Q. When grilling this summer, how can I prevent the spread of bacteria?

A. Here’s how to keep bacteria at bay at the grill:

• Always wash hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before and after handling food.
• If possible, use one cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood and another one for fresh produce.
• Thoroughly wash cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with soap and hot water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Place cooked food on a clean plate for serving.

Q: What can I use to treat stains while I’m on vacation?

A: Put together a travel stain kit that includes:

• Stain stick, pen, or gel – Easy and convenient for on-the-go stains.
• Stain removal wipes – designed to treat stains on contact. They can be applied while wearing garments and are safe for most dry-cleanable fabrics.
• Detergent – Find a travel size bottle or you can even find some detergent sheets for a full clean of your clothes. You can use a sink, find a laundromat, or if you’re staying in a hotel, they may have a service that can help. In a pinch, just a little soap and water may be enough to get the stain out.

The key to successful stain removal is treating the stain before it has a chance to set in and following the instructions on the product label. With your travel stain kit, you should be set until you get home to do laundry.

Q: My daughter got some self-tanner on her clothes. Is there a way to get it off?

A: Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, and then launder. In the case of the self-tanner, line-dry the garment, then check to make sure the stain has disappeared. If the stain remains, pretreat and wash again. In the unlikely event that the stain remains and you really want to salvage the garment, try this: Dab a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution – the kind used for first aid – directly onto the stain. (Test first on an inconspicuous place on the garment to be sure the peroxide doesn’t harm the fabric.) Then rub glycerin into the stain before laundering.

That’s all our Q&As for now but check out all the questions we’ve answered in our Ask ACI repository. Do you have a question that’s not on the list? Feel free to submit it and you may see it pop up in a future blog post or Ask ACI page.