QUESTION: What can I do to have perfectly polished taps in my bathroom? I have tried vinegar and baking soda, but water droplet marks remain on them. This really bothers me because my clean bathroom doesn't really look clean. I appreciate your helpful tips. Cleaning Mom! Steinbach, MB
ANSWER: Clean your faucet with cheap shampoo. Bottled shampoo is designed to remove oils and grease from hair and it also works on other challenges. Scrub and rinse taps with an S.O.S pad. Next wipe your faucet with rubbing alcohol, they will sparkle. Optional tidbit: So that the faucet stays clean, pour a small amount of olive oil onto a soft cloth and wipe off ALL of the excess. Doing this will keep water from beading onto your faucet and leaving watermarks.
QUESTION: My swimming pool has a vinyl liner with bad mud stains on the bottom. These stains are a result of the Red River flood that spilt onto my pool last spring. Supply companies sell very expensive products that claim to remove the stains but do not divulge the ingredients. Do you know of an economical way of removing these Red River mud stains? The stain remover must be applied while the water is still in the pool, because if the pool is emptied, the vinyl liner will contract and tear upon refilling the pool. Jim, Winnipeg, MB
ANSWER: I am quite sure that chlorine bleach would be a key ingredient in these products. If I were you I would request the company's MSDS. A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is designed to provide workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. As a consumer you have the right to ask for the MSDS. The company is not obligated to provide you with this information, but in many cases they will.
Most ordinary household products that are diluted with a large amount of water are either too weak to be effective or too acidic and can damage the lining. You are best off dealing with professionals and asking if your insurance will cover some of the expense.
Note: If you have experienced this challenge and have helpful advice for Jim please e-mail me at: householdsolutions@mts.net
QUESTION: We have rust in our dishwasher that is coming from the rack. It has chips on a few places where the plates are most frequently placed. Is there a way we can put something over the chipped areas on the dishwasher rack? We have started placing the plates facing the other direction, so they rest on unchipped areas of the rack, but it would be great to cover the small rusty areas. You have a great column! We read it every weekend. Thank you very much. Jan, Brandon, MB
ANSWER: Scrub rusted areas in the dishwasher using an S.O.S pad. Rinse and dry. Check out your local home hardware store and purchase dishwasher rack repair solution. Apply this to the chipped areas according to the directions on the container. Allow rack to dry for 24 hours. Purchase rack caps and position them to complete repair (these inexpensive caps are available wherever dishwashers are sold).
Feedback from Readers:
I believe you have made an error in your answer to the question about painting a ceiling. You cannot put latex directly over oil. The only way is to use a primer first. The primer may be either latex or oil. Enjoying your books. David, Winnipeg
Hi David, It used to be that one could not apply latex over oil but with new paints on the market such as Aura by Benjamin Moore you no longer have to prime. However, I agree with you that in order to prepare for a great, long-lasting finish it is better to prime first. I really appreciate your comment and thank-you for taking the time to write.
Fabulous Holiday Tips:
* Freezing freshly baked cookies: Bake cookies and cool on rack for a few hours so that moisture is released before storage. If you store freshly baked cookies in an air tight container, they may be soft and crumbly and won't keep very well. Freeze cookies by lining a festive holiday cookie tin with wax paper. Seal cookies between wax paper layers inside tin. The top layer should be wax paper. Put tins inside of a clean, lidded garbage can. Leave outside. Stays fresh for at least four weeks. Best part is the family won't be able to find the Christmas baking until it's served.
* Filling Jam Cookies and Donuts: If you don't have cake decorating bags or tips, a turkey baster is a good substitute. Squeeze baster to remove all air. Place in jam jar; then depress and release the bulb to load the tube. Dispense the jam onto each cookie, or into donuts, using the bulb to control the flow.
* Make boxed Christmas cards extra special by printing your favourite recipe and pasting it to the inside of each card. Keepsake for life and every time someone makes the recipe they will think of you.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming!
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, MB., ROA 0C0.
