Page 212 of Elementary, My Dear Watkins recomends that you spray cleaner onto your cloth and not directly at the crystals or glass. Carefully wipe only the part you want to clean otherwise the cleaner might leech into the frame though nicks and cuts. This could eventually corrode the finish.
Or, for a chandelier, remove the crystals if they're removable and hand wash them in warm water with a capful of vinegar and a drop of dishwashing liquid.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Vitamin E Stain
Hi folks,
Happy New Year to you all!
I thought you might enjoy this recent exchange with a reader, who ended up solving her own problem.
Q - I just squirted vitamin E oil on my blouse. Is their any way to remove the stain?
A- Hmmm...that's a new one on me! Sounds like a person I know who squeezed a capsule and it popped, shooting the liquid into her eye. Turns out, it was her dog's stool softener, which led to plenty of joikes (at least her eye wouldn't be constipated, etc.), but it ended up being pretty serious and actually burned her retina. She's fine now. Anyway, your note reminded me of that experience.
Any oil-based stain is always best removed with a professional stain-removal product such as Shout. You could also try rubbing in a little water that has been mixed with a dab of Dawn dishwashing liquid or similar (any of the ones that promise to draw grease away from the dishes).
Let me know if neither of these approaches work and I'll take a look at some of my reference books for you. Is it really oily, or is that just what it's called? Because that could make a difference in how to treat the stain.
Follow up email - Thanks for your suggestions. I sprayed it really good with Shout and let it set for a while, then checked it and it was still there, then I put salt on it and let it set for several hours. I could still see the stain, finally I sprayed it really good with hair spray and let that set for a few hours and it finally came out.
My final comments - I was glad to hear back and to learn that the stain finally did come out. Though I wouldn't recommend using salt and/or hairspray on all fabrics, I'm glad it really worked out in this situation. Way to go!
Happy New Year to you all!
I thought you might enjoy this recent exchange with a reader, who ended up solving her own problem.
Q - I just squirted vitamin E oil on my blouse. Is their any way to remove the stain?
A- Hmmm...that's a new one on me! Sounds like a person I know who squeezed a capsule and it popped, shooting the liquid into her eye. Turns out, it was her dog's stool softener, which led to plenty of joikes (at least her eye wouldn't be constipated, etc.), but it ended up being pretty serious and actually burned her retina. She's fine now. Anyway, your note reminded me of that experience.
Any oil-based stain is always best removed with a professional stain-removal product such as Shout. You could also try rubbing in a little water that has been mixed with a dab of Dawn dishwashing liquid or similar (any of the ones that promise to draw grease away from the dishes).
Let me know if neither of these approaches work and I'll take a look at some of my reference books for you. Is it really oily, or is that just what it's called? Because that could make a difference in how to treat the stain.
Follow up email - Thanks for your suggestions. I sprayed it really good with Shout and let it set for a while, then checked it and it was still there, then I put salt on it and let it set for several hours. I could still see the stain, finally I sprayed it really good with hair spray and let that set for a few hours and it finally came out.
My final comments - I was glad to hear back and to learn that the stain finally did come out. Though I wouldn't recommend using salt and/or hairspray on all fabrics, I'm glad it really worked out in this situation. Way to go!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Help for Ceramic Tile Floors
Q - I have white ceramic tile floors with a shiny surface. To clean them I have to vacuum and then mop, but when I mop it leaves loose dirt, so then I have to revacuum. I need something fast that will leave them clean. Vinegar is o.k. but doesn't work too well on greasy spots such as food spills. Any suggestions?
A - Yikes, I hear white tile and I get a headache. No wonder you're going crazy--white anything is just asking for trouble. Anyway, the next time you clean the floors, try this:
First, you're doing the right thing by vacuuming before you mop.
Second, when you mop, use one bucket of plain water if the floor's not too dirty or two buckets if it is. In that case, the first bucket should have warm water, a drop of vinegar, and a drop of dish soap (for the greasy messes). The other bucket is your rinse bucket and should just have warm water. If the floor is really dirty, you may have to dump and refill those buckets before you're done.
After you have mopped (or mopped and rinsed) your floor, instead of that second vacuum, it would be better for you to dry the floor with some old towels. (If you've got good balance, do your knees a favor and "skate" around on them with your feet.) The towels will pick up the dirt that's left behind plus prevent any water spots from dulling the shiny surface.
Of course, make sure you've got good floor mats inside and outside of every single exterior door in your house, because that will prevent a lot of dirt from getting tracked inside in the first place. Also, you might want to put a nice basket beside each door and encourage family members to take their shoes off when they come inside. Good luck!
