SOLUTIONS: Removing glue-gun remains

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/02/2011 (5370 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION: How can I remove glue-gun glue from my car without damaging the paint on the car? Thank you, Reena. Elizabeth, Winnipeg

ANSWER: The enemy to regular glue-gun glue is water. Pour hot water onto glued area and wipe. Repeat as necessary.

QUESTION: I hope you can help me. We have two almond-coloured toilets in our 20-year-old home. One toilet has had a dark-blue ring around the waterline for a long time. Now the other toilet is developing the same ring. I have used everything I can think of and I can’t get rid of the ring:

I have drained the tank and filled it with Coke;

I have put sugar-free Kool-Aid in it;

I have used CLR, and bathroom CLR;

I have used Javex, baking soda, vinegar, Comet and Vim, and nothing works. I wonder if you have any suggestions. Thank you. Maureen, Winnipeg

ANSWER: My theory: The blue colour you see is caused by the protective coating on your copper piping corroding and seeping into your toilet. Since the blue water is actually staining the toilet bowl it may be impossible to remove because it is not sitting on the surface but in fact dyeing your bowl.

QUESTION: I have a 10-year-old Miele dishwasher that has worked well, but over the last couple months it has left a chalky white film over areas of some (not all) dishes, especially the periphery of larger dinner plates and bowls. This rinses off easily, although on some less expensive dinnerware it needs to be rubbed off. I’ve cleaned the dishwasher, put vinegar through it, and altered the volume of rinse solution and amount of detergent, but with no effect. The operations manual suggests using phosphate-free detergent may do this, but it seems that’s the only kind available now. Any explanations or recommendations? Thank you, Sharon, Winnipeg

ANSWER: I can tell you when this happened in my household, I switched from liquid to powder detergent and the problem immediately corrected itself. If your challenge continues, run a small amount of Iron Out through the dishwasher for an intense cleaning. If the problem still remains, call for professional repair service.

QUESTION: I have purchased a memory foam mattress topper for my bed and I am really pleased with it. Unfortunately, since it is made of foam, the topper is off-gassing, resulting in a terrible odour. Since you cannot wash this product, I have been airing it outside and hanging it up inside with a fan blowing on it. The smell has decreased somewhat, but it is still there. Any suggestions? Pat, Winnipeg

ANSWER: Memory foam has a fascinating history. NASA initially developed it for the space program to help shield astronauts from high G-forces. It wasn’t until the 1980s that memory foam began to hit the consumer market in the form of medical cushions, disabled seating cushions and eventually as mattresses and pillows.

But I digress. Memory foam does smell at first and needs to air out, in fact, few people are able to sleep with their new memory foam immediately after they open it. