Question: How can I get rid of fruit flies? They come out every fall and stay until winter, even though I don’t leave any food on my counters. Lynda
Answer: After years of setting out fruit fly traps, this week I discovered a faster trick for getting rid of fruit flies, and it is simple. Set out a little container of vinegar, use plastic wrap to cover the top and make a hole in the wrap, so the flies can smell the vinegar. The flies will sit on the container, deciding whether to go into the hole. Find a spray bottle and fill it with water. Spray the flies with a forceful spray, and since they are small, they won’t be able to handle the water. End of story.
Question: Do you recommend rubbing alcohol to remove bleach stains on grey shoes, or something else? Darrell
Answer: Bleach stains are not marks that can be removed because the dye is gone from the textile. Instead, you would need to redye or apply shoe polish — depending on the type of textile this will add colour back to the shoes.
Question: I spilled ink on my hardwood floor and it has left a blue tinge on the wood, as well as a dull appearance. I am wondering what I can do to remove the stain without wrecking my floor. Thank-you, Sami
Answer: The challenges when tackling stains on hardwood are that: any aggressive solutions will damage the finish, and there are huge varieties of hardwood floors and finishes available. Therefore, if you were to use a product such as paint thinner, you would very likely get rid of the stain, but permanently strip the finish. In some cases, light steel wool and regular floor cleaners have had great success.
If this were my floor, I would do what I did when my kids wrote with permanent marker on my mother-in law’s wood table. Make a solution of baking powder and dish soap, scrub the area with a light abrasive pad (not an S.O.S pad). Next brew about six bags of tea and let stand until lukewarm. Dampen a white rag in the tea and wipe onto hardwood floor. Repeat until the entire floor is clean.
Tips and tricks
I want to share a tip that I discovered last year. Instead of taking hours to sweep out debris and dirt in my garage, I use my leaf blower. With earplugs, safety glasses and a dust mask on, I can clean the entire garage in about 10 minutes, and I don’t need to move heavy furniture before I clean. — Ben
I have a kitchen apron with big pockets. I was ready to toss it when I had an idea. I now fill the pockets with sponges and cleaning products and only wear the apron when I clean my home. Now everything is right at my fingertips. If your apron didn’t come with pockets, they are easy to add if you sew. — Joanne
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email to: info@reena.ca. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
