Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Odour from laundry room hard to pinpoint
QUESTION: Please end this torment. I am troubled with a laundry-room odour that I can't successfully eliminate and it emanates from my washer. I tried running vinegar through the machine as well as filling the drum and surrounding tub with a bleach/water solution and letting it sit for several days. No luck.
My research promotes the ideas that the outside of the drum is the problem or fetid water that doesn't properly drain. I'm wondering if the hoses could be the culprit. I hesitate to replace the hoses if they aren't the problem.
The machine is an older-model top-loader that has given me excellent service for many years. There are just two of us in the household so we only use the washer for one load per week. When the machine is idle, the lid always remains open. Even with the smell, the clothes come out clean. No other water source in the house has this difficulty.
Could the drain pipe on the wall be guilty? Any suggestions you have would be appreciated very much. The laundry room is on the main floor and getting harder to ignore. Thank you. Sharon, Winnipeg
ANSWER: This is a common challenge with washing machines. Often the doors to the machines are tightly sealed and moisture has no chance of escaping between uses. Thus, mould forms under the seal and within the mechanics of the machine.
It's true that you should keep the door open when the machine is not in use so that moisture can escape. You can continue to run one cup of vinegar and a half-cup of baking soda through the machine once a week to kill odours. Also, stop (if you are) using liquid fabric softeners-- these tend to build up in the machine and produce mould.
As well, lift the seal and clean underneath with a paste of three per cent hydrogen peroxide and borax or toothpaste and an old toothbrush. You will be amazed at the build-up. Another favourite product for getting rid of the smell of musty machines is washing soda -- you can find this in the laundry department of grocery stores. It is called So Clean, by Arm and Hammer. This product is amazing at whitening and brightening fabrics. I like to add one-quarter cup to each load of laundry when I wash whites (it contains no bleaches or phosphates).
Both borax and washing soda are great for zapping odours. Also take out your detergent drawer and clean any mildew with three per cent hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and water.
If the problem remains, there may be a more serious problem such as a clogged hose or faulty or worn out machine parts. This requires snaking the machine and using hot water and chemicals to free any clogs.
QUESTION: We have a deep fryer that works great but the outside of the fryer is marked up with oil dripping that will not come off. What solution do you recommend for this problem? Best regards. Larry, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You can either purchase a branded degreaser to clean the exterior of your deep fryer or smother the outside with a paste of baking soda and vinegar. Leave for 15 minutes and scrub with an abrasive non-scratching pad. Rinse and wipe dry. Some people have great results by cleaning the outside of the fryer with oven cleaner. Test on an inconspicuous area first.
QUESTION: I have a problem that I haven't seen in your column. My kitchen has inexpensive white peel-and-stick tiles installed by the previous owner. Unfortunately, some of the tiles have turned yellow. Do you know of any way to get them white again? The best solution would be a new floor but that doesn't fit into my budget at this time. Thanks. Cheryl, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Many people have found pouring three per cent hydrogen peroxide onto the floor everyday for three days is helpful. Other people have had great success by combining one-quarter cup OxyClean with one gallon boiling water and pouring the solution onto the area. Another solution is Clorox, but some say this application removes the floor's finish and shine. Lastly, mineral spirits is a treatment that people have told me worked for them. If the floor remains yellow, replacing the tiles is your best option.
QUESTION: What is the difference between linguine and fettuccine? What kind of sauce would you use on linguine? Thanks, Janet (Gimli, Man.)
ANSWER: Fettuccine is wider and flat, while linguine is more like spaghetti but square instead of round. Each pasta shape is designed to hold the sauce differently. The name linguine actually comes from the Italian language meaning, "little tongues." This pasta pairs well with seafood (i.e. clam, shrimp etc.) sauces because its flat shape allows the sauce to stay on the noodle easily. From white sauces to tomato or wine sauces, linguine is a versatile noodle and can be substituted for spaghetti noodles. For simpler meals, linguine noodles can also be paired with butter, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Zesty tips of the week:
-- Need to liven up a fruit salad? Combine orange juice with sour cream, add grated orange rind. Pour over fruit salad.
-- Help lemons last longer. Sprinkle lemons with water and place them in a plastic bag. They will last one month or longer.
