QUESTION: I work at a hotel in the U.S. and read your column in the Winnipeg Free Press every week. My question: Can cigarette butts be put into my garbage disposal? Luke (Grand Forks, N.D.)
ANSWER: No! Avoid putting the following into your garbage disposal: Cigarette butts, shellfish, unpopped popcorn kernels, hard bones, plants, hair, grease, paper and large fruit peelings.
If you find that your disposal smells, one solution is to put the garbage in it (as usual) and grind it up while running water. Next secure the plug and fill the sink with water. As the water is filling, add a generous squirt of liquid dish soap. Fill the sink at least half full with water. Remove the stopper from the sink and quickly turn the disposer back on. If you could see the inside of your disposal, you would see a wild vortex of action.
QUESTION: Do you have a solution to clean the surface of a newer ceramic stovetop? I have tried vinegar. Stephen (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: There are ceramic stovetop cleaners available on the market, but the easiest way to clean your stovetop is with a little tool sold at most places where ceramic tops are sold. This little tool is shaped like a razor blade and takes off stains left from cooking. Oddly enough the blade does not damage the stove.
QUESTION: Please provide me with a healthy alternative to commercial furniture polish. Alison (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: I like to refer to this wonderful oak-beautifying recipe as Annie Oakley Wood Polish: In a pot boil 1 quart beer, 1 tbsp. sugar, 2 tbsp. beeswax. Cool and wipe mixture on oak, allow to dry, polish with a soft cloth.
Fantastic Feedback from Readers:
Dear Reena,
Your column is a wealth of information and I have a hint to add. Paintbrushes are not just for painting! I dampen them with soap and water and use them for dusting crevices, grill areas and around doorknobs. I choose soft or firm brushes depending on the job to be done. Works well! Mary, (Winnipeg)
Great Tips of the Week:
HEY HONEY, GOT A SPLINTER? Honey naturally draws out splinters. Smear a layer of honey on the area and cover it with a band-aid just before bed. By morning the splinter should be closer to the surface of the skin making extraction a piece of cake.
YUMMY IN YOUR TUMMY SUMMER FUN ICE CREAM RECIPE:
Add the following ingredients to a pint-size Ziploc freezer bag and zip shut: half a cup whipping cream, 1 tbsp. sugar, and one quarter tsp. vanilla (you can try other flavours). Place that bag in a larger (quart-size or bigger) Ziploc bag. Add ice to fill the big bag halfway, plus 6 tablespoons salt (course or kosher). Zip that one shut. Shake, turn, toss and mix the bag. In about 5 or 10 minutes, you will have cold hands and yummy ice cream!
Note: Don't try to double this, as it doesn't seem to work. (Also, be sure you get all of the salt off of the small bag before you open it.)
Decorate with chocolate syrup, sprinkles or leave plain and enjoy!
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national best sellers, "Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions", "Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets" and "Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives" available on-line and in stores across Canada. Her website is www.householdsolutions.ogrg. Contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, MB, R0A0C0
