Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Return air improves heating system's circulation
Question: My son lives in a 100-year-old house. The main floor is 769 square feet and the second floor is 348 square feet. The second floor is not used or heated. At some time a 10-foot square basement was dug under the centre of the house to accommodate a furnace. There is no heat vent in the basement, but the cold-air return duct has a vent at the furnace. The heat duct runs through a two-foot high crawl space to the living room area, but there is no return vent in the living room or anywhere in the house. It may be covered by the carpeting. Last year, the furnace was replaced with a high-efficiency furnace with a continuous-running fan. The furnace contractor said it did not matter if the cold-air return vent in the living room was exposed, but I am not convinced. Should we lift the carpet to expose the vent? Should we leave the basement door ajar so the cold air can be sucked down into the basement? The furnace seems to be operating well and heats the house well. I enjoy reading your column and your advise will be appreciated. -- Helen Lymburner
Answer: Modifications to older homes, whether newly completed or in the past, often pose logistical dilemmas not found in newer construction. It may be fairly simple to add a return-air register in your son's home, but access to the crawl space may be the key to successful installation.
Forced-air heating systems in homes typically have two sets of ducts and registers. One is for the warm air, which is forced through the ducts by the furnace blower. Every homeowner will be familiar with those, as they feel the heated air emanate from the registers in various rooms. The second, often misunderstood set of ducts and register is for the return air, often called the cold air. This system is less obvious because cool air near the floor is automatically drawn into the registers, which may be partially hidden by furniture or other items. The return air improves the circulation of the heating system by supplying the furnace ducts with replacement air for the next cycle. If there are not enough return-air registers and ducts, the furnace will draw air from other sources, namely the basement and crawl space. That may pose some concerns, not only for performance of the furnace, but health issues as well.
Since there are limited return-air supply mechanisms in your son's heating system, the furnace must draw this air from some location. Some of it will undoubtedly leak into the existing ducting through gaps or cracks in the home's floor or walls, but most may come from the area below the main floor. Especially with the register cut into the return-air duct adjacent to the furnace, the majority of this replacement air will come from the basement and crawl space. If this area is clean, heated and the crawl-space floor is well sealed, there may not be much of a concern. If the crawl space still has exposed soil, contaminants contained in the soil will likely be drawn into the furnace to be circulated through the home.
These contaminants may include moulds, fungus, dust, bacteria and other potentially harmful items regularly found in soil. Moisture from the exposed soil may also raise the relative humidity of the air entering the heating system, adding to any potential mould-growth issues. Leaving the basement door or hatch open may allow more air from the living space to enter the furnace, but may not prevent unwanted basement products.
Installing additional return-air ducting will be beneficial to improve air circulation and reduce circulation of contaminants, but a couple of other repairs can be done, regardless of that upgrade. Installation and regular replacement of high-quality furnace air filters will help trap some of the airborne particles and prevent them from circulating through the home. This will only be effective if the filters are changed regularly to prevent blockage and strain on the furnace blower. The other area to address is the crawlspace soil, if not already well sealed. Installation of a continuous layer of six mil, or heavier, polyethylene sheathing over the entire crawl space will prevent excessive moisture and other products from entering the air in the crawl space and subsequently, the living space. This poly should cover the grade beam or perimeter walls of the crawl space, and be caulked to the floor joists and underside of the floor with acoustical sealant. It should also be caulked around any partitions or support structures within the crawl space. This step will be tremendously helpful, even if it is not practical to install return-air ducting.
Installing the return-air system may be fairly straightforward if there is enough room beneath the main floor to work in the crawl space. The return-air ducting is normally installed between the floor joists, or often uses that cavity as the duct, so the direction they run may also have an impact on the ease or difficulty of installation. Ducting can be run below the joists, but that may be tricky with limited room above the floor of the crawl space. Installation of registers in the living room, and other rooms on the main floor, may only require cutting holes in the floor or bottom of the partition walls, to create openings to the new ducting.
Installation of return-air registers in all the rooms on the main floor of the house in question will undoubtedly improve warm-air distribution from the furnace. The degree of difficulty will depend on ease of access to the floor above the crawl space, but sealing the soil in this area may be the most important factor in improving indoor air quality in the home.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at 204-291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Fight the munchers
Cooler temperatures can invoke a certain amount of inertia among homeowners. Fall is no time for procrastination, however, when it comes to essential outdoor chores in preparation for the challenges that nature can present to the landscape.
