DECK YOUR HALLS
Four sequin baubles, £12, Next Home Fairy lights, from £10-£19.50, Marks & Spencer Gold glittered pine cones tub of 12, £10, John Lewis 9 pack baubles, £8.99, H&M Home Lit Stag Rudolph Wall Plaque, £30, Next Gold crowns set of 3, £4.50, Ikea Faux floral berry jar, £16, Sainsbury’s Home
QI have installed a stone mantel above my inglenook fireplace and now the Yorkshire sandstone looks a bit dirty. Can you recommend a stone cleaner?
Keith Sykes, Huddersfield
If you apply anything to sandstone it will no longer look like sandstone – it will have a plastic sheen which ruins the look. It is porous, almost like a sponge, and will absorb stains, so you need a seal for it to look freshly polished. You can try cleaning stone with polishing pads, but if the stone is in place this would create a lot of dust. Fireplace mantels are usually made of easily cleanable materials like painted wood. You could apply a sealer you would use on patio paving, but that ruins the look.
ACan you recommend anything to clean brick windowsills with? They are the same brick as the house but the sills gather dirt and moss. Dave, by email
It was popular to use bricks for windowsills in the 80s and 90s. It wasn’t practical because bricks absorb water and the rough surface allows dirt to gather and moss to form. If bricks were used, they should have used engineering bricks which are almost waterproof. All you can do is scrub and power-wash them, but you will have to maintain this upkeep.
ADONNY’S TOP TIP
QSome weeks ago we had an Indian sandstone patio laid. Now white circles have appeared on some slabs. Any idea what may be causing this? Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
Many thanks, Rusty B
Natural stone salt migrates to the surface when the stone dries out. Every time it gets wet, the salt mixes with water and salt is brought to the surface – efflorescence. You can drybrush the salt off and over time it will disappear (takes a few years, though).
Adiy.donny@trinitymirror.com
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