Dear Donny
With beautiful blooms and an unforgettable fragrance, it’s hard to beat hyacinths at this time of year
Q
I have a black ceramic electric cooker and two of the hot plates have got a greyish film on them. I have tried every cleaner but nothing is removing it.
Marion Richards, by email
A
You’re looking for a white scourer pad (not the green ones) that does not scratch, such as Oakley flexible cleaning pads. Also try Delphis Eco Professional Ceramic & Induction Hob Cleaner (Amazon). It’s excellent.
Q
We have damp spots on our bathroom ceiling. Is it possible to paint over them and, if so, what would you recommend?
Jackie Picton, by email
A
You need to ventilate the room as the damp spots are caused by steam condensing and causing mould. I’d use Polycell 3in1 Mould Killer which removes the mould and prevents it from returning, then apply Zinsser B-I-N Stain Killer & Sealer followed by the paint of your choice.
Q
Can you give me any tips to stop a rug from sliding all the time on a carpet? I have tried everything, all to no avail.
Eva Lynott, by email
A
Anti-slip rug underlay usually does the trick. You can apply a few beads of undiluted PVA or wood glue to fix it to the rug. Once the glue has dried the rug should grip the carpet. Q My mum has a limestone fireplace which has a smooth but not highly polished finish. She fixed rubber letters spelling out Merry Christmas across the front of the fireplace but they’ve left a dark image behind in the stone. Any ideas? Sue Robinson, by email
A
As it’s limestone you need an alkali cleaner. I’d try Lithofin Power Clean as this will remove most stains. You could then apply a stain protector once you are done.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: diy.donny@trinitymirror.com
There really is nothing more cheering in January than a bowl of hyacinths. Potted up as dormant bulbs in autumn, kept cool and dark for a couple of months in a shed, garage or cellar, the flower spikes will eventually push up among the starburst of shiny green leaves to produce their drumsticks of fragrant flowers in shades of pink, blue, creamy yellow and white. They scent the room more effectively than any air freshener.
But sometimes things don’t go quite according to plan and hyacinths don’t perform as they should. For a start, if you bring them into a warm room too early they will often start to open their flowers while they are still nestling close to the bulb. Wait until you can see the flower spike has pushed up clear of the neck of the bulb. Look closely and you will notice a narrower waist just below the flower spike, showing it is fully developed. Only then should you bring it indoors. Even so, you will have more lasting pleasure if you keep the hyacinths cool.
Hot, dry rooms encourage them to become tall and gangly, as will a spot too far away from the light. For best results a cool windowsill is essential, then the flowers will not extend or lean nearly as much as they do on a table in the middle of a warm room.
But if that’s where you want them for maximum effect, then move them from a cool, bright spot to your chosen position only for a short time before moving them back to the place they enjoy most.
Now, I can’t ask you to turn the central heating off just to make them last longer, so if the stems start to
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You will have more lasting pleasure if you keep them cool
lean, there is a solution which seems quite cruel. But hyacinths are best grown afresh each year from new bulbs and the old ones put on the compost heap, so this technique is well worth it.
Cut stout wire into 12in lengths and push one down inside each flower stalk from the top.
Keep pushing, so the wire goes right down the inside of the stalk and through the bulb.
You will not prevent the bulb from supplying the flowers and leaves with food and water, and the wire will become invisible once it’s fully inserted.
It’s a neat trick used by professional growers and florists, and is less obtrusive than trying to truss up flower spikes with canes and raffia or string.
Keep the compost slightly damp and remember, the cooler and brighter you keep your hyacinths, the longer they will last and more fragrant
your rooms will be.