Ottawa Citizen

LIMESCALE ON YOUR TOILET? TRY USING A PUMICE STONE

Lubricate stone with shampoo and gently scrub — being careful not to scratch enamel

- REENA NERBAS Solutions & Substituti­ons

How would you clean tough limescale off a toilet? I’ve tried many methods.

To remove stains in a toilet, purchase a pumice stone and lubricate it with either cheap shampoo or dish soap. Wet the stone and gently wipe the toilet rim to remove marks, being careful not to scratch the porcelain.

Q Any ideas for ways to reuse muslin rice bags instead of throwing them out? A Some of the following suggestion­s require the skill of sewing: Use as is or transform rice bags into a small shopping bag, wallet, bathtub toy holder, picnic utensil carrier or makeup bag. Use two bags to make a large bag. You can also put one rice bag around each of your planters to prevent spillage.

Q Is there a way to repair deep cuts in leather furniture? Also, is there a product that can be used to spruce up the dye colour on leather furniture? I have seen advertisem­ents about people who will come in and repair and re-dye, but I imagine it will be costly and we would prefer to do it ourselves, if possible. A To repair tears in leather furniture purchase leather glue and a sub patch. Push the sub-patch through the tear. Close the cut with leather glue; works amazingly well! Or purchase a leather repair kit and follow the instructio­ns included with the kit. My father-in law used to use a product on his horse saddles called Urad to shine leather (search for Urad online). Saddle soap, leather conditione­r and mink oil are also good alternativ­es. If you have a limited budget, rub the inside of a banana peel onto the leather to help make it shine.

FEEDBACK FROM CONTRIBUTO­RS

Re: Preventing natural peanut butter from separating The best way to mix up the natural peanut butter so the oil is evenly distribute­d is to pour and scrape all the contents of the jar into a bowl, mix it with a big spoon until it’s uniform in texture, and spoon it back into the jar. Then refrigerat­e it. It won’t separate when it’s cold. The person who takes on this job gets to lick the spoon and the bowl! Submitted by: Jill Re: Checking for ripe pineapples You should have informed people to check pineapples at the store before purchasing. Pineapples are one of several fruits that do not ripen after being harvested. What you buy is what it is. Submitted by: Ian

HANDY HACKS OF THE WEEK

Here is an easy way to remove wrinkles on lightweigh­t clothing. Put ice cubes in the dryer before drying fabrics to get wrinkles out. Submitted by: Lynn

Some packaging is difficult to open because the item is encased in thick plastic. I discovered that using a can opener to slice open the packages works well. Submitted by: Benjamin

If you have an open box of pasta such as spaghetti noodles in your pantry, keep them fresher longer by storing them in a Pringles chip can. Submitted by: Alex

After cleaning your bathroom and kitchen faucets, polish them with wax paper to make them shine, and repel water spots. Submitted by: Tammy My daughter spilled glitter all over the carpet and kitchen chairs. I used a lint roller to clean up the mess, it only took a few seconds. You can also use a lint roller to clean the dust off lampshades. Submitted by: Nevee

Reena Nerbas is a popular motivation­al presenter for large and small groups; check out her website — reena.ca — to ask a question or share a tip. Disclaimer: 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.

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GETTY ?? When buying all-natural peanut butter, mix the separated oil into the peanut butter and store it in the fridge.
IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOT­O GETTY When buying all-natural peanut butter, mix the separated oil into the peanut butter and store it in the fridge.
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