A - Yikes, I hear white tile and I get a headache. No wonder you're going crazy--white anything is just asking for trouble. Anyway, the next time you clean the floors, try this:
First, you're doing the right thing by vacuuming before you mop.
Second, when you mop, use one bucket of plain water if the floor's not too dirty or two buckets if it is. In that case, the first bucket should have warm water, a drop of vinegar, and a drop of dish soap (for the greasy messes). The other bucket is your rinse bucket and should just have warm water. If the floor is really dirty, you may have to dump and refill those buckets before you're done.
After you have mopped (or mopped and rinsed) your floor, instead of that second vacuum, it would be better for you to dry the floor with some old towels. (If you've got good balance, do your knees a favor and "skate" around on them with your feet.) The towels will pick up the dirt that's left behind plus prevent any water spots from dulling the shiny surface.
Of course, make sure you've got good floor mats inside and outside of every single exterior door in your house, because that will prevent a lot of dirt from getting tracked inside in the first place. Also, you might want to put a nice basket beside each door and encourage family members to take their shoes off when they come inside. Good luck!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Does it Work?
Occasionally, I see an interesting tip from a legitmate source that I am tempted to post here. Still, I'm hesitant to suggest anything that I haven't first tried out myself. Today I spotted such a tip in Budget Travel Magazine, one that sounds too good to be true. I can't see how trying this might cause any harm (unlike certain stain-removal techniques, for example) so I am posting it here without testing first. If anyone tries this, please let us know if it actually worked!
According to a travel tip in Budget Travel, when you've been at the beach and are ready to get in your car, if you sprinkle your feet with baby powder, all of the clinging sand will fall off.
Anyone ever done this? DId it work? If I get to a beach before I see any responses, I'll be sure to try it myself and post the results here. (Though considering that it's November and I'm in Pennsylvania, I don't know how soon that's going to happen.)
Have a great week!
According to a travel tip in Budget Travel, when you've been at the beach and are ready to get in your car, if you sprinkle your feet with baby powder, all of the clinging sand will fall off.
Anyone ever done this? DId it work? If I get to a beach before I see any responses, I'll be sure to try it myself and post the results here. (Though considering that it's November and I'm in Pennsylvania, I don't know how soon that's going to happen.)
Have a great week!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
How can I freshen up my silk ties?
Problem: I work in a position that requires that I wear ties to work everyday. I have a lot of ties but find myself buying new ones constantly because after some wear they always get dull and flat. What can I do?
Solution: Page 9 of Elementary My Dear Watkins suggests that you wrap a damp towel around your iron and set it on the highest setting. Wave the iron back and forth closely over the tie but don't actually touch it. This will bring it to it's original form!
Solution: Page 9 of Elementary My Dear Watkins suggests that you wrap a damp towel around your iron and set it on the highest setting. Wave the iron back and forth closely over the tie but don't actually touch it. This will bring it to it's original form!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Fun Freebie
In a recent comment, Jess mentioned that she and I met at a conference and that one of my little Shout packets got a stain out of her blouse. I remember you, Jess, and our lovely dinnertime conversation. But funny you should mention it...
I'm rearranging my office and trying to clear things out and I just ran across one last bag of Shout wipes attached to a bookmark advertising the Smart Chick Mystery series. I thought I had given them all out about a year ago, but this last little bag was hiding from me.
So if anyone else would like one of these bookmarks/Shout wipes, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (no extra postage necessary) to:
Mindy Clark
PO Box 38
Dresher, PA 19025
and I'll send one to you. Make sure that somewhere in or on the envelope you write the word "Shout" so I'll know what you want. Looks like there's about 100 left, so I guess I should qualify this by saying "while supplies last". But not to worry--if you send me an envelope and I have no more of these, I'll send you another one of my little freebies: a packet of Creole seasoning (to get you in the southern spicy mood to read Whispers of the Bayou!)
Hope to hear from you soon!
I'm rearranging my office and trying to clear things out and I just ran across one last bag of Shout wipes attached to a bookmark advertising the Smart Chick Mystery series. I thought I had given them all out about a year ago, but this last little bag was hiding from me.
So if anyone else would like one of these bookmarks/Shout wipes, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (no extra postage necessary) to:
Mindy Clark
PO Box 38
Dresher, PA 19025
and I'll send one to you. Make sure that somewhere in or on the envelope you write the word "Shout" so I'll know what you want. Looks like there's about 100 left, so I guess I should qualify this by saying "while supplies last". But not to worry--if you send me an envelope and I have no more of these, I'll send you another one of my little freebies: a packet of Creole seasoning (to get you in the southern spicy mood to read Whispers of the Bayou!)
