How to remove foil from oven floor

Solution takes time, but won’t damage porcelain

Dear Reena: I was cooking chicken in my seven-year-old oven and put some tinfoil in the bottom of the oven. I thought it would catch the grease drippings. However, the tinfoil stuck to the bottom of the oven.

I removed most of it, but some of the tinfoil is still stuck. Do you have a solution for getting the rest of it off? Also, is it still safe to use the oven?

Connie While this isn’t an instant solution, it is effective at removing foil without damaging the porcelain finish of your oven. In a cool oven, lay a hot, wet rag on the oven floor and leave for 20-30 minutes.

Use a little liquid dish soap to lubricate the area and scrape the foil with a plastic scrub pad, plastic scraper or credit card. The foil will eventually burn off over time. Refer to the instructor’s manual to determine whether it is safe to use the oven. I have not heard of any problems from people who have used their oven when foil was stuck to the bottom.

Dear Reena: I read your recent article advising people to use a few drops of canola oil in bird baths to discourage mosquitoes. Thanks for that tip.

After much research, I have determined bird baths are prone to the microorganism Haematococcus pluvialis, and the pigment astaxanthin is present to protect the organism from the sun’s rays.

My structure is exposed to sun, which adds to the situation.

It is necessary for me to clean my bird bath every few days, as the red algae builds up. When changing the water, I scrub with either washing soda or bleach, which only lasts for a few days.

Are you aware of an effective solution, other than frequent cleaning and replacement of water, to deter the growth of red algae?

Mary You are correct: the most agreed-upon technique for cleaning bird baths is to scrub them with bleach and water every few days.

Some people recommend dumping the old water and spraying the bath with just water. Also, a few drops of apple-cider vinegar in bird-bath water is an effective way to slow down algae growth.

Dear Reena: Our shower-stall walls are getting stained from the water. I used to spray the walls with Lime Away, but can’t find it anywhere. The walls are white heavy vinyl. Can you please advise me how to clean them? I tried Lime Out, but it’s a thicker substance and does not work as well as the Lime Away.

Hilaria If you have tried products such as Iron Out, baking soda/vinegar, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser or Lime Out without success, consider silver-jewelry polish and a green scrubby pad.

This has surprisingly good results and with a little elbow grease, you will be amazed at the outcome.

Household discoveries • I was given an old flan pan from the 1970s, the kind with the wavy edge. The bottom is not removable. I greased the pan and pressed the pastry into it, but after it was baked, I could not remove the pastry, so it ended up in the garbage. The second time I tried it, I began by lining the pan with greased foil. The pastry was a cinch to remove. Reena • To control tomato viruses on my tomato plants, I found that spreading cornmeal around tomato plants is very effective. Manjeet • I have a brilliant remedy for repelling bugs from my veggie plants. I attach a plastic cup coated with Tree Tanglefoot onto popsicle sticks. Push the sticks into the ground between plants. Tanglefoot does not wash off with rain, making it very effective at repelling ants and aphids. Serena

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.