QUESTION: Your column is great and covers so many topics. I have been trying to clean out some excess items in my house and have some old (dead) Christmas lights I would like to recycle. I know the copper wire is valuable, but if there isn't a place that will pay for them, I would just like to find a place that will recycle them as I don't just want to put them in the garbage. Thanks for your help. Barb, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You have a couple of options: Depending on the lights you own, you can take a small work knife or an old paring knife and carefully strip the plastic from the wire. Check out a variety of places that buy and sell copper online or in Manitoba. Another option is to donate your Christmas lights just as you would old clothes. Even if the lights don't work, someone might want to use them as craft supplies. It beats tossing them!
QUESTION: I have burnt a pot very badly. It had red cabbage in it and I cannot remove the black from the bottom. Can you give me a solution for this? Thank you. Jean, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Soak the pan with dishwasher detergent and hot water for a couple of hours, scrub with a steel wool pad. Or (and this is what I like to do) into the pot pour baking soda, dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom. Boil the contents for five minutes. Let sit just until cool enough to handle and scrub with an S.O.S pad. Some people use oven cleaner for this purpose and leave it overnight, but I prefer baking soda.
QUESTION: Would you be able to tell me how I can get mould off the white rubber seal around our fridge door? This is on a bar fridge that was stored in a basement where the humidity was very high. I am not sure if someone tried to remove the mould before, so don't know if any cleaning products have been used. Any help you would be able to give me would be much appreciated. Donna, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Sounds like you need to begin by checking to see if the seal needs replacing. You should not be able to slide a piece of paper between the rubber seal and the wall of the refrigerator (or freezer). If the piece of paper slips between the seal and the wall, the seal is not tight enough and the gasket requires replacement. To clean the seal, combine 5 drops tea tree oil and white vinegar. Spray and scrub.
Feedback from loyal Manitoban:
Hi Reena,
With regards to cleaning Kitchen Craft cabinets: "For clarification, we do not recommend anything except as you noted mild soap and water (just a damp clean cloth and not excess water, drying immediately). The Murphy's Oil, Cabinet Magic, detergents and abrasive cleaners can have a deteriorating effect on the finish over time and is not recommended and will void warranty.
Over time, waxing and polishing compounds may build up on the surface and cause a hazy streaking appearance." Submitted by: Kitchen Craft Cabinetry
Fabulous Chocolaty Tip of the Week!
For your teacher, friend, spouse, brother, sister, mom or dad, design a special chocolate floral bouquet. Glue two Chocolate Kisses together (bottom to bottom). Insert a piece of six-inch (15 cm) wire into one pointed end of a double kiss. The wire tip may need to be heated using the flame of a candle. Wrap a 4-inch (10 cm) square of cellophane around the Chocolate Kisses "roses." Cover the stems with floral tape and attach artificial leaves to stems. Tie all of the "roses" together with a bow. Tip: Coloured cellophane will look even better. Taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