Animals, like humans, like to eat throughout the winter. It is foolish to rely on hope alone that voles or deer, or heaven forbid, both, won't choose your lawn, trees or shrubs to snack on.
Taz Stuart, entomologist and director of information technology for Poulin's, a pest-control company, says Winnipeggers can expect the vole population to be huge if we get a lot of snow.
"Their cycle is based on snow cover," said Stuart. "If it is a mild winter, we will see the vole population crash because then it is easier for natural predators, such as birds, to find them."
Regardless of which long-range forecast you want to believe, the wisest course of action is to follow a few basic guidelines this fall to ensure fewer surprises next spring when the snow melts.
Do the practices you follow really make a difference? Consider the experiences of these two homeowners.
Ron Blunden, a Linden Woods resident since 1990, has taken pride in his healthy lawn. This spring, when the snow finally melted, fully 50 per cent of his backyard had been damaged by voles, leaving behind unsightly ridges and dead patches that snaked across his lawn, up to 10 cm wide and 122 to 152 cm long.
Matted pathways or yellow grass tunnels in the lawn are characteristic of voles, which spend the winter beneath the snow in their search for grass roots.
Blunden, in his words, "worked like a dog" in early spring and throughout the summer to restore his lawn. First, he raked out all of the dead grass and aerated. After spreading a four-way soil mix and seeding with a turf-building bluegrass seed product, Blunden carefully nurtured the lawn back to good health during the summer, which also benefitted from the abundance of late season rainfall.
Kendra Smith, a homeowner in a brand-new subdivision in south Winnipeg, installed sod in May 2013 only to see the majority of her new lawn severely damaged over the winter by a vole infestation.
"It was heartbreaking after all the time and money that was invested in our landscape", said Smith.
She and husband, Michael, wondered if they might have to resod but over the course of the summer, following a regimen of raking, fertilizing and adequate watering, their lawn fully recovered.
Both Smith and Blunden were vigilant over the summer, monitoring for burrow openings, using traps with peanut butter and removing nests.
It's great news that lawns, even after severe damage, can recover with a little TLC. While this is encouraging, voles don't stop at eating the roots of your grass. In Blunden's yard, voles stripped a portion of bark from two fruit trees. Blunden applied Wilson tree-pruning paste and the trees seem none the worse for wear.
In Smith's yard, though, rabbits stripped large portions of bark off the midsection of seven newly planted Dakota Pinnacle birch trees, just above the snow line, causing them to eventually die in the spring as a result of girdling (disruption of water and nutrient transport that can lead to death).
Both Blunden and Smith are taking steps this fall to ward off any further damage. Blunden is experimenting with Vamoose, a scent deterrent for deer and rabbit control, sprinkling it along his fence line and Smith is applying Skoot, a taste repellent for deer, rabbits and mice, to her trees. Neither product, however, is registered for the control of voles.
Grant Dunn, a representative for Eddi's Wholesale Garden Products, says there are currently no repellant products in Canada registered for use on voles. Interestingly, Dunn says a well-known product called Plantskydd is registered in the U.S. for deer, rabbit, and vole control but in Canada it is only registered for deer and rabbit control.
Dunn suggests that could be an economic decision by the U.S.-based company because it may have been too costly to register the product in Canada as a vole repellent.
The active ingredient in Plantskydd is bloodmeal, emulsified into a liquid. A dry powder concentrate is also available. Plantskydd repels with a scent that is also vile to humans for a short while after application. Dunn recommends applying it to trees while the temperature is still above freezing. Providing it doesn't rain shortly after application, it can provide up to three months of protection once it dries.
Bobbex is a similar product that has proven effective in deterring visiting wildlife but Dunn says it is not as residual or long lasting. A less expensive option, says Dunn, is to buy a box of bloodmeal. After mowing his lawn as short as possible in the late fall, Dunn sprinkled it on his lawn last year. His neighbour's lawn was damaged by voles but the vole damage stopped right at his property line.
Stuart says proper identification is key to implementing the proper pest-management strategy. Effective control of voles, he says, begins with cutting grass to a short height and placing snap traps along the edges of your deck or fence line.
Paul Jenkins, owner of Wildflower Farm, producers of Eco-Lawn seed, a blend of fine fescue grass seeds that produce a free-flowing carpet effect but require less fertilizing, also recommends mowing eco-grass very short in late fall for two reasons. First, the grass will green up faster in the spring and secondly, mowing it short in the fall reduces the likelihood of snow mould damage in the spring.
