Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Freshening up your black clothes to dye for
QUESTION: A recent question in your column was where to buy black dye to freshen black clothes. The writer wanted to use it in her washer. A couple of friends also read it and had the same concerns as me, so I have volunteered to contact you with our questions.
1. Will the washer be left with any black dye that would transfer onto the next load of laundry?
2. Would running one hot bleach load (no clothes) get rid of the chance of this happening?
3. Do you have any further advice or any suggestions that will actually give us the nerve to try this?
This sounds like such a good idea, as our blacks do get a bit faded long before they wear out, but we do not want to destroy any other clothing or the washers. Eileen, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I love that you volunteered to submit these fabulous questions, Eileen! If you refer back to the article that you read regarding black dye, you will notice that a reader had offered this tip as a remedy for darkening her black fabrics. She said it worked!
Personally, I would opt to use black dye to darken clothing using the old-fashioned method of water and an old stainless steel pot or bathtub and only dye garments that are not extra-special. In most cases, the machine does not becomes stained, but it's important to wipe it out with bleach after using it for dyeing purposes.
Thirdly, Rit dye will only dye one garment at a time; you may have to purchase a stronger dye than Rit. Fibre-reactive dyes are designed for dyeing cellulose fabrics such as cotton, linen, hemp and rayon. Acid dyes work well for animal fibres, nylon and wool.
Another risk with dyeing clothes black is that some garments are made up of more than one textile, and dye colour can therefore become inconsistent. Or you may run into a situation where fabrics were treated by the manufacturer with stain-resistant coating and will not accept dye.
QUESTION: Do you have an easy recipe for making my own taco seasoning without me having to buy weird spices that I won't be able to find and will never use again? Lloyd, Treherne, MB
ANSWER: Stir together one tbsp. chili powder, half tsp. garlic powder, half tsp. dried oregano, half tsp. paprika, one-and-a-half tsp. ground cumin, one tsp. salt and one tsp. black pepper. Store in an airtight container.
QUESTION: We went away in the summer for two months. I left a bag of leftover food and a half-gallon of milk in the fridge for the person who was taking care of the house. They never took the milk. The milk went sour and exploded in the fridge. What a terrible smell. Cleaned the whole fridge out with vinegar, baking soda and water. I cannot get rid of the smell. Do you have any tips? Awaiting your reply. Charlette, Winnipeg
ANSWER: When you say that you cleaned out the fridge, did you allow the vinegar to seep into each corner of the fridge where the milk will have travelled? Any remaining milk will continue to cause an odour, so you may need to rewash.
The easiest way to zap fridge odours is to slice an orange in half and leave it in the fridge for a few days. The most effective long-term solution for getting rid of the smell: Unplug the fridge and stuff the entire unit with crumpled-up newspaper. Leave it for about one week. The more newspaper the better, because the ink in newspaper is great at absorbing odours. After removing the newspaper, leave an open container of coffee grounds in the fridge or activated charcoal to absorb remaining odours.
QUESTION: Some time ago, you gave a solution to get rid of the little flies that seem to take up residence in house plants. I believe it was 2 tbsp. per litre of water and either rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. All I can remember for sure is that it really did the trick! However, they seem to be back. I love your column; have used many of your tips. Thanks in advance. Judy, Winnipeg
ANSWER: In a one-gallon milk jug, combine 2 tbsp. dish soap, 1 tbsp. rubbing alcohol, dash of Tabasco sauce, 1 tbsp. canola oil and enough water to fill the jug. Pour mixture into spray bottle and apply as needed. Taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets.
Fabulous tips of the week
-- Packing for a trip? Slide shoes into a clean pair of old socks before packing the shoes in your suitcase. Doing this prevents the shoes from coming in contact with other clothes.
-- Suitcases will hold more if clothes are rolled rather than folded. If you roll them in tissue paper, the clothes will get less wrinkled.
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
Use caution deciding on reverse mortgage
WHEN we reach retirement, the goal for many of us is to have paid off our mortgage, leaving us with full equity in our homes. If you are thinking about extracting some of that equity to give yourself extra income in retirement, financial planners urge you to consider the pros and cons of such a strategy very carefully.
"I work with all my clients to make sure that they don't have to access their house money to fund their retirements," says Vikas Saida, a financial adviser with Edward Jones. "The most important thing is to plan well ahead so that this stage is never reached."
Saida says he stays in close contact with his clients to make sure their retirement plans are on track so they are not compelled to extract equity from their homes.
"People need to balance their expectations and their achievable goals," Saida says. "We need to make sure that the investments they have in their portfolios are in line with their risk-tolerance levels and their goals are achievable."
