Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Rubber ball takes out running-shoe marks
QUESTION: I am 76 years old and regularly look after my grandchildren on weekdays. Although I enjoy my time with them, when they leave, I almost always notice black marks on the floor from their runners. It is hard to bend over to clean the floor. Any suggestions on what I can use to get rid of the marks? Helda (Melita, Man.)
ANSWER: Of course, the most obvious solution, and I am sure you have considered this, is asking your beloved grandchildren to remove their footwear upon entering your castle. If this is not an option, I have another solution for you. Make a slit in a rubber ball and slide it onto the end of a broom handle. Move the ball along the floor to erase the marks; it works with little effort.
QUESTION: Do you have any solutions or preventions for yellowed linoleum around forced-air registers? Thanks, Myrla (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: I'm assuming that your flooring is vinyl. In order to prevent discolouration from occurring under the lip of vent covers, put masking tape in that area.
Yellowing stains that are already present are tricky to remove and in many cases permanent. You have nothing to lose by trying the following: Pour three-per-cent hydrogen peroxide onto the area every day for three days. Do not wipe and observe whether stains become less-noticeable.
Some people have had great results by using oven cleaner to remove these stains. Test on an inconspicuous area first because what works on one type of vinyl will not necessarily work on another.
If you're desperate, consider purchasing a stronger concentration of hydrogen peroxide from a hair salon.
Just as a side note, the terms vinyl and linoleum are often used interchangeably. Vinyl is made from synthetic fibres. The main body is cardboard or vinyl that is covered with one sheet that contains the design, another sheet for the finish followed by a protective coat of varying thickness.
Linoleum is a 100-per-cent natural product. It contains linseed oil, cork powder, natural resins, colour mineral pigments and other natural materials. As the linseed oxidizes, the linoleum gets harder. Linoleum is a much more durable product than vinyl and is ideal for high-traffic areas. Linoleum is currently making a big comeback. Vinyl and linoleum need to be treated differently.
QUESTION: My kid keeps applying temporary tattoos to his arms. After a while, part of the tattoo wears off and his arm just ends up looking dirty. Any idea on how to quickly remove the remaining mess? Tess (Clear Lake, Man.)
ANSWER: Wipe the tattoo residue with rubbing alcohol; it will quickly disappear.
QUESTION: My husband and I received a lovely handmade quilt from my husband's grandmother as a wedding present. The quilt is made out of cotton and synthetic materials. The quilt was stored in a plastic container with mothballs for a significant period of time before it was given to us.
For the past three years, I have not been able to get the mothball smell out of the quilt. We've tried a variety of laundry detergents, hanging it in the sun, and storing it for months in a cedar-lined chest. Nothing has worked and the smell does not seem to be fading. Is there anyway to get this smell out? Thank you, Terri (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: Try one or more of the following tricks: Lay the quilt on the grass during a rain shower. The combo of water and chlorophyll are powerful odour zappers. Or soak the quilt in plain old vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil. Leave it for a few hours, then wash as usual. Air-dry it because the dryer can permanently set the smell of mothballs.
Success Story from Manitoban:
Original Question: I spilled oil-based paint on leather upholstery. Is there anything that will get it out? Rick
Update:
Hi Reena,
I used extra-virgin olive oil and dabbed it on with a paper towel, used a soft rag covering a spoon and lots of elbow grease, and it eventually came out, but it took a while. There was no discolouration of the leather! Thanks, Rick
Fabulous Breakfast Tips:
Did you know that poaching eggs is one of the healthiest protein-packed ways to cook eggs because no butter or oil is required?
-- You can make poached eggs a day in advance and refrigerate them. When you are ready to eat the egg, reheat it by placing it in simmering water for one minute.
-- When cooking pancakes, resist the urge to press pancakes down with a spatula. Doing so will not quicken cooking time and will take away its fluffy texture.
-- To cook perfect hard-boiled eggs, place the eggs in a pot and fill it with enough water to cover the eggs. Bring it to a boil for twelve minutes. Remove the eggs (with a slotted spoon) from the pot and submerge them in a bowl of ice water for five minutes. Crack each egg and peel it under cold water.
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
SOLUTIONS: Itsy, bitsy spider plant etched treasured vase
QUESTION: I enjoy your tips immensely and clip your column or parts thereof frequently. I have a problem I fear does not have a solution but here goes anyway. In starting a new plant off the mother plant and in letting roots grow on a baby spider, I foolishly used a small treasured crystal vase of my mother's. When I tried to clean it, there were etch marks that don't want to come out. Any suggestions? By the way, my current baby spider is sitting in a small leftover jar. Suzette, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I agree that the vase is etched; this may or may not be reversible depending on how deeply the etching has set in. Soak the glasses in hot vinegar or run citric acid through the dishwasher with the vase inside. Both options are effective solutions on etched glass. Another option (and this is my favourite) is to drop a denture tablet into the vase with a quarter teaspoon of dish soap and water. Leave overnight and rinse in the morning. You may need to gently rub the interior with an abrasive cloth.
QUESTION: I spilled oil-based paint on leather upholstery. Is there anything that will get it out? Thanks. Rick, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Paint that has dried for more than six hours is difficult to remove. There are commercial paint removers for leather but the success rate is not great. Some people have removed oil paint with pumice-free waterless hand cleaner or paint thinner while others say WD-40 and fine sandpaper is the best. In any case, use all solutions with caution; be careful that the leather dye is not disturbed.
QUESTION: My father recently handed down the bone china he and my mother received as a wedding gift. We used to live on an acreage and the water was iron heavy and stained some of the pieces. Is there a trick to removing it? I have tried scrubbing, but am scared I'll break the heirlooms if I get vigorous. Please help me out. Jesse, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Soak the dishes in the hottest water you feel comfortable putting them in with 3 cups vinegar and 2 tbsp. citric acid. Citric acid can be ordered at your local pharmacy. This recipe is similar to the recipe in my second book for discoloured Corelle dishes, Corellabunga. You may need to gently scrub the stain with an abrasive cloth after it has soaked for an hour.
Feedback from Smart Manitoban:
Dear Reena,
With regards to your article on borax. In an older book about agriculture put out by the University of Manitoba, it states that most diseases of vegetables are caused by lack of boron in the soil. This is remedied by spreading one cup of borax in your garden. Fruit-tree growers use it when trees fail to produce fruit in a similar way. Taxidermists use it to dry out and preserve pelts before mounting on foam supports.
Louis, St. Claude
Reena's Note: Thank you for the great information, Louis. Just want to caution readers to use borax at your own discretion and remember that borax on grass will kill it.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
-- Soak fabrics in white vinegar before laundering to lock in colours. Submitted by: Margret, Winnipeg
-- Books and bookshelves infested with ants are difficult to conquer. Place a cotton ball soaked with lemon juice onto the shelf; the ants do not like the smell and will leave. Submitted by: Margret, Winnipeg
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.
