Question: I want to put my winter boots away (optimistic, I am sure); however, I see there are salt stains on the leather. What suggestions do you have for getting the stains off? Janet
Answer: As in many cases, vinegar is the answer that you are searching for. Using a good quality microfibre cloth, wipe the boots with plain old vinegar. Not only will this remove salt stains, but it will condition the leather at the same time.
Question: I am hoping you can help me. I have glue on the front passenger seat of my car. It’s a black cloth seat. The glue is IPEX brand PVC Conduit Solvent Cement. This is used with rigid PVC conduit to cement pipes together (used to run electrical wires through). The glue was drizzled accidentally on the seat, so it’s not a concentrated blob, but rather several streaks. It is dried on now and can’t be scraped off with anything. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks, Kathy
Answer: I have not heard of any water-based solvent that will remove PVC Conduit Solvent Cement. The most effective solution is acetone. However, the risk with acetone is that it is flammable and has the potential to remove colour from upholstery. An alternative option is to spray the area with WD-40, and after 10 minutes, gently scrape with a razor blade. Next clean with dish soap and water to reduce the chemical smell.
Question: Many of my recipes call for unsalted butter, but often when I am at the grocery store, I notice only salted butter is available in no name brands, and therefore less expensive. What is the difference between using salted and unsalted butter in cookie recipes? Delores
Answer: Many people would not recognize the difference between cookies baked with salted vs. unsalted butter. Salt is added to butter to extend its shelf life, and therefore stores tend to carry a larger variety of salted butter. If you decide to use salted butter when baking cookies, simply skip the salt called for in the recipe. Unsalted butter is typically listed in cookie recipes so that the baker can control the amount of salt going into the cookie.
Extra Tip: If you ever notice your home-baked cookies (baked with butter) flatten and spread way too much while baking, consider using half butter and half margarine in the recipe instead of all butter, this will give you a really nice texture and cut down on some of the cholesterol. Experiment to find the best non-hydrogenated margarine for your recipes.
Feedback from readers
Dear Reena,
I am writing to give you an extra tip on removing oil stains from leather. Start with cornstarch and gently rub it into the stain. Then cover with a soft cloth and iron the cloth with a warm iron, not hot. The cloth will absorb the oil. It works like magic. I find your hints very useful.
—Margaret
Dear Reena,
I recently read the article about the husband who accidently left a pack of ground beef in the fridge of their motor home. A while back, unbeknownst to me, my freezer quit and everything melted for a couple of days. Needless to say the smell was not pretty. A friend of mine told me about an easy fix to get rid of the smell: simply soak a cotton ball with artificial vanilla extract and swab the sides of the fridge or freezer and dry. Then soak another cotton ball with the vanilla extract and leave it in the bottom for a refreshing smell all the time. It works great and the cotton ball can be replaced as needed.
— Shirley
Tips of the week:
Soothe a burnt tongue with white sugar. Just a few grains will relieve the pain.
Keep your brown sugar from hardening by storing it in a sealed container in the fridge.
Put sugar cubes in the bottom of your biscuit container. The sugar absorbs the moisture and keeps biscuits fresh longer.
Mix handfuls of sugar into the soil of unhealthy plants. If your outdoor plants have lumps on the roots they may have a nematode infection caused by little worms (often found in carrots and potatoes). Adding sugar to soil increases the bacteria count that helps fight the invasion.
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
