! It's a curriculum that was developed by Texas A&M to help youth learn about gardening, plants, healthy eating, and getting up and moving. One of the great things about the...
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Celebrating Cinco De Mayo

Cinco de Mayo (fifth of May) is a celebration to commemorate Mexico's victory over the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. So why is it celebrated in America? Much like Americans love to celebrate Irish culture for St. Patrick's Day, Cinco de Mayo is an opportunity for us to gorge...
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Welcome to My Jungle - May, 2016

Straw bale gardening has been an interesting project. After reading several books on the topic, I decided I was ready to try my hand at growing "something" in straw bales. My design was simple; four straw bales side by side, set on a weed mat of layered newspapers in the back driveway. Placement is...
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Creepy Crawlers

Last week I wrote about sooty mold (read the article here). Sooty mold is fungal growth on honeydew, or the excrement of certain insects, including aphids and some scale insects. We've seen a large number of tree and shrub samples with scale insects so far...
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