Q: I dripped candle wax all over my good tablecloth at Easter. Is it ruined?
Pamela H., Canton

Not at all. Let the wax harden completely; an ice cube in a plastic bag held on it will hurry things along. Scrape off as much as you can with a butter knife. Then lay the waxy part between two layers of plain brown paper bag or paper towels and press it with a warm, dry iron. The paper soaks up the wax. Keep moving to a clean part of the paper until no more comes up. If colored wax leaves a stain behind, treat it with a stain remover and wash it in the warmest water the fabric allows.
Plan B: Buy a red tablecloth and use red candles.

Q: Why do my cakes always sink in the middle?
Donna F., Cuyahoga Falls

The usual suspects, in order: opening the oven door to peek too early (wait until the cake is nearly done); taking it out before it's done (a toothpick in the center should come out clean or with a few dry crumbs); an oven that runs cool (a little oven thermometer from the hardware store will tell you the truth); or too much baking powder or soda, so level off your measuring spoons with a knife. And once the flour goes in, mix only until it's combined.
Plan B: Fill the middle with whipped cream and strawberries and tell everyone it's supposed to look like that. I did this at a church supper in 1979 and three ladies asked for the recipe.

Q: I just got married and my wife says I iron shirts "like a raccoon." How do I iron a dress shirt?
Daniel M., Akron

Congratulations on both counts. Iron it while it's still a little damp, on the cotton setting if it's cotton. Go in this order: the collar (underside first, then the top), the cuffs (inside, then outside), the sleeves, the yoke across the shoulders, the back, and the two front panels last, working the tip of the iron around the buttons, not over them. Hang it on a hanger right away and button the top button.
Plan B: A nice sweater over it. From the front, nobody can tell.

Q: I'm a college sophomore and all my underwear is pink now. What happened?
William W., Kent

Something red got in with your whites. It's always something red. Sort your clothes into three piles before you wash: whites, darks, and bright colors. Wash anything new and red by itself the first few times, because that's when the dye runs. Use cold water for darks and brights. Check your pockets while you're at it, for your sake and the dryer's.
Plan B: Pink is a perfectly nice color, and it's hardly anybody's business.

Q: My six-year-old fell asleep with gum in her mouth and now it's in her hair. Help?
Robyn B., Barberton

Don't reach for the scissors yet. Work a spoonful of peanut butter or a little vegetable oil into the gum with your fingers. The oil loosens it, and then it slides out with a fine-tooth comb, bit by bit. Shampoo twice afterward. Another way is to hold an ice cube on the gum until it hardens and then break it off in pieces.
Plan B: A very cute short haircut. She'll love it in a week.

Q: My wife always did the cooking. She passed in the spring. I'm eighty and I'd like to start with something simple. How do you hard-boil an egg?
Alfred T., Wadsworth

I'm so sorry about your wife, and I'm glad you wrote. Here's how. Put the eggs in a saucepan in one layer and cover them with cold water, about an inch over the tops. Bring it to a full boil. Then turn off the heat, put the lid on, and let them sit for about twelve minutes for large eggs. Pour off the hot water and run cold water over them, or set them in a bowl of ice water. They peel easiest under running water. That's all. You can do this.
Plan B: No Plan B for you, Alfred. Write me next week and I'll send you how to make scrambled eggs, and the week after that, meat loaf. We'll go one at a time.

Q: My brown sugar turns into a brick. Why?
Manuel M., Tallmadge

It dries out. Keep it in a container with a tight lid. To soften a brick, put a slice of fresh bread in the container with it overnight, and in the morning it'll be soft and the bread will be hard. Or, if you need it right now, put it in a bowl, cover it with a damp paper towel, and microwave it for twenty seconds at a time until it gives.
Plan B: Grate it on a cheese grater. Good for the arms.

Q: What is the correct way to fold a bath towel? My wife says I'm doing it wrong.
Scott D., Green

There are three or four perfectly good ways to fold a towel, and I could teach you any of them. But that's not really the question, is it?
Plan B: Ask her to show you how she likes it. Then do it her way. That isn't home economics. That's marriage, and I've been at it thirty-six years.

The Question Nobody Asks, But Should

How long do leftovers keep? Get them into the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Most cooked leftovers are good for three or four days after that. If you're not sure how long something's been in there, throw it out. That one doesn't get a Plan B. I spent thirty years teaching kitchen safety and I'm not about to stop now.