Deer are perhaps a greater dilemma. Manitoba Conservation receives many calls during the winter about sightings of these beautiful creatures in urban areas.
Human-wildlife conflict management biologist Janine Stewart says that while contact repellents and fresh predator urine can be effective in deterring deer from eating plants, other practical measures include the installation of chicken or mesh wire around trees, cleaning up fruit that falls onto the ground, erecting fences, or using motion- or light-activated devices.
Deer become habituated, though, says Stewart, who recommends switching up occasionally whatever you are using and moving it around. Also, deer are particularly attracted to cedar trees so creating a protective barrier using wooden stakes and burlap, ensuring that the burlap does not come in contact with the foliage, will protect cedars over the winter.
Diana Dhaliwal's garden, located close to Assiniboine Park, which is visited by large numbers of deer, regularly sees the same group of deer who have recently been joined by a spindly legged fawn. Dhaliwal's lush landscape was part of the Manitoba Master Gardener Association's garden tour this year and on the eve of the tour, she made a startling discovery while surveying the vast evidence of deer damage throughout her garden.
With the tops of every hosta and all of her lily buds thoroughly devoured, Dhaliwal took a walk through her rose garden until she came upon a sleeping newborn fawn. With respect and awe for the miracle of nature, Dhaliwal graciously resigned herself to sharing her foliage and blooms. Still, for the winter she has erected a temporary barrier with fence posts and heavyweight fishing line as a gentle deterrent.
Manitoba Conservation's Stewart reminds homeowners to please not feed visiting deer. "To do so," says Stewart "teaches them that a food source is available and encourages them to return."
Stewart also suggests hanging bird feeders well out of their reach. Choose one that prevents seed from going onto the ground below. The phone number for CWF Problem Wildlife is 204-945-5221.
What about the wildlife that you are hoping to attract? Sherrie Versluis, owner of the Preferred Perch, recommends moving your bird feeder to a more accessible location for the winter for easy viewing from your window.
A feeder with a dome is practical for two reasons. It keeps the snow off and offers shelter to the birds from hungry squirrels.
Squirrels are intelligent creatures. The red squirrel, half the size of the grey squirrel, is territorial and keeps grey squirrels away. Both are partial hibernators so the weather determines their activity. To make your feeder squirrel-proof, erect it on a pole system and add a baffle to prevent them from climbing. Site the pole at least three metres from whatever point a squirrel might jump.
Want to add a bit of luxury for visiting birds? Versluis says heated birdbaths have come a long way. Although birds won't bathe in winter, they will appreciate taking a sip from water rather than eating snow. Thermostat-controlled birdbaths keep the water just above freezing and will be a huge attraction.
colleenizacharias@gmail.com
Renovation & Design
Store fresh apples properly; they'll last longer
QUESTION: I just filled my second fridge crisper with fresh-picked apples. I always sprinkle baking soda and put a layer of paper towels under the apples. Do I set the crisper tray on high or low humidity? I also filled an old roaster pan with apples to hopefully keep them fresh for a while and put them on another shelf in the fridge. Should I place plastic wrap overtop? Should I puncture holes in it to help keep the rest of the fridge from absorbing the apples or the apples spoiling too quickly? Also, how does one keep head lettuce crispy to serve in salads (like in restaurants)? Mine seems to always be limp. V. J., Winnipeg
ANSWER: When picking apples, do so in the morning when they are still cool. As you know, apples need to be in a cool place such as the basement, garage or fridge (best choice). Humidity levels should be 90 per cent and the temperature between -1.1 C to 1.7 C. If stored correctly, apples remain fresh for up to five months, the thicker the peel, the longer the shelf life. Store apples in a plastic lined box or plastic bag with holes. Newspaper-lined boxes are another option.
To keep lettuce fresh: Line the fridge crisper with newspaper and a tea towel over top. Avoid storing lettuce near fruit, which give off ethylene gas. High humidity is ideal for lettuce and storing lettuce wrapped in a tea towel and placed inside of a plastic bag is another option. Extra Tip: Wash the entire head of lettuce in ice water, tear lettuce into pieces. Dry lettuce in a salad spinner or with a tea towel. Make a bed of newspaper and tea towels in the crisper and drop the torn lettuce into the drawer. Salads will be handy to create, and your lettuce is more likely to be used quickly. Do not cut lettuce with a metal knife -- unless you plan to use it immediately -- because metal that comes in contact with lettuce speeds up the browning process.
