Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Discoloured towels likely due to cosmetics
Question: Last year I purchased new white towels for my remodelled bathroom. They are lovely, but after a few washes and they started sprouting grey blob-shaped spots, especially on the hand towels. At first, I thought it was my daughter’s toothpaste staining the towels when she wiped her face, but switching toothpastes didn’t help. The spots have also appeared on the bathmat; so, I know it can’t just be the toothpaste. With copious amounts of bleach, the spots can be faded or erased, but this needs to be done constantly or they re-appear. I have changed laundry detergents as well to no avail. Any ideas? — Darryl
Answer: Since the spots are mainly apparent on hand towels it makes sense they may be the result of a product your daughter uses. Bleach is found in cosmetic products other than toothpaste such as teeth whiteners and hair products. Benzoyl Peroxide for example is found in several products i.e., acne treatments may be the culprit. Consider investigating all of the products that she uses to help you determine the cause of discoloration.
Have you experimented by trading towels with her and observing whether discoloration is still an issue? Add a product such as washing soda to each load. Pour one quarter cup to each load to brighten colors and whiten whites. Using washing soda with hot water will also clean out the hoses in your washing machine.
Question: You mentioned preheating the pan for a homemade pizza. Should I also preheat the pan for a storebought, frozen pizza? Is this necessary to prevent a soggy pizza? I usually just place the frozen pizza on a pan (not heated), or directly on the oven rack. Cathy
Answer: If you preheat the oven before placing the pizza directly on the rack, you are choosing the best method for a crispy pizza result. Some people like me are not brave enough to put the pizza on the rack, in this case, you can preheat the pan before placing the pizza in the oven, but it’s really not necessary.
Question: Can you advise me as to why when frying or pickling garlic they turn green? How can I prevent this from happening? I read it is safe to eat green garlic, but it is unsightly. I have also read that it is due to immature garlic, so how does one buy it correctly? Perhaps there are many reasons for this occurrence. Thanks in advance, Mary
Answer: Garlic contains anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that turn blue, green, or purple in an acid solution. While this colour transformation tends to occur more often with immature garlic, it differs among cloves within the same head of garlic. The garlic flavour remains unchanged and is totally edible and not harmful. Some other factors that may cause colour change include: a reaction to the acid found in vinegar, lemons, or onions; the material makeup of the frying pan or chopping knife; copper in your water; or using a salt other than canning salt for pickling. To prevent colour change, blanche garlic for 30 seconds or sauté garlic in butter or olive oil.
When purchasing garlic, look for dry bulbs, off-white in colour. The peel should be dry and shed easily. Take a moment, in the store, to smell garlic; it will carry no odour unless it is overripe (which you don’t want).
Everyday tips, for everyday challenges
— Stop clothes with thin straps from falling off hangers by sticking small felt furniture pads onto the hanger just beyond where the straps sit.
— To keep spiders or any other nasty surprises out of the shoes you store outside such as gardening shoes or work boots, place old stockings over the top of them. Make sure the stockings don’t have holes in them, and if they don’t fit snugly over the top, use an elastic band to secure them.
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.
Have a great suggestion or tip? Please send an email at: info@reena.ca. Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
Vinegar, tea tree oil should rescue outdoor cushions
Question: We have a set of four nice, thick outdoor chair cushions that we have treated well for 15 years. They are never left outside at night and are often stored in our shed during summer days when not needed. I went to get them from the shed, and discovered that they had become soiled from mice that had gotten into our shed (they were stinky and damp). We left them outside to dry off, then put them away to deal with later. Now I’m wondering if they can be washed in a large commercial washer at a laundromat (larger capacity), and if so, what should I use on them? (Borax?) I want to make sure they are well disinfected. Any advice would be very appreciated. Thanks. — Jill
Answer: Washing the cushions in a large-capacity washing machine is absolutely genius! Use heavy-duty detergent and air dry the cushions. The only change I would make is to use 1 cup of white vinegar in place of borax. After the cushions are dry, wipe them with tea tree oil to help deter rodents.
Question: I recently made cornbread and it was very crumbly. What did I do wrong? I used one egg. Should I use two next time? — Wendy
Answer: Here are a few hints for making delicious cornbread: Use buttermilk instead of milk and/or water. While you do not want to add excess moisture, the following are a few ideas to try. Add a half cup of sour cream to your recipe. The extra egg is a good idea. Some people like to add a can of creamed corn to the recipe to add moisture. Yum!
