Not an ideal sight on your property.
Question: I am interested in making my own weed killer for a variety of weeds. I am looking for one that won’t kill the grass. —Lorraine
Answer: I am not familiar with any homemade weed killer that is formulated to kill only weeds while leaving the grass unharmed. I can provide you with options for discouraging weeds from growing between rocks, or in areas where beautiful foliage grows.
For areas where weeds grow between rocks, cover the area with landscape fabric and a thick sheet of plastic or several layers of newspaper, then replace the rocks.
Homemade Weed Killer Option 1: Pour boiling water or acetic acid (pickling vinegar) onto the weeds. Table vinegar — the kind we eat with French fries — is not strong enough.
Weed Killer Option 2: In a pot, combine and stir together one-gallon pickling vinegar, one-pound salt, and one tablespoon dish soap, and pour over the weeds. (Caution: These methods will kill all treated plants).
Question: I am wondering if you have a special cleaning solution for getting bird droppings off lawn furniture.— Ron
Answer: Your best defence is to scrub the offending area with heavy-duty detergent water and a stiff brush. Rinse and blot all areas. If stains are noticeable, spray with WD-40, blot and rinse with dish soap and water. As always, test on an inconspicuous area first.
Question: I just bought a bulk bag of socks, and after the first wash they had little balls of thread on the outside. Why do my socks pill and how do I prevent this? — Judy
Answer: The cause of pilling is abrasion and friction, in other words, fibres get damaged through either wear and tear or in the washer/dryer. Poor quality cotton is more likely to pill than cotton with a high thread count such as denim.
This is not to say that high-quality fibres such as cashmere don’t pill — soft fibres are also prone to pilling. But typically, high-quality clothing has less chance of pilling, due to the fibres being stronger and less likely to separate.
Purchasing higher quality socks will help, and so will turning them inside out before washing. If pilling does occur, fabric shavers are the safest and fastest fix.
Question: Recently when gassing up the car, some fuel got onto a pair of jeans and a polyester top. I washed the clothes and they didn’t stain, but how do I get the gas smell out? — Judy
Answer: Soak the fabrics in full-strength vinegar for two hours and wash as normal. The smell will disappear while keeping the dye intact.
Household secrets revealed
Erase ballpoint pen ink from hands by wiping them with the inside of a banana peel. — Helene
Use duct tape to remove warts; cover the wart with duct tape and leave for one week. Doing this has proven more successful than freezing them off. — Derek
I find that adding salt to ice water cools drinks in a hurry. Fill a 15-litre bucket three-quarters of the way with ice water and one cup salt. Put sealed bottles or cans into the bucket — they cool in a flash. — Lisa
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.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Need a presenter on the topic: Effective Speaking or The Power of Words? Check out: Reena.ca
