QUESTION: I have asthma and I would like to change all of my household and laundry cleaners to those with no scent. I read with interest your advice on using vinegar as a bathroom cleaner. I will try it and hope it works because we have very hard water that leaves rust/iron stains in the toilet and around calking etc.
I need laundry detergent and bleach for the unbleachabes without scent. I found fabric softeners but no detergent or bleach. I have smelt different cleaners that are marked "green" but they are still scented. I will be very grateful if you can help me.
-- Donna, Killarney, MB
ANSWER: Don't be fooled by products that site the word "green." Remember there are currently no legislations as to what can be called "green." One option is to use the following recipe (the contents will seem gooey but the recipe works well).
Grate one bar of Ivory bar soap. Melt in a pot with enough water to cover. Cook and stir until soap is melted. In a large pail, pour in 2 gallons of water and melted soap. Add 2 cups baking soda. Use half cup per load. For fabric softener, look no further than the white vinegar in your cupboard. You won't be disappointed!
As for your bathroom, scrub with borax and water. Inside the toilet, use your favourite dish soap and water and scrub; add baking soda for extra abrasion.
QUESTION: I recently bought a brand-new stainless steel stove from someone who had kept it outside in a shed. The plastic that covers the stainless was still intact. I'm having difficulty removing all the plastic, some of it peeled off with ease, although I'm still stuck with patches of it which I'm not sure how to remove. I don't want to scratch the stainless steel. Do you have a suggestion which is non-toxic? Thank you in advance.
-- Val, Winnipeg
ANSWER: In order to peel the plastic with ease, heat the plastic with a hair dryer and gently peel it off. You would not want to use any harsh products on stainless steel, as they can permanently stain or scratch steel. If necessary, use a plastic putty knife to help you pull the plastic.
QUESTION: I have two small surface cigarette burns on my marble vanity. I contacted the manufacturer and they said Varsol or any paint thinner should work, but to no avail. Can you please tell me if you have any experience in removing these burns and what can be safely used to do it?
-- Patti, Tyndal, MB
ANSWER: Yes, this is a tough challenge because the problem sits further in than just on the surface. A minor cigarette burn can be wet-sanded with 600-grit sandpaper and polished with the polishing compound and an industrial type buffer (minimum 2000 RPM). A professional repair company should repair a deep burn. If the burn is small enough, you may want to conceal it with car touch-up paint or nail polish -- but you would need to find a perfect match.
Fabulous tips of the week
-- From Jaclyn (Morden, MB): Success! With the dry air this winter, my eyelids have become dry and flaky. Over to my medicine cabinet I went and pulled out every lotion I could find that was safe to use around eyes. Nothing helped. After sipping on my tea one morning, I decided to put the damp green tea bag on each eyelid for a few seconds. Wouldn't you know it; my eyelids are no longer dry!
-- From Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives: Frozen concentrate juice cans make excellent cookie dough moulds for refrigerator cookies. Pack the dough in the washed-out can. When ready to use, push the dough out from the bottom or slice the can open lengthwise.
-- From Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives: Yummy Barbeque Sauce: Combine 2 cups (500 mL) ketchup, one and a half cups (325 mL) brown sugar, one third cup (75 mL) vinegar, 3 tbsp. (45mL) Worcestershire sauce, half tsp. (2 mL) pepper and half tsp. (2 mL) salt. Brush onto meat during last 5 mins. of grilling.
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.
