Freeze leftover cookies to preserve the goodness

Question: I have a lot of leftover Christmas cookies, how can I prevent them from becoming freezer burnt in the freezer? Answer: Homemade cookies store well for about three months, in the freezer. Layer the cooled cookies between sheets of . . .

Posted: 2023-01-07

Replace old bathroom fan with HRV unit

Q uestion: We purchased a home, built in 1987, and have a bathroom fan that exhausts through a central motorized fan near the furnace. The vents that are used by the fan to pipe out the side of the house . . .

Posted: 2016-12-03

SOLUTIONS: Bring in ammonia for tough cleaning Solutions

QUESTION: I read with interest your hints in the Winnipeg Free Press. I need your help because I washed walls this week with my usual cleaner, Lysol Liquid; now there are terrible streaks over everything I've washed. This has never . . .

Posted: 2010-02-27

Keeping your furnace in best shape

Question: I have a relatively new high-efficiency furnace with a filter that I clean regularly, but it does not seem to get very dirty. It has a large metal box with plates and thin wires and another very thin metal . . .

Posted: 2016-10-29

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Check new-home fire codes when upgrading garage

QUESTION: I have a two-storey detached home in Whyte Ridge. The house was built in the early '90s. The living space is adjacent to, but not above, the attached garage. I want to undertake a "do it myself" project to . . .

Posted: 2012-01-21

ASK THE INSPECTOR: There's a solution for a leaky stack

QUESTION: I appreciate your articles and as a senior with minimal building skills, I read with intent to monitor potential problems. Your previous article about leaking in the attic helped because I experienced something similar. However, a neighbour assisted me . . .

Posted: 2011-02-12

The eco-friendly way to banish motor-oil stains

Question: In a non-toxic way, how can I clean off motor oil from a large truck on my driveway? Thank you very much, Barbara   Answer: Here are a few examples, some of them are toxic and some are non-toxic. The fresher the . . .

Posted: 2017-06-30

Don't let loose threads pull your couch apart

Dear Leanne: I was dog-sitting my friend's exuberant two-year-old terrier, which seemed to enjoy sleeping on our couch. Apparently he isn't allowed on the furniture, but likes to sneak up when no one is looking. We suspected this as we . . .

Posted: 2012-04-21

There's no tool like the RIGHT TOOL

Garden essentials that make life easier

When it comes to garden tools, there are shears, spreaders, shovels and spades -- and that's just gadgets that start with 'S'. Walk into the garden-tool section of any home improvement or landscaping centre, and newbie gardeners can expect to be . . .

Posted: 2010-07-24

Pesky critters driving gardener squirrelly

QUESTION: I have a problem with squirrels. They dig up bulbs in my garden faster than I can replace them. Is there any solution? Eugenia (Warren, Man.)ANSWER: What works for one squirrel will not necessarily work for all squirrels, but . . .

Posted: 2015-04-18