Ask a Clean Person

Jolie Kerr kicks off the fall season of Ask a Clean Person with a doozy of a topic - sex stains. She's joined by Maureen O'Connor, New York Magazine’s sex columnist and a contributor at The Cut. In addition to being generally awesome, Maureen, in her Sex Lives column, recently wrote an article entitled "The Complicated Politics of Where to Come" that in many ways was at the crossroads of what she does as a sex columnist and what Jolie does as a cleaning columnist and podcaster. This program was brought to you by Roberta's. "The sex stain is essentially what ask a clean person was built on." [21:00] "The one thing you don't want to use on protein stains is bleach. It has a chemical reaction that will cause the stains to look more yellow." [28:00] --Jolie Kerr on Ask a Clean Person "This is really profound, this realization that sex and messes overlap." [24:00] --Maureen O'Connor on Ask a Clean Person

Dirty dishes, sticky stovetops, messy microwaves... This week on Ask a Clean Person, host Jolie Kerr is taking on kitchen disasters with guest Kristin Appenbrink, freelance writer and contributing editor at The Kitchn. As it turns out, cooking oil is a big culprit in disgracing anyone's kitchen and as it becomes airborne, it settles, and attracts dust. But never fear! Jolie and Kristin dish out a few tips and tricks, some eco-friendly and some not, to scrub down the grime. Ever wondered how to clean your cast-iron and stainless cookwear? Tune in for answers and to hear Jolie wax poetic on Crystal Light! This program was brought to you by The International Culinary Center. "One of the makers of oxygenated bleach, off the record, said to me that yes, one of the great uses for it is for cleaning a stained interior of a cast iron." [25:58] "There's a difference between stained and dirty!" [28:26] --Jolie Kerr on Ask a Clean Person

This week on Ask a Clean Person, host Jolie Kerr is tackling mold and mildew! With guest Julia Rubin, Features Editor at Racked National, in studio, the two delve deep into the cleverest tricks to avoiding the dank and damp dilemma. Talking solutions for bathrooms that range from eco-friendly tea tree oil to heavy duty bleach scrubs, Jolie also suggests that de-humidifiers and plug in bathroom fans can be a lifesaver! Tune in to hear Jolie's love of hardware stores, the magic of Damprid, plus how to handle musty carpet. This program was brought to you by Route 11 Potato Chips. "I think the padding under the under the carpet has mildew. It has to be be a health hazard for the tenants." [24:40] "A Shop-Vac is a brand name for what's also known as a wet dry vac. It may be that just going over the carpet with a Shop-Vac and pulling up as much moisture as possible might be a good thing." [27:20] --Jolie Kerr on Ask a Clean Person

When is the last time you cleaned your car? Perhaps it's been a while? Tune in to this week's Ask a Clean Person as Jolie Kerr welcomes Freddy Hernandez from Jalopnik, where he writes about buying and selling cool cars on the internet under the pen name Tavarish. Talking strategies to cleaning your four-wheeled speedster, the duo takes on questions ranging from a melted butter mishap to dealing with cigarette stench. You won't want to miss it! This program was brought to you by Fairway Market. "When rodents get into your car, it's going to be very hard to get them out unless you start taking everything off." [12:50] "Splurge a little bit at the time of purchase and get leather!" [32:15] --Freddy Hernandez on Ask a Clean Person

Restaurant cleanliness: what do you want to know? What don't you want to know? This week on Ask a Clean Person, host Jolie Kerr welcomes Daniel Gritzer, Culinary Director at Serious Eats, to the studio for some thoughts on food safety plus crazy restaurant stories. Daniel boasts being Department of Health certified and has seen it all! What are the restaurant red flags? How old is the soup? Which is the worst day to order fish? How clean is the cutlery? Tune in to hear myths dispelled as well as the dirty truth! This program was brought to you by Route 11 Potato Chips. "I'll be honest, in NYC, there's a high probability that there are cockroaches in the kitchen - either there have been, currently are, will be - it's an ongoing battle to keep them at bay." [6:00] "The concern of food safety is very rarely spoilage because we can detect spoilage so well. The concern is more bacterial - the things you can't smell." [23:00] --Daniel Gritzer on Ask a Clean Person

Summer: the word ushers in thoughts of sunshine, the beach, and... pit stains! This week on Ask A Clean Person, host Jolie Kerr welcomes Greg Howard to the show. Greg is a staff writer at Deadspin, where he writes about sports and culture and the occasional penis, and edits Screamer, the website’s soccer vertical. Answering exactly how to deal with this summer setback, Jolie and Greg approach the quandary with wit and charm, suggesting, for instance, to rid a shirt of yellowed stains simply soak the shirt in hot water and OxiClean for a long while and perhaps enlist the use of a laundry brush. After the break, the dynamic duo tackles the stank that comes along with the pit stains - tune in for an essential show! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. "If you have clothes that have taken on a real permanent funk, you might want to start out doing a 1 cup white vinegar wash." [25:25] "I try not to take a hard line on too much, I know a lot of people really love fabric softener but it's the devil and I want people to stop using it!" [26:50] --Jolie Kerr on Ask a Clean Person

