SPRAY, SCRUB AND SCOUR
Tips, tricks and advice for solving even the most confounding household conundrums
Q We used Poo Be Gone and sprayed it into the toilet bowl. While I was scrubbing the toilet bowl, there was a gritty layer on it that I could not get out with my regular toilet bowl cleaner. I used an S.O.S pad to scrub it and got rid of the grittiness, but now have a blue ring at the water line and streaks where the water comes in from the water tank and I can’t get it out. Any suggestions?
A Pour one cup of household ammonia into the toilet. Leave it for one hour, scrub with a green scrubby pad. Note: Never mix ammonia with other products, as this may create a dangerous combination.
Q I placed a cup of tea on my antique piano stool, so sad. There’s now a white mark on it. How can I remove the mark without refinishing the whole thing?
A Place a tea towel onto the area and press the mark with a warm iron. Observe whether the stain is gone. Next, smear mayonnaise over the spot, leave for one hour and wipe. If the stain remains, sand and refinish the table. Unfortunately, if the water stripped the finish, the table will need refinishing.
Q My husband and I remodelled our kitchen about three years ago and we love it. However, we do have one complaint and that is that the outside of our cabinets always look dirty. The kitchen cabinets are a dark, espresso brown colour and the material they are made out of shows fingerprints, smudges, and any water that may have accidentally landed on them. Is there anything that we can use to help keep them looking clean? Or perhaps there is a special sealant that we could use?
A When you speak to most kitchen specialists, they typically recommend that people should avoid using any product other than dish soap and water to regularly clean wooden cupboards. Another option is to visit your local hardware stores where they carry thin, plastic adhesive, which adheres to cupboards and is intended to reduce unsightly marks and fingerprints.
CONTRIBUTORS SHARE TIPS
■ To store cheese for as long as you could possibly ever want, wrap it well in Glad Press ’n Seal. Dianne
■ The easiest way to make your bathroom smell great is to add a few drops of your favourite essential oil onto the toilet paper roll. Wesley
■ I never purchase toilet bowl cleaners, instead I apply toothpaste to a damp, abrasive sponge and scrub the inside of the toilet bowl. Wesley
■ Never throw out a flat bottle of soda pop. Instead, pour the remainder of the pop into the toilet and scrub with a non-scratching scrubby pad. You won’t believe how well this cleans. Macey
■ To freshen up my son’s disgusting carpet, I sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon into the palm of my hand. Next I vacuum the cinnamon in my hand. When I turn on the vacuum, the entire room smells fresh. Alex
■ To prevent my eyeglasses from sliding down my nose, I wrap the ends of both handles with rubber bands. The elastics prevent the glasses from moving when I’m wearing them. DW
■ To save dried-up highlighters and bring them back to life: Remove the plug at the end of the highlighter, add coloured water to the inside and recap. Alex
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.