QUESTION: Could you please tell me what solution/mixture or product would clean an Arborite counter? Thank you. Beth, Winnipeg
ANSWER: For stains, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply mixture and leave for 10 minutes. Wipe. For regular cleaning, use dish soap and water or vinegar and essential oils. Lastly, when cleaning the sink, cream of tartar is an extremely effective option.
QUESTION: My children store jackets and sweaters on hooks in the front entrance of our apartment, the area is fairly organized but not ideal due to the fact that we do not have a hall closet at our entrance. What bothers me is that the pointy ends of the hooks jab through the fabric making a hole in our clothes. What can I do to prevent this? Macy, Gretna, Man.
ANSWER: Head to your nearest dollar store and purchase the same amount of bouncy balls as the amount of hooks on the wall. Cut a slit in each ball and slip one ball on each hook. Fabric damage will no longer be a challenge.
QUESTION: I live in a small community with a well. Our water tastes very good, but my clothes constantly turn brown from the rust in the water. Any suggestions of how to whiten my clothes? Brady, Tyndal, Man.
ANSWER: If you are sure that your washing machine is in good working condition, add one quarter cup citric acid to each load of fabrics. This will prevent clothes from discolouring.
QUESTION: Whenever I make beef gravy I find that it tastes and looks bland. Do you have any inexpensive suggestions as to how to make gravy with a more appealing look and taste? Clarence, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Add a package of onion soup mix. This will not only enhance the taste but will also give the gravy a rich brown colour. Other options include instant coffee, soy sauce, molasses and Worcestershire Sauce.
QUESTION: How can I store carrots so that they last longer? Verna, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Carrots will keep for several months in the refrigerator, but here's an extra trick that I would love to share with you: Instead of storing carrots in plastic bags or wrap, store them in bubble wrap. Doing this will add two weeks of freshness to your carrots. Also, do not store carrots with fruits such as melons, apples and bananas. Fruit naturally gives off ethylene gas which will make carrots taste bitter.
Did you know? The first carrots weren't even cultivated as a food crop. They were grown as medicine.
Speaking of gravy:
-- A good method for removing fat from gravy is to wrap ice cubes in a cheese cloth and run the cloth back and forth in the gravy. The fat will stick to the ice cubes.
-- Add a teaspoon of peanut butter to cover up the burnt flavour of gravy. This will not alter the taste.
-- Add a pinch of salt to flour or cornstarch before mixing it with gravy liquid, this will prevent the gravy from becoming lumpy.
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.
