HOT BEVERAGE CUPS CAN MAR FINISHES

Q

I was enjoying a cup of hot tea one morning. The tea was so hot that I had to put it down on the table. I grabbed the closest thing, which was a sheet of paper with some writing in blue ink on it. My tea not only melted the finish on the dining room table, but the heat melted the ink onto the table. I realize now how stupid it was to think that a thin piece of paper would protect the table. If you can help me fix this mistake, I would really appreciate it.

A

The first and easiest solution is to apply mayonnaise or non-gel, non-bleach toothpaste to the wood. Leave for 30 minutes and wipe. If the stain remains, cover the mark with a white cloth. Using the steam setting on your clothing iron, wave the iron over the cloth making sure that you do not set the iron on one area. Even if the heat mark disappears, the ink may remain. If hairspray doesn’t remove the ink, you can try baking powder and dish soap.

Q

I just bought a toaster oven last year. With our old one, we tried everything and could not keep the inside of the trays or the crumb tray clean, so we bought a more expensive one and now have the same problem. It says the tray should be cleaned with hot, sudsy water or using a nylon scouring pad or nylon brush. We have tried numerous cleaners without success. There seems to be a buildup of grease just under the element on the crumb tray.

A

Since you are not able to use abrasive products or pads when cleaning the tray, consider pouring household ammonia onto the greased area and leave for 20 minutes. While wearing gloves, scrub the grease with a non-scratching scrubby pad. Next, wash with dish soap and water.

FEEDBACK FROM CONTRIBUTORS

Re: Ingredients added to butter to prevent melting

About two years ago, the butter we had been using for years was splitting when I was making one of our Christmas baking dishes. I also noticed the butter was not acting the same at room temperature, as it wouldn’t soften up, just as the contributor described. When it split, it became very oily. In the meantime, I had spoken to a number of my friends who had been baking for years, and there was a consensus that all butter brands were acting the same. I checked the ingredient list on all butters, and none indicated any ingredient that was different from the past. I contacted one of the manufacturers directly and told them my concerns and asked if they had added anything to their butter that would cause it to split and be oily and hard at room temperature. The fellow I talked to said “no” nothing had been added. I contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) about it and after many months, and just one phone call, they gave me a very political response, but voila! The butter had all changed and my friends and I had a further discussion about having our old butter back. That was last year. Alas, it has not lasted, and I agree with your contributor, something is being added to change the texture. Re: Ingredients added to butter to prevent melting

I think the problem with butter is that it is hard and breaks up bread. I read somewhere that if the cow was fed corn rather than grass fed, the butter would be more spreadable.

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.