-- Did you know apples belong to the rose family?
-- Store an apple with; brown sugar and homemade cookies, cakes and breads to keep them fresh.
-- Keep potatoes fresh longer by storing an apple with them.
-- Eating a green apple is said to cure motion sickness.
-- If your horse won't take his medication, stick it inside of an apple. Horses love apples!
QUESTION: It is time to clean our kitchen ceiling fan and previously you mentioned putting some oil on it to prevent attracting dust. Could you please remind us what type of oil you recommend for this? Thanks. Joan, Winnipeg
ANSWER: For regular ceiling fan cleaning jobs, you can use a long-handled good quality microfibre dust cloth. If you clean your ceiling fan once every one to two weeks, then when you turn the fan on, less dust flies around the room and settles on furniture. However, when grease and dust have built up to the point of becoming sticky, more drastic measures are required. You will need a step ladder, gallon bucket of water, abrasive non-scratching cloth, 1 tbsp. dish soap and 1 tbsp. vinegar. Scrub each blade using the solution. Rinse with warm water and dry. In order to prevent blades from collecting dust, you can wipe them with furniture polish (or a fabric softener sheet) and a soft cloth.
QUESTION: I'm in the process of buying a small house that is a fixer-upper and the previous owner was a heavy smoker. Three of the rooms and a hallway have stippled ceilings and I'm wondering if it would be possible to clean them? For the walls and plain ceilings, I thought maybe a solution of T.S.P. might work, but the stippled ones have me baffled. Any advice would be most welcome. Barb, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Begin by deciding how much you like stipple. If you want to keep stipple permanently, then paint the ceiling with a primer called Kilz. This product will kill the odour and make the ceiling look new but, it will seal the stipple. Another option is to spray the stipple with water and scrape it off using a plastic putty knife. Clean the bare ceiling with dish soap and water and then either re-stipple or paint. Attempting to clean unpainted stipple will make a mess.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Check out my website Reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
Built for the great outdoors
Fall's shorter days and chilly evenings can signal an end to outdoor entertaining, but Jason Cross and fiancée Correna Bayrak aren't planning to move the party indoors any time soon.
Nor are they contemplating a laundry list of cleanup tasks that includes winter storage of their outdoor furnishings and accessories.
How is all of this possible when so many of us will be spending our time in the coming weeks cleaning up flower beds this fall and making room in our sheds for bulky tables, chairs, etc?
Let's start at the beginning.
When Cross and Bayrak went shopping a few years ago for a cottage retreat, it wasn't long before they realized it was possible to have the outdoor experience they dreamed of right at their residential East St. Paul property.
Their vision, though, was for an entertainment oasis that combined functionality and aesthetic appeal, but without the headaches of high maintenance.
Now, it has to be said the end result of their dreams and schemes is no ordinary landscape. Set against a dense backdrop of healthy, mature trees that include evergreens and specimens of butternut bordering the L-shaped property, today this exceptional landscape features all the bells and whistles of a luxurious retreat with the same sense of seclusion a lakeside cottage might offer.
But with none of the, shall we say, inconvenience of packing and unpacking, travelling to and from, opening up and closing down that a home away from home entails.
Three years ago, their bare-bones L-shaped backyard consisted strictly of trees and grass. The first decision was to install a sunken flagstone patio in the treed corner of their property with easy direct access to an adjacent deck and sunroom at the rear of their house.
The ambient patio area now includes a pond and quality outdoor furnishings that consist of two two-seater wicker-style sofas and matching club chairs arranged around a conversation-height (91 cm) rectangular fire table with an aluminum frame that conceals the propane tank, topped with porcelain tiles and outdoor grout that moisture can't penetrate.
This intimate outdoor living room is shaded by an expansive 12-foot cantilever (side post) patio umbrella in black weather-resistant Sunbrella fabric.
Let's stop for a minute and ask the obvious question. How does one store a substantial-sized outdoor living room for the winter?
Bayrak purchased the furnishings for the patio area from Wicker World. With the help of Phil Squarie, president and owner, she selected all-season furnishings with rust-free frames and water-repellent fabric. Everything stays outside year-round. Covers are available for winter but Bayrak hasn't always remembered to use them.
