By Reena Nerbas
Cleaning Plastic Storage Containers
Dear Reena,
My dilemma is sticky residue that has formed on my older brand name plastic containers. Washing in hot, soapy water doesn’t seem to “cut it”. Any solution? Jo-Anne
Dear Jo-Anne,
I contacted a very popular plastic container manufacturer; they recommend that you wet the containers with water and sprinkle baking soda on the outside and inside. Leave for 20 mins. and rinse. Another option is to soak the plastic containers in 50/50 (or full strength) white vinegar and water, dry with a tea towel. If plastic containers smell, coat them with non-bleach, non-gel toothpaste or mustard. Fill with water and leave outside on a warm day for a few hours. Rinse containers and the smell will disappear.
Tar on Bricks
Dear Reena,
How do you remove tar from interlocking bricks? We have a patch three inches by five inches wide on our driveway. Linda
Dear Linda,
Turpentine, baby oil, petroleum jelly and paint thinner are products known to dissolve tar on bricks. The process is to soak the brick with one of the products and cover the brick with a wet rag. Leave for 20 mins. and scrub with a wet, bristle brush (test on inconspicuous area first and never mix chemicals).
Feedback from Fabulous Readers
Re: Painting a fridge
This is in reply to Lynette who wanted to know about painting refrigerators. I had two refrigerators painted because I wanted to change the colour. I had them painted at an auto body shop; it worked beautifully both times. Lyn
Re: Smelly Feet
I just read your column about the smelly shoes and thought this may help. We had a family member who had this problem; a shoe salesman told him to buy shoes one size larger and it worked, no more stinky feet. Shirley
Hi Reena,
My husband had such smelly feet that he was embarrassed to take off his shoes in someone else’s house. A friend told him about ALUM (found in the spice rack in any grocery store). Sprinkle some in your shoes and rub your feet with some when putting on your socks. You may feel like you are walking on small sand pebbles unless you find it in powder BUT it is well worth it. Carol
Re: Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
Dear Reena,
I find that using Lemon Pledge and a microfiber cloth does a really nice job to clean stainless steel appliances. Leanne
Smart Solutions
If you lose the back of an earring, pop the eraser off of a mechanical pencil and secure it on the earring post. Submitted By: Delores
I spilt bleach on my brown carpet. To remedy the big ugly circle on the carpet I bought powdered Rit dye and put some in a cup and added water until it was the same color as the carpet. I painted the carpet. It’s easier to start with a lighter color and add more if needed. I blotted the area to set the color into the fibers then let it dry; I can’t even tell where I made the mess. Submitted By: Geehan
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.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Need a Presenter on the topic: Effective Speaking or The Power of Words? Check out: Reena.ca