However, if circumstances change and you require a new source of income, perhaps for unexpected medical expenses, a mortgage adviser can help you assess if a reverse mortgage is appropriate.
"A reverse mortgage is an instrument where you do not have to prove income or credit worthiness. You're not required to make payments," says Gary Siegle, an Invis regional manager. "You get a certain amount of money and your mortgage balance increases at an established rate over the period of the reverse mortgage."
Siegle checks with clients to determine whether they have sufficient income to qualify for a regular mortgage before discussing a reverse mortgage.
The calculator on chip.ca will help test out how much you may be able to borrow.
"It will depend on your age and the amount of equity that you do have in your home," Siegle says. "They do not collect payments from you, it is just the interest that keeps accruing. You have the option, if you wish, to make payments, but you do not have to."
The younger you are, the less you will be able to borrow.
Reverse-mortgage providers make assumptions as to what your house will be worth down the road, when your estate is settled.
"If your house is worth $400,000 and you borrow $200,000, (and the interest rate on your loan remains at five per cent) and your house value of $400,000 grows at three per cent a year, your house is going up $12,000 a year, your interest is accruing by $10,000 a year," Siegle says. "Your house value is going up somewhat more quickly than your debt. Even if you live until 80 and you are now 60, there will still be money to turn over to your estate."
The reverse mortgage debt will have to be paid by your estate, reducing what your beneficiaries will inherit.
"Clients should review their objectives frequently," Saida says, "so that (they don't even get to the) stage of withdrawing money from their house's equity or their fixed assets."
-- Postmedia News
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Permanent markers need not be permanent
QUESTION: My late mother spent two weeks in respite in a nursing home and all her clothes were labelled including her socks. This is enough clothes for a month's holiday and the nursing home offers no solution for removing the ink except to ink out her name. The apparel is all in good condition and stylish and we wish to donate to our hometown project for gently used clothes. I'm hoping you have a solution for this problem and would be willing to share it with me. Thanking you in advance and hope to hear from you. A fan of yours, Elva, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Sounds like you are talking about permanent marker on clothing in which case I would recommend that you spray the area with bug spray that contains DEET. Let soak and then scrub with dish soap and water. It's worked in the past, give it a try!
QUESTION: I have six containers -- the collapsible ones that are covered with fabric, not leather. They are all brand new and every one of them has the strangest odour. Not a foul odour but nevertheless the smell is terrible. I have tried the following: Putting baking soda in and closing the lids, putting in vinegar and closing the lids, leaving them outside open in the sunshine for several days in the summer, putting in newspaper, spraying with Febreeze. The idea was to store blankets, etc. in them but the smell goes onto the blankets and I have to wash them before I can use them. Nothing seems to help, the smell is still there. Any ideas? Enjoy your column. Carol, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Sounds like the odour is caused by the dye used to manufacture the fabric. This is a common occurrence for fabrics that are imported, especially dark fabrics. When dye is the culprit there is often nothing that can be done. However, with your many solutions you have not yet cleaned the surface of the textile. Although I am not aware of the fabric content, I recommend that you scrub the fabrics with a solution of dish soap, water and tea tree oil (found at most grocery and health food stores). If the fabric is non-washable, scrub with shaving cream.
QUESTION: We replaced our bathtub and surround with a molded unit made of vinyl. It was purchased about three years ago. The cleaning instructions said not to use any substance or material that would scratch the surface and we should just wipe out after each use. This is fine when the shower only is used but I cannot get rid of the ring around the tub. Is there a non-abrasive way to clean the tub? Thanks for any help you can suggest. Anna, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Here's a great recipe that I like to call Mist and Shout: Mix together half cup baking soda, two tablespoons glycerine (found in grocery stores where bandages are sold) and two tablespoons liquid dish soap or Suave shampoo. Scrub tub with a green scrubby pad and rinse. Store remainder in a plastic bottle.
QUESTION: I attended one of your Home Sweet Home Conferences last month and got many great household tips. Since then I have experienced an annoying problem that you did not talk about. Whenever I type on my computer keyboard (which is a lot) the keys stick. The computer is only one year old and this problem just started but it is driving me crazy because my entire job is computerized. Any advice would be great! Pat, Souris, Man.)
ANSWER: With the computer off, wipe the keyboard with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol. Make sure that you pour the alcohol onto the cloth; do not pour the rubbing alcohol onto the keyboard. You only need a little bit and make sure to wipe between the keys because a lot of grime gets in there.
Fabulous Tip of the Week:
-- Save pumpkin seeds, they are high in protein and low in fat. Clean off flesh (or leave on) and season with seasoning salt. Bake on greased baking sheet at 300 degrees for about one hour or until golden brown. Add to trail mixes or eat separately.
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.