Did you know that jello won't set if you add pineapple to it? The fourth of July is right around the corner, so if you're planning on making jello shots, this information could be particularly vital for you. This week on Ask A Clean Person Jolie Kerr and James Del, the former director of programming and events at Gawker answer questions about how to clean up hardened jello, sandy cabins, and melted plastic cutting boards. "The reason you're not supposed to add pineapple [to jello] is because pineapple actually has an enzyme which breaks down gelatin." [10:30] --James Del on Ask A Clean Person "If your friends are d***s, don't be friends with them! Or -- be friends with them, but don't invite them to the cabin over the weekend." [17:00] --Jolie Kerr on Ask a Clean Person

Spring cleaning is a great time to get rid of the useless clutter in your apartment. This week's episode of Ask a Clean Person will certainly put you in the right mindset to clean your mess. Jolie Kerr is joined by Ann Lightfoot and Kate Pawlowski, Founding Partners of Done & Done NYC, and Operations Manager, Abby Lofberg. Done and Done NYC is a professional organizing and staging company. Along with thorough clean-outs, they "implement systems to prevent reoccurring issues and help you get control of the problem that's controlling you." Tune in for a spirited conversation that will help you get over your emotional attachments to items that just don't need to be in your living space. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market. "Don't keep a pair of shoes that are uncomfortable and make you feel bad - keep shoes that make you feel good!" [13:00] "You cannot have 15 spatulas in a studio apartment- sorry that's not practical. you can have two!" [26:00] --Ann Lightfoot on Ask a Clean Person

If you are looking for a podcast about solving your stinky feet problem, you've come to the right place. On this week's episode of Ask a Clean Person, Jolie Kerr is joined by Meredith Haggerty, the former host of Internet and technology podcast “TLDR” and reports editor at Racked.com. Jolie and Meredith talk about high heels in grass, rain storms and your shoes and sneaker balls. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. "We live in a world that has foot deodorant! It makes me so happy!" [14:00] --Meredith Haggerty on Ask a Clean Person

Moth infestation in your closet? Somebody glitterbomb you? Well, you're in luck. This week on Ask a Clean Person, Jolie Kerr and guest Kate McKean discuss these topics at length. Tune in for tips and advice when it come to glitter messes and moths in your clothes (ew!). This program was brought to you by Edwards VA Ham. "Moths aren't that gross - they're just ugly butterflies!" [12:00] "Don't bother with the washer and dryer...use silly putty or play-dough as sort of a lint roller [when cleaning glitter]." [23:00] -- Kate McKean on Ask a Clean Person

Did your baby make a mess? Need to clean poop stains!? Do you think Lego's are Satan's toy? This episode of Ask a Clean Person is for you! This week, Jolie Kerr is joined by Blair Koenig, the author and creator of STFU, Parents. STFU, Parents is a submission-based “public service” blog that mocks parent overshare on social networking sites. It was created in March 2009 and is an entertainment destination for thousands of daily readers. The site serves as a guide for parents on what NOT to post about their kids as well as a forum for non-parents to vent about their TMI-related frustrations. This program was brought to you by Rolling Press. "I think women should get more into baby throwing in pools. That's a summer tip." [23:00] --Blair Koenig on Ask a Clean Person

Stuck hand washing laundry in Africa for two weeks? Prone to yeast infections? Shampoo bottle breaks in your suitcase? Worse yet - cat pee in your suitcase? Well, you're in luck. Jolie Kerr and guest Jen Doll address travel related cleaning issues on this week's episode of Ask a Clean Person. This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants.

What does your calendar look like? Is it an app? Google Calendar? A moleskine? Tune in to Ask a Clean Person as host Jolie Kerr and guest Dayna Evans help you navigate the world of daily planning. Dayna Evans is a writer and editor based in New York who writes for Gawker and other popular internet publications. On the show, Jolie and Dayna address questions about scheduling chores, effectively keeping your house clean and maintaining good habits. This program was brought to you by Rolling Press. "It makes you feel so good when you make your bed every day." [18:00] "It's so funny living in New York because everybody's apartment is so small. It takes me five seconds to put my dirty clothes in my dirty laundry bag, but those 5 seconds feel sooo long!" [20:00] "It feels so much more sanitary to take a shower when you clean it once a week." [22:00] --Dayna Evans on Ask a Clean Person

Welcome to Ask A Clean Person, The Podcast! Host Jolie Kerr is a cleaning expert and advice columnist whose weekly column, Ask a Clean Person, appears on Deadspin.com. In this half hour show, Jolie will share cleaning tips, answer reader questions and get really real with a rotating cast of guests about the messes life throws our way. On the debut episode, she is joined by Choire Sicha, co-proprietor of The Awl - a media outlet and website that proudly carries the motto "Be Less Stupid." Together they join forces to teach cat-owning listeners how to properly manage the messes their cats create! This program was brought to you by Bonnie Plants. "It's easy for me to clean - it's pleasurable for me to clean!" [24:00] --Choire Sicha on Ask a Clean Person