Banishing those icky, musty smells is easier than you think. If you’re sniffing the air for the source of amysterious musty smell, we have some bad news. It may be coming from your clothes. Credit: Getty Images Don’t worry, saving your favorite outfit is easier than you think. What Causes Musty Smells In Clothes? Mildew and musty smells can occur in clothes in even the most fastidious of households. According to Zinna, that last one is particularly important....

Oil stains are tough, but we’ve got the solutions to remove them. Greasy, oily stains on clothes can be the worst. Rebeccah Buurstrais the former brand manager atMaytag, an American home and commercial appliance company. Credit: Getty Images Some textiles, like silk or cashmere, may require special care. Be sure to rinse away the residue thoroughly. Step 6: Repeat Repeat the process if a stain persists. Use plain paper towels to scrape off excess stains....

If you spill paint on carpet, all is not lost. The thing is, there is definitely awrongway to clean up that kind of mess. Luckily, we are here to point out therightway. Credit: Getty Images Getting apaintstain out of your carpet is easier than you might think. Samantha Hodges is director of Digital Marketing atRugs.com, based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Many of thecleaning stepsfor water- and oil-based paint clean-up are the same....

Learn how to remove the nest safely, according to a pro. One or two buzzers arent so bad, but a swarm of them could mean theres a nest nearby. David Priceis the Associate Certified Entomologist and Director of Technical Services atMosquito Joe, aNeighborlycompany. Credit:Getty Images What Does a Wasp Nest Look Like? Not all wasp nests are active. The wasps range from calm to aggressive, Price says. But they all have one thing in common: Theyre hungry and searching for food....

Heres what to do if you find ants in your house. Regardless, its time to act fast. That means the workers have to keep finding food to keep everyone alive. Credit:Getty Images Ants are constantly foraging, says Benson. Theyre champs at what they do. Theyll find that single Cheerio or cookie that fell out of the package in the back of the pantry. While theres no need to freak out if you see ants in your house, you shouldnt ignore them....

Heres how to discourage them from digging up your lawn and garden. Occasionally, they also eat small amphibians, reptiles, and their eggs. When theyre foraging for dinner, armadillos can cause significant damage to lawns, gardens, and flower beds. Credit:Getty Images Their burrows also can be a problem if theyre undermining a house or shed foundation. Armadillos are found throughout the Southeast but actually have expanded their range in recent years....

Heres how to discourage carpenter bees from making their homes in yours. But one kind of bee may wear your patience thin if youve discovered their handiwork:carpenter bees! Getty Images/2ndLookGraphics Keith Delaplane, PhD, is professor of entomology at the University of Georgia. Credit:Getty Images/2ndLookGraphics How To Identify Carpenter Bees Carpenter bees(Xylocopa virginica)actually are fascinating native pollinators. Theyre about 3/4 to 1 inch long with shiny abdomens, not fuzzy back ends like bumble bees....

Learn how to get rid of crabgrass and achieve a healthy, weed-free lawn. Getty Images Chances are, if you have a lawn, you havecrabgrass! This fast-growing weed thrives despite heat, humidity, or drought conditions. Credit:Getty Images Crabgrass first appears in the spring, but new plants keep germinating throughout the summer, says Waltz. As an annual weed, crabgrass is killed off by the first frost. But by then, youve got hundredsand probably thousandsof seeds sitting there waiting to germinate next year....

Here’s how to evict those unwanted houseguests. So youve had a few unexpected house guests. Normally, wed encourage extendinggracious hospitality. Credit:waaruchch/Getty In the case of pests, however, were calling for an immediate eviction. Apest controlproblem can quickly escalate from a minor annoyance to afull-on infestation. Thats why its important to take action as soon as you notice traces of pests in your home. Yes,cockroaches are bad, but have you ever had an infestation of crickets?...

Getty Images To kids,dandelionsprovide endless hours of seed-blowing entertainment. To adults, they represent endless hours of weeding. The most effective management strategies focus on prevention and removal of young plants. Credit:Getty Images Heres how to get rid of dandelions and get back to enjoying the landscape. The Best Ways To Remove Dandelions Some dandelion seedlings inevitably get through your first lines of defense. Its important to remove mature plants before they can go to seed....

Key Takeaways What Are Fire Ants? There are several types of fire ants. Native fire ants (Solenopsis geminata; Solenopsis xyloni) were also introduced here by accident. Credit: Photo: marufish/em Fire ants form colonies of thousands, building mounds by creating a maze of tunnels underground. The soil from tunneling is deposited at the soil line, forming mounds. They build the mounds up during cool or wet weather to keep their nest dry....

Besides the unpleasant sight, there’s an even worse result: fruit flies. What Are Fruit Flies? You’ve likely seen fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) in the kitchen. Credit:Getty Images And for insects with such short life spans, they stay busy! Apple Cider Vinegar Fruit flies cannot resist the tangy-sweet smell of vinegar. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar but won’t be able to fly out. Credit: Getty Images The soap will make their wings too heavy to fly....

Getty Images Fungus gnats are a common pestamong houseplants. Their larvae feed on fungi and organic matter in our potting soil and nibble on plant roots as well. As much as we’d like, they don’t go away on their own. Credit:Getty Images Fortunately, fungus gnats are more of a nuisance than anything. And they are easy to control. Learn how toget rid of fungus gnatsand apply these strategies to avoid having problems with them in the future....