One would never be able to tell. Nor is there a trace of the wine spillage that occurred or the accidental smear of melted chocolate.
Just as gardeners trial plants to see if they will survive the elements, Squarie trials the products he sells.
"Stainless steel and high-density polypropylene materials weather very well," said Squarie who always jumps on his furniture to see how it bears up. His own set of furnishings has spent the past six years outdoors -- uncovered.
"Inexpensive materials are not built for our climate extremes," cautions Squarie who recommends investing wisely by choosing products for durability far beyond one season as well as aesthetic appeal.
With the patio area complete, the next addition was the installation, directly opposite the side of the house, of a rectangular-shaped inground swimming pool from Aqua-Tech. Its striking indigo blue mosaic-like pool liner shimmers in the full sun.
While the couple's vision was to provide many degrees of comfort for their guests and blended family of four children, both were drawn to juxtaposing that comfort with hardscaping elements of cool, contemporary steel and concrete.
Bayrak saw the floor of her outdoor space not as a carpet of grass, but rather smooth expanses of concrete walkway and seating areas. The backdrop of tall trees surrounding the landscape are the walls of greenery, providing all the colour Bayrak needs or wants as a complement to her preference for earthy blacks, charcoals and browns.
John Garcea, owner of S and J Construction, did all of the concrete work and, once completed, Bayrak conceived another idea.
With only a rough sketch on a piece of paper, Bayrak approached Jason Woznesensky, landscape designer and owner of Bedrock Custom Landscaping, to create an L-shaped berm around the pool area.
Bayrak estimate the drop from the top of the finished berm to the bottom of the property line is about 2.5 metres.
Creating it was no small task. Since the property line is far below grade level, Woznesensky brought in several truckloads of fill. The completed berm, covered in crushed granite, adds a distinct dimensional look to the landscape, distancing the backdrop of trees. This effect was heightened by the installation last summer of a row of newly planted evergreens appearing as an inner row.
A second linear-shaped fire table, this one in stainless steel, is sunk into the berm, and has the appearance almost of a buried treasure chest. The propane tank is located behind the berm.
The burner cover lifts to reveal layers of tempered glass rocks that glisten in the rain. Yes, it can even be used in the rain. Simply light with a barbeque lighter. No fumes or embers, only radiant warmth from the glowing fire to warm family and guests in cool weather.
Finishing touches in the area of the berm include bowls of succulents from Salad Bowl Greenhouses, outdoor lighting, and massive pool-side containers dressed in black and potted up with dramatic tropical arrangements wholly proportionate to the large, open space.
While none of the furnishings are stored indoors, the tropical arrangements spend the winter at Gauthier Cadillac Buick GMC where Jason Cross is vice-president.
Bayrak also created a living picture of assorted succulents, purchased at Sumka Brothers Greenhouses. Mounted on an outside stucco wall opposite the pool, Bayrak purchased a wall garden planter kit from Lee Valley Tools. The kit comes with an irrigation reservoir, water collector and mounting wall bracket, which Bayrak concealed with a wide wooden frame. The living wall also spends the winter at the dealership.
With the sunken patio and poolside areas complete, Bayrak and Cross decided upon the ultimate choice for outdoor entertaining -- an outdoor kitchen.
Again, they called upon the expertise of Squarie, who sells modular islands by Napoleon and says they are part of a growing trend. With built-in grill, single side burner, under-grill cabinet, three-drawer cabinet, waste drawer cabinet, fridge door cabinet and barbeque, Bayrak and Cross can prepare any dish they want.
They have also added a pizza oven, choosing to go with a Twin Eagles stainless steel model that heats up quickly rather than a stone wood-burning pizza oven that takes hours to heat up.
The countertop for the modular island is not included and materials must be chosen wisely. Granite or corian weathers well. If you choose tile, be sure to think in terms of cold-weather grouting, which is more resistant to water penetration and freeze/thaw damage.
"You can cook a steak outdoors in February so long as you are able to shovel a path to the outdoor kitchen," said Squarie. Everything is stainless steel and only the barbeque needs to be covered for the winter. Everything else can be hosed off in the springtime after the snow melts.
The outdoor kitchen, complemented by an outdoor dining room table that seats eight, has been situated on a large patio area adjacent to the garage with a large pillared overhang. A Rolltec retractable awning made with all-season water-repellent fabric on a rust-free frame extends out far enough to shade family and guests from the sun's heat and UV rays.