-- Sprinkle lemon juice onto freshly cut fruit so that it does not darken.
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, Man., ROA 0C0
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Shadows in walls reveal smoke particles
QUESTION: I have noticed in my mother's house I can see shadows of the wall studs, but only on the exterior walls. The house is a 1,000-square-foot bungalow built in 1955. You see dark shadows where the wall studs go up and down and also the 2x4s along the wall and ceiling. I tried to clean them with TSP and water but no success, unless I should make the mixture stronger.
Your input is much appreciated. Enzo Diubaldo
ANSWER: Your question struck a cord with me as I observed this same phenomenon in a home I inspected just the other day. In that home, it was quite pronounced but it appeared the walls and ceilings had not been painted for a long time. The true explanation for this can be quite lengthy and scientific, but the root of the problem may be easy to solve.
What you're seeing in the shadows on the ceilings and walls in your mom's home is primarily caused by small particles in the air plating out on the interior of the walls and ceilings. These particles may be common dust and dirt, but are often soot associated with fireplaces, candles or cigarette smoke.
The simple explanation for why they are only visible in certain areas is because these locations are cooler than the surrounding areas, and that's due to a phenomenon known as "thermal bridging."
Thermal bridging occurs when heat is transferred through a solid material, rather than through air or liquid. This typically occurs in buildings through exterior walls and ceilings because of the nature of the construction.
Most homes have a reasonable amount of thermal insulation in the walls and attic, which has the capacity to trap large amounts of air. The air actually provides much of the insulation, partly by preventing thermal bridging between the cold air outside the home and the warmer interior.
Any solid material that does not have this air-trapping ability may allow significant heat conduction and cause thermal bridging between the warm interior house air and the cold exterior air. Where this normally occurs in buildings is at the wall and ceiling framing and the metal fasteners holding the sheathing to the framing. That's why you are observing this phenomenon on the inside of the wall studs and ceiling joists.
Because homes of this age are constructed with 2x4 exterior walls, and likely the same-sized ceiling joists, there's more chance of thermal bridging than with newer homes built with 2x6 exterior walls. The relatively thin wall and ceiling framing may also have limited or poor-quality insulation surrounding it, increasing the chances of heat loss through these areas.
Adding more insulation to the attic can prevent a reoccurrence on the ceilings. Installing more insulation between the ceiling joists and over top of the framing should prevent major heat loss through these members.
The exterior walls, on the other hand, may be more difficult to remedy. Installing additional insulation on the inside or outside of the exterior walls will have the same effect as increased attic insulation, but will require significantly more work. Removal of the old plaster on the inside of the walls or the siding on the exterior of the walls be required.
You will also have to fir out the window and door jambs to accommodate the newly installed insulation. While this will make the home more comfortable in the winter and reduce heating costs, it may not be cost-effective unless the siding on the outside of the home is deteriorated and in need of upgrading.
Now, about the particles that are causing the actual "shadows." While this can occur in any older home, it's normally only prevalent where there is a source of smoke to increase the effect. The majority of these homes will have a fireplace or wood stove in proximity to the affected rooms. Others will have homeowners who are longtime smokers, obvious from the lingering odour and stains in other areas.
Burning a lot of candles will also produce large amounts of particulate matter that becomes airborne. While these particles are primarily invisible while the candles are lit, they can plate out. That was my conclusion at the home I recently examined, as there was no fireplace or evidence of smokers.
The reason for smoke particles to collect only on certain cold areas, rather than the entire wall and ceiling surfaces, likely has a complex scientific explanation. The best theory I have read has to do with different speeds of sub-atomic particles within the smoke. As the smoke cools, these fast-moving particles slow considerably. They are then attracted to the cooler sections of the walls and ceilings where they further slow down and plate out, while the faster-moving air molecules continue to circulate. My own observation that the shadows only occur homes with a smoke-producing factor seems to bear out this omplex theory.
Since you have been unsuccessful in cleaning the stains from your mother's home, sealing them with a special primer followed by a good-quality paint will make them unnoticeable. If you want to prevent a reoccurrence, increasing the insulation in the walls and ceilings should do the trick. Even if that is not practical, limiting any source of significant smoke particles will keep the shadows from returning.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the 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