Hope to hear from you soon!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Chewie did it again... knocked his water bowl over!
Jo's dog Chewie had a habit of turning over his water bowl in his excitement over being outside.
On page 256 of The Trouble With Tulip Joe had a great idea. She found an old bundt pan and filled it with water. She brought it out onto the grass, grabbed a wooden stake from her tomato plants and drove it into the ground right in the center hole of the pan.
What a great idea!
On page 256 of The Trouble With Tulip Joe had a great idea. She found an old bundt pan and filled it with water. She brought it out onto the grass, grabbed a wooden stake from her tomato plants and drove it into the ground right in the center hole of the pan.
What a great idea!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
My roasted chicken always seems to dry out! What can I do?
Page 221 in The Trouble with Tulip suggests that you stuff an apple inside the chicken before you roast it. It makes the chicken much more moist.
Then you can toss it when you take the chicken out of the oven.
Additional note: this works for turkeys too.
Then you can toss it when you take the chicken out of the oven.
Additional note: this works for turkeys too.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Help! My batteries corroded in my calculator and now it won't work!
Page 215 from The Trouble with Tulip recommends using fine sandpaper or an emery board to scrape off the corrosion and then wipe out the inside of the battery compartment with a dry paper towel. Beware, if the corrosion is significant, you may not be able to save the appliance.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
My driveway looks messy from all the stains and brown splotches. Is there anything I can do?
Over time driveways can collect all kinds of stains. Page 179 in The Trouble With Tulip has some great ideas to remove these marks.
Step One - Wet down the stains with a hose and then, believe it or not, sprinkle them with lemon Kool-Aid! Cover them with plastic, let them soak for about fifteen minutes and then scrub with a brush and rinse. The stains should be gone.
But,if they're not -
Step Two - Get some oven cleaner, spray it on kind of heavily, let it sit for fifteen and then rinse.
Good luck!
Step One - Wet down the stains with a hose and then, believe it or not, sprinkle them with lemon Kool-Aid! Cover them with plastic, let them soak for about fifteen minutes and then scrub with a brush and rinse. The stains should be gone.
But,if they're not -
Step Two - Get some oven cleaner, spray it on kind of heavily, let it sit for fifteen and then rinse.
Good luck!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
How do I get grass stains out of my clothes?
Removing grass stains can be difficult. Page 175 from The Trouble with Tulip has some suggestions that really work!
1. Try dabbing the stains with rubbing alcohol.
2. If that doesn't work, try sponging on white vinegar.
3. If that doesn't work, try rubbing in toothpaste.
Launder as usual but don't dry the clothes until the grass stains have been completely removed, lest you set the stains.
1. Try dabbing the stains with rubbing alcohol.
2. If that doesn't work, try sponging on white vinegar.
3. If that doesn't work, try rubbing in toothpaste.
Launder as usual but don't dry the clothes until the grass stains have been completely removed, lest you set the stains.
Friday, August 29, 2008
On to the refrigerator - how can I clean the rubber tracks around my refrigerator door?
Page 117 from The Trouble With Tulip recommends putting a wet soapy washcloth over a butter knife to clean the rubber tracks. Just run the covered knife in the grooves and the goop comes out.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
What is the safest way to clean the inside of my car windows?
Page 81 of The Trouble With Tulip indicates that the biggest mistake people make when cleaning the inside of their car windows is to use store-bought glass cleaners because they're ammonia based. The ammonia can dry out the plastic, rubber and vinyl around the glass. A better cleaner is eight parts vinegar to one part water. It works just as well but doesn't hurt the lining.
Friday, August 15, 2008
How can I remove those little scratches in the plastic on my dashboard?
Page 81 from The Trouble With Tulip suggests that you rub some baby oil directly onto the pastic. Voila! The scratches disappear!
Friday, August 8, 2008
How can I keep the inside of my car looking new?
The next few entries will focus on ways to keep the inside of your car looking like new.
Page 81 from The Trouble With Tulip recommends using saddle soap and a damp sponge to clean your leather seats. This will keep the leather clean and shiny!
Stay tuned for more ideas!
Page 81 from The Trouble With Tulip recommends using saddle soap and a damp sponge to clean your leather seats. This will keep the leather clean and shiny!
Stay tuned for more ideas!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
