The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[Betelnut]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I wiped it up with a dirty cloth (I wasn't at home and didn't have too many options) but now want to avoid sour milk smell in the car.

[Luci]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I wiped it up with a dirty cloth (I wasn't at home and didn't have too many options) but now want to avoid sour milk smell in the car.

Dump a package of baking soda on it, rub it in, pray, vacuum it up in a couple of weeks. You will miss a lot of baking soda, but it won't stink, and it may absorb other stuff later!

[Mental Magpie]

I have begun wearing contacts again, but I'm having a seriously annoying issue.  I wear black eyeliner on my upper water line (crayon type), black eyeliner on my upper and lower lids (liquid type, above my lashes on the top and below them on the bottom), and black mascara.  I cannot pinpoint which one it is, but one of the three is leaving black spots on my contacts.  It doesn't matter if I put my contacts in before or after I apply the eye makeup.  I can't just soak my contacts and use solution to rub off the black spots, I have to scrape them off with my fingernail.

How do I stop this from happening?

It's the liquid eyeliner on the inside of the lash line that's doing it, says the voice of experience. I once got dark purple liquid liner stuck on my contacts.

Try a different brand, for some reason that fixed my issue.

I don't put the liquid liner on the inside of the lash line...because it got in my eye juice and turned most of my sclera black.  It was really cool looking but not something I want to repeat.

[Dindrane]

I'm thinking the crayon type eyeliner on your waterline is most likely the culprit, if it's not your mascara. Sometimes the pencil eyeliners will leave sort of...goopy crayon type black spots on my makeup bag (mostly from the shavings since I sometimes carry my sharpener in there), so I could see something similar happening with your contacts.

But it could also be flaking mascara. Do you wear waterproof or non-waterproof? Sometimes the waterproof is more stubborn than the other kind, although both can be pretty hard to clean off of things.

But I would suggest skipping the pencil liner one day to see if that makes a difference. I'd feel weird wearing any liner without mascara, so I would say that if you still have the issue after skipping the pencil liner, skip that and the liquid liner and see if that makes a difference. If you still have issues after that, it's probably your mascara.

One other thing that's just occurred to me, actually. My mascara is more prone to flaking when it's older and starting to dry out a little. I don't have that problem so much with new tubes because I think they are just more liquid-y, which makes it easier to not overdo it on application. So if it is your mascara causing the problem and you haven't gotten a new tube of it within the past 3 months or so, that might be contributing.

[CrazyDaffodilLady]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I wiped it up with a dirty cloth (I wasn't at home and didn't have too many options) but now want to avoid sour milk smell in the car.

I cleaned up the residue of a milk spill with Clorox Wipes.  You do want to test to make sure they don't discolor the carpet. 

[JoW]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I would use an enzyme-based cleaner formulated for cleaning rugs.  They are available in the cleanup section of a pet supply store or the pet department of a discount store.  They are marketed for cleaning up behind pets. 

[Mental Magpie]

It seems to have been the crayon liner...It's the first one I omitted and the problem seems to have cleared up.

[gramma dishes]

It seems to have been the crayon liner...It's the first one I omitted and the problem seems to have cleared up.

Glad to hear you found the culprit so quickly!!   

[Dindrane]

I think I know the answer to this, and didn't want to start a whole thread, but I'm wondering if it's rude or somehow not acceptable to schedule consultation appointments with two different orthodontists I am considering seeing.

I had braces as a kid, but some of my top teeth have shifted (largely because, like a little idiot, I didn't wear my retainer consistently or long enough post-braces). I had a dentist appointment this morning and finally decided to ask for a recommendation to an orthodontist to see what it would take to get my teeth straightened out again, and how much it would cost.

My dentist gave me two different names, both of whom are within a few miles of my house, accept my insurance, specifically advertise that they treat adults, and have more than one treatment option (depending upon what you need done). They also both offer a free initial consultation (which I imagine is the case for all orthodontists).

So it's not rude to set up consultations with both and decide which one to go with afterwards, right? I'm not even 100% sure that I will be having any orthodontic work done at this time anyway. My husband still needs to be convinced this is a good idea, based largely on the overall cost. And for that matter, since at least some of my motivation is cosmetic and I've lived with this particular flaw in my teeth for 15 years already, I still need to be convinced it's affordable right now.

I know I will be taking up an hour of each orthodontist's time (and creating at least some work for their respective staffs), but at the same time, they have so few differences on paper that it probably will come down to a decision about cost (if that's different) and personality or other similar considerations that would be impossible to assess except in person.

