Dear Reena,
I have a dark, real wood coffee table. A hot plate was placed on it and now there's a white spot. Can you please tell me what to do? Valerie
Dear Valerie,
The first and easiest solution is to apply mayonnaise or non-gel, non-bleach toothpaste to the wood. Leave for 30 minutes and wipe. If the stain remains, cover the mark with a white cloth. Using the steam setting on your clothing iron, wave the iron overtop of the cloth making sure that you do not set the iron on one area. With a little patience, the mark will disappear.
Dear Reena,
I am starting an interior home painting business and need some advice. Normally I tape off areas such as backsplashes and toilet tank but the paint still splatters onto surfaces. Is there a trick to cover surfaces better?Landon
Dear Landon,
Using a drop cloth is number one. And here is a trick that is fast, easy and best of all inexpensive. Purchase a roll of Press’n Seal paper, it is similar to plastic wrap and found in the kitchen departments of most stores. Press’n Seal paper is used to seal containers to keep food fresh. Before painting, cover surfaces such as backsplashes and striker plates with the paper, it’s amazing!
Dear Reena,
What are some tips for making great pancakes every time? Adam
Dear Adam,
The number one rule is, don’t over stir the batter. During cooking, when you see bubbles forming, that’s the sign that it’s time to flip (the pancake, not yourself). For a perfect size pancake, use a one quarter cup measure so that all pancakes are uniform. Keep your heat low to medium so that the pancake cooks slowly and does not burn. Grease the pan well so that the pancake is easy to flip and does not stick to the pan. For a rich flavor add a little vanilla to the batter and substitute milk or water with buttermilk. Extra tidbit: Shake things up at home by pulling out your old forgotten family recipes for: Potato, apple, pumpkin, blueberry or chocolate pancakes. Yum!
Dear Reena,
Can you please give me a tip for cleaning the window of my woodstove? The black on the inside of the window might need scraping with a knife because it looks as though it is practically painted onto the window. Blaine
Dear Blaine,
When the stove is cool, crumple up a sheet of wet newspaper. Dip the newspaper into the ashes of the stove. Wipe the window with the newspaper. The caked-on residue quickly disappears.
Dear Reena,
I am very fed up with my dishwasher. After running a cycle, the bottom and insides of the cups are caked with baked on food. The cutlery ends up with food hardened onto each piece. The dishwasher was expensive and it is only two years old. What can I do to fix this problem? Albert
Dear Albert,
New dishwashers are made to be water efficient and use less energy, because of this, some dishwashers don’t clean as well as they once did. Appliances use less water and basins tends to clog up, requiring regular cleaning; because the debris in the bottom of the dishwasher prevents the water from circulating properly. Either hire a handy person or take the dishwasher apart on your own. Begin by unsnapping and removing dishwasher racks. Remove the top sprayer arm. Remove the lower spray arm, this is a little trickier because you will need to unscrew all the screws and some of them might be hidden. After the dishwasher basin is disassembled, you will see all kinds of debris such as: toothpicks, chicken bones, pieces of garlic etc. Clean and reassemble the dishwasher. Hopefully with regular maintenance, your dishwasher will run well from now on.
Dear Reena,
I read your hints in the newspaper every weekend and use many of the solutions. I moved our fridge to clean underneath and notice that there is a dented line on the flooring. Is there anything that can be done to lessen the dent? Thanks, Miriam
Dear Miriam,
Your best bet is to either heat the area with a hair dryer, the vinyl will soften and puff up. Or lay a tea towel over the dent and gently heat the line with a warm iron to help it expand back to shape.
Dear Reena,
I am new to the world of cooking and have a question for the simplest dish, pasta. What does it mean when the instructions on the package say to cook the noodles, “al dente”? Rowanda
Dear Rowanda,
This Italian phrase means, “to the tooth” and refers to the cooking time. In other words, the pasta should be cooked so that it remains slightly firm and chewy instead of soft.
Feedback that will Make You Smile
Re: Matching socks
Hi I laughed and laughed at your "match your feet" article! Having a husband and 3 boys, matching socks was always a chore as some would go missing every wash! My solution: don't wear matching socks! It has led to many interesting conversations with total strangers informing me my socks don't match! And the making of new friends. I feel the "matching" trend was started by a very good salesman as there is no reason socks have to match! If my family wanted their socks to match, THEY were the ones to make them match not ME. So, don't stress anymore, step outside the box and don't ever match again it's a truly freeing experience! Elaine
Best Tips of the Week
• Prevent your eyes from tearing while chopping onions by holding a stainless-steel spoon between your teeth during the process. Submitted by: Brittany
• If you run out of toothpaste, cut the bottom off the tube, insert toothbrush up the tube from the bottom. You'll be surprised how much toothpaste is still in that tube - enough to last several more days! Hilda
• I collect empty baby food jars and paint the lids with chalkboard paint. I purchase spices in bags and fill the baby food jars with the spices. I label each jar with chalk and store the remaining spices in the freezer. I store all my spices in a kitchen drawer, the chalkboard labels keep me organized. Submitted By: Jody
• I keep a fabric softener sheet in the pocket of my winter jacket. After removing my toque, I simply run the fabric softener sheet over my hair, and static is no longer a problem. Submitted By: Kelly
• Fill holes in your drywall with white toothpaste. It will dry and you can paint right over it. Submitted By: Andy
• Keep your cheese fresher, much longer; place the open cheese block inside a sealable bag. Stores much longer than plastic wrap or foil. Submitted by: Kristi
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.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca
