SPARKLE AND SHINE
Tips and tricks for some confounding household cleaning conundrums
Q I hope you can help me with this problem. I inherited a dining room set that is white painted wood. The finish of the chairs and legs of the table are a “distressed look.” The backs and tops of the chairs have a lot of spindles and places where dirt and grease can accumulate. I have tried different things to get rid of the dirt and grease caught in the crevices. I have used a toothbrush with: Mr. Clean, Murphy’s Oil, vinegar and dish detergent. With a lot of elbow grease, I can get rid of some of the accumulation. Can you suggest any other product that would work faster and better?
A Option 1: Purchase wood cleaner specifically designed to clean wood furniture. Option 2: You mentioned that you have used vinegar to clean the furniture, but here is an old carpenter’s trick for cleaning wood. In a container combine: one quarter cup vinegar with 1-cup olive oil. Pour the contents onto a soft cloth, and scrub to remove all excess.
Q Do you know of any method of removing grease from grout? Love your articles.
A For regular cleaning, scrub the grout with Dawn dish soap and a pumice stone designed for cleaning grout. Rinse with water. Once or twice a year, spray the grout with lemon juice or white vinegar. Scrub the wet grout with baking soda and a pumice stone. Rinse with water.
FEEDBACK FROM A WISE CONTRIBUTOR
Re: Glue residue on furniture
Instead of using Goo Gone to remove glue residue, the reader might try cooking oil instead. It will probably require a bit more scrubbing, but this is so much easier to rinse off. Or mayonnaise would work too. In fact, mayonnaise is great for tree sap on clothes or lawn furniture. Gail
SMART TIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR
1.
If you are unable to open a jar, wrap a couple of rubber bands around the lid; this gives you extra grip. If that fails, hit the bottom of the jar with the heel of your hand. This loosens the seal and then try again with the rubber bands. Works every time for me. Donna
2.
In the column someone was talking about glazing on glasses. I also had that problem, however, when we switched to the Cascade Platinum little 3-part soaps over the next few weeks the glazing gradually disappeared from the glasses. Don’t get rid of your glasses because of the glazing because these newer Cascade soaps will clean them up back to the way they were when you bought them. Donna
3.
I work in a restaurant and often take leftover french fries home at the end of my shifts. When I would heat them up, they always tasted soggy and bland. I have since discovered that if I chop them up and heat them in a frying pan with hot cooking oil, they taste delicious. Tim
4.
I used to find that fresh bread was difficult to slice, but now I turn the loaf upside down so that the underside faces up. Slice the bread with a sharp, serrated knife so that it does not lose its shape.
Ian
5.
For extra fluffy potatoes, mash 4 large potatoes as usual. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. baking powder.
Add milk and butter as usual and mash. Ian
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.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.