An infrared heater, mounted into the overhang, really throws heat on bone-chilling days. Squarie says these start at $299.
The urge to convert the adjoining garage into a man-cave was impossible to resist. Cross found an image on the Internet depicting a three-dimensional wine cellar, which Xtreme Sign & Grafix printed, laminated and installed.
With year-round furnishings and accessories that will spend the winter outdoors, Cross and Bayrak will wait until the snow flies before closing out the season, likely relaxing outside in a chair with a glass of wine before heading indoors.
For myself, I will be trying to squeeze one more non-winter-hardy item into my shed.
Squarie, though, has a wise word of advice.
"Longevity of use of a quality material has less of an environmental impact than disposing of poor-quality purchases every few years."
When investing in outdoor furnishings, always ask about the serviceable lifespan of the products you are purchasing.
colleenizacharias@gmail.com
Renovation & Design
Get rid of that flock of seagulls
QUESTION -- Do you have any suggestions for deterring seagulls, etc. from constantly landing on docks and making a mess, which is very difficult to clean up? Thanks. Doris (Kenora, ON)
ANSWER -- The easiest defence to guard against seagulls is to purchase seagull spikes. Don't worry the spikes won't hurt the birds, but these easy to install spikes will deter your feathered friends. Seagulls like to rest on sturdy areas and the little spikes give them the illusion of instability. The spikes are small and won't alter the appearance of your dock. If spikes are not an option, there are commercial seagull deterrent sprays available in stores and online. It is important not to hurt seagulls, they are considered endangered in some areas which could land you in a heap of trouble. Lastly, make sure there is no garbage or food around to attract them (pretty basic but I had to say it).
QUESTION -- I absolutely love reading your columns. They are always so informative and helpful. I was wondering what your views are on the safety of using microwave ovens? There is so much conflicting information out there and I was wondering if you could clear up some of it? I've read that microwaves change the food they're cooking at the cellular level, causing the food to become harmful. Can you elaborate on this? I put my microwave away almost a year ago because much of the information is quite scary. I was hoping that you could have a way of researching these concerns and letting us know, one way or the other, if there are real dangers or are the reports just myths? It would be wonderful to know the truth, whether or not it hurts microwave oven sales. They are in almost every household and it would be a disaster if using them on a regular basis was damaging our bodies and those of our developing children, don't you agree? I hope you can shed some light on this and I would have some idea as to whether I should dig my microwave out again to use or turf it. Please keep up the great work. Shirley, Winnipeg
ANSWER -- I share your concern and although it does come in handy, I could easily live without a microwave oven. The decision of whether or not to use a microwave oven must be left up to each individual consumer. However, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (Cdn. Government) recommends the following: Owners should keep their microwaves in good working order. Health Canada states, "Microwaves should not be confused with X-rays or other intense forms of energy. The microwaves generated by a microwave oven do not cause food or the oven itself to become radioactive. Some microwave energy may leak from your oven while you are using it, but this would pose no known health risks, as long as the oven is properly maintained. Old or faulty door seals are the most common causes of microwave radiation leakage. Mechanical abuse, a build-up of dirt, or wear and tear from continued use can cause door seals to be less effective." Health Canada states that the amount of Radio Frequency energy is regulated; however there are ongoing studies to research the impact of RF energy on humans (www.ccohs.ca).
QUESTION -- How can I remove bugs from the front of my car? Thank-you. Elizabeth, Winnipeg
ANSWER -- Soak a large tea towel in warm water and dish soap. Lay the dishtowel on the front of the car for 20-30 mins. Remove the towel and dip a nylon sponge in cola. Gently wipe the bugs away. Rinse with warm water, dry with a soft towel.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
A great way to repel cupboard/drugstore beetles in your home is to scatter bay leaves loosely in your cupboard. Works like a charm! Robbin
I always save the waxy paper inside cereal boxes. This paper is my favorite when making yeast breads. It seldom sticks (the way regular wax paper does) and it doesn't cost anything. When needed, I just carefully rip along the seams and open and use the food side against my dough. It is already dusted with cereal powder. As my sister does not bake, she even saves hers for me. I save them all in the side of a deep drawer for handy use. Velma
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a Corporate Presenter on the topic: Harness the Power of Words? Check out my website Reena.ca.