[StarDrifter]

Definitely not rude to do that - that would be why both of them offer free initial consultations, so that you can decide if they're going to be right for you.
That and each of them might quote you completely different costings for your work to be done, or offer different methods. There is nothing wrong with shopping around.

[kherbert05]

2nd opinions for medical care are never rude. I saw a couple before getting my braces. We actually went with the doc that said because of my asthma/sinus allergies I am a mouth breather (the real problem is my at the time undiagnosed broken nose but he didn't know that) there was a 50% chance my teeth would move back. I have retainers cemented to the inside of my teeth to minmize movement back.

[Coruscation]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I wiped it up with a dirty cloth (I wasn't at home and didn't have too many options) but now want to avoid sour milk smell in the car.

Wet vacuum cleaner. I found nothing less worked. Vacuum it, add soapy water and suck it up again. Actually get the milk out of the car.

[Carotte]

2nd opinions for medical care are never rude. I saw a couple before getting my braces. We actually went with the doc that said because of my asthma/sinus allergies I am a mouth breather (the real problem is my at the time undiagnosed broken nose but he didn't know that) there was a 50% chance my teeth would move back. I have retainers cemented to the inside of my teeth to minmize movement back.

I wish my parents had me see a second dentist when I got my first set of braces (I was 12 so that was their call). There's a reason it was my first and I needed a second one.
First doc just put the braces in. Sure it straightenend them fine while I had the braces, and maybe for 6 months afterward, after that it was back to square one.
Second doc explained that she would have to pull out 6 or 8 teeths, do this, do that, then close up a gap, bring my lower jaw closer to my upper*, and this, and that...
That one was a pain and a half, I even got the head gear, but at least it stayed!

*I did cheat and never wore the elastics that were supposed to move my lower jaw, there's quite a gap (that doesn't bother me) but if I had I would look prognathe and that doesn't fit me at all.

[kherbert05]

2nd opinions for medical care are never rude. I saw a couple before getting my braces. We actually went with the doc that said because of my asthma/sinus allergies I am a mouth breather (the real problem is my at the time undiagnosed broken nose but he didn't know that) there was a 50% chance my teeth would move back. I have retainers cemented to the inside of my teeth to minmize movement back.

I wish my parents had me see a second dentist when I got my first set of braces (I was 12 so that was their call). There's a reason it was my first and I needed a second one.
First doc just put the braces in. Sure it straightenend them fine while I had the braces, and maybe for 6 months afterward, after that it was back to square one.
Second doc explained that she would have to pull out 6 or 8 teeths, do this, do that, then close up a gap, bring my lower jaw closer to my upper*, and this, and that...
That one was a pain and a half, I even got the head gear, but at least it stayed!

*I did cheat and never wore the elastics that were supposed to move my lower jaw, there's quite a gap (that doesn't bother me) but if I had I would look prognathe and that doesn't fit me at all.

I started in 4th and finished in 12th grade. In elementary I was supposed to wear head and neck gear 24 hours a day. I have "scars" on the inside of my mouth from being punched in the face and the gear popping out and cutting the inside of my mouth. As soon as the orthodontist saw the cuts, he hit the roof. I didn't wear the gear at school after that. Had to wear it an extra year or two at home.

[VorFemme]

What is the best way to clean chocolate milk that spilled all over the carpet in the car.  Sigh.  Yes, I let my daughter "drink" chocolate milk in the car...

I wiped it up with a dirty cloth (I wasn't at home and didn't have too many options) but now want to avoid sour milk smell in the car.

Wet vacuum cleaner. I found nothing less worked. Vacuum it, add soapy water and suck it up again. Actually get the milk out of the car.

Shop vac or steam cleaner (the canister type with a hose work best - it's too hard to get an upright into position with most vehicles) - if you have a shop vac, pour water onto the chocolate milk & keep sucking up the water until it comes up clear in the tank.

I have managed to clean the back of a minivan up after a chocolate shake spilled - but it involved getting all the seats out of the van to let me use the upright steam cleaner.  The canister/tank cleaner with a short wand & an upholstery attachment let me clean the floor between the front seats & in front of the seats. 

I love my Bissell Big Green Clean Machine (now about 21 years old) because it really does let me clean a lot of things.  I can even clean stairs...but getting the danged canister from upstairs to downstairs once the stairs are HALF done is not easy.  They don't make a longer hose....