QUESTION: Every year I wait for gardening season and plan out exactly where and what I will plant. I love to garden, but year after year I tackle the same problem; onion maggots. Do you have any advice of how I can avoid them this year? Elma, Mitchell, Man.
ANSWER: I received this tip years ago from a woman who has gardened for 50 years! Her advice was to plant your onions between two rows of carrots to keep onion maggots away.
QUESTION: I have a coffee maker that sits in front of my maple cupboards. The steam from the machine has faded the area behind it. Is there any way that I can restore the cupboards to their natural finish? Loretta, Landmark, Man.
ANSWER: Your best bet is to bring one of the cupboard doors into your local hardware store. They will be able to colour match the wood and advise you on the best restoration product, so that your cupboards look as good as new!
QUESTION: I thoroughly enjoy your weekly column in the Winnipeg Free Press and have used many of the different solutions suggested. I have a problem cleaning the outside of my kitchen cupboards. The cupboards are solid wood and over the years some of them have a buildup of grime and grease from cooking. I have tried Murphy's Soap, a cabinet cleaner product and dish soap and water, but cannot get the grime off without taking off some of the wood finish. I was thinking of purchasing a small steam cleaner to see if that would work but I am not sure. Would you have a solution? Thank you. Angie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I am not sure if you used a soft cloth or a scrubby pad but according to the cabinet expert that I called mild dish soap and water is all that is recommended for cleaning the grease off of kitchen cupboards (just a damp, clean green scrubby pad that won't scratch). A nylon scrubber is also an option. Wipe off excess water and dry immediately. This is very effective, since dish soap is created as a grease cutter.
The expert that I spoke to had never heard of steam cleaning cupboards, the challenge with this option is that the doors may warp because they become too wet. If the doors look terrible, it may be worth it to consider new doors. Or have your doors refinished.
QUESTION: We're desperate for an answer. My son spilled a small drop of water soluble paint on his leather headboard. He has tried water. There is a smidgen left and you can see the area where he tried to wipe it off. HELP! What can we do to eliminate this and should he treat the entire leather area with some sort of 'conditioner' to have it all blend in? Anonymous
ANSWER: The first solution and my favourite solution is to purchase a bar of Sunlight laundry soap (I usually buy it at Safeway). Washing the headboard with this soap and water is an effective way to remove paint from textiles. If you just want to blend or condition the area use leather conditioner from a shoe store or cold cream, olive oil or Urad (an amazing leather conditioner).