Question: What is the easiest way to remove corn from the cob? And what is an easy way to butter corn cobs? — Lenore
Answer: Stand the corn on the cob in the hole of a Bundt pan. Hold the cob steady and make long downward strokes on the cob with a sharp knife, separating the kernels from the cob. If you are worried about scratching your Bundt pan, drape a paper towel inside the pan to protect it.
To butter the cob with ease, spread butter on a piece of bread and wipe the cob with the bread. Or melt butter in a bowl and use a pastry brush to "paint" the cob. Or melt butter in a pot and lay the cobs in the butter to coat them (this is the option I use).
Question: I have a box of cereal that tastes stale. Is it garbage, or is there a way to make it taste good again? — Arden
Answer: To revive old cereal (or crackers), spread it onto a cookie sheet and bake on low heat for a few minutes. Take it out of the oven when crisp. Eat.
Produce the best produce
— I have a tip for preparing spaghetti squash for the microwave. Pierce holes by using a meat thermometer. Easy and safer than fooling around with a knife. Gloria
— Save pumpkin seeds; they are high in protein and low in fat. Clean off flesh (or leave on) and season with seasoning salt. Spread onto greased baking sheet and bake at 300 F (150 C) for about one hour or until golden brown. Add to trail mixes or eat separately.
— Revive old apples by peeling and cutting into them into chunks. Soak them in cold apple cider or juice for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
— Keep apples longer by storing them without letting them touch one other.
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products/methods on an inconspicuous area first.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Email your tips and questions.
info@reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
Get your hard-boiled eggs cracking
Question: I make my own hard-boiled eggs. Lately, when I try to peel them, it just turns into a mess. Large chunks of the egg white stick to the shell, the membrane sticks to the egg white, and it just doesn’t peel cleanly. What am I doing wrong? How can I get perfect (or nearly perfect) hard-boiled eggs? If you can help, I would be very grateful. Thanks. — John
Answer: Here are a few tips for making hard-boiled eggs easier to peel. Note: The fresher the egg, the more difficult it is to peel because the egg whites hold more firmly to the inner membrane.
Add a small amount of vegetable oil to the pot while boiling eggs. The shells absorb just enough of the oil so the shells slide off easier.
After boiling eggs, empty all of the hot water and fill the pan with cold water. Add two bowls of ice and let the eggs sit in the ice water for 10 minutes before peeling.
Take an egg in your hand and smash it on the table, then roll it back and forth like a rolling pin. This makes the shell peel off more easily.
Alternatively, try using a spoon and hit the egg all over so it cracks everywhere. Then, turn the spoon around and slip the tip under a piece of the shell, slide it around the entire egg. Rinse off any remaining shell.
Question: I want to clean my ceiling fan, but I keep putting it off because it is my least favourite job. Any tips to make it easier? Thanks. — Kelly
Answer: For regular ceiling fan cleaning, you can use a good quality long-handled 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 other parts of the room or on your furniture. However, when grease and dust have built up to the point of becoming gummy and sticky, more drastic measures need to taken. You will need a step ladder, a gallon bucket of water, abrasive non-scratching cloth, and 1 tbsp. each of dish soap and vinegar. With the fan off (obviously), scrub each blade of the fan using the solution. Rinse with warm water and dry. To prevent ceiling fan blades from collecting dust, you can wipe them with furniture polish and a soft cloth — or a fabric softener sheet.
Feedback from Friendly Manitobans
— Avoiding food wastage: My wife, Linda, and I have found three-litre boxes of wine have almost a full glass left after the spigot has stopped pouring. That’s eight or nine per cent — about three bucks worth! Rob
— After purchasing berries, I remove them from the plastic carton. Then I wash them and place a paper towel onto the bottom of the carton. Place the berries back into the carton. The towel absorbs excess moisture which keeps the berries fresher longer. Margret
— I hear so many people talk about scrubbing their kitchen cupboards with all kinds of products. All you really need is dish soap and water. Scrub and rinse; the grease will disappear. Rhinold
— To make homemade pizza crispy, make sure to heat the empty pan in the oven at 450 F for about 10 minutes. Prepare your pizza on parchment paper, and then transfer it onto the hot pan. Skipping this step will result in a soggy pizza. Tony
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products/methods on an inconspicuous area first.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Email your tips and questions.
info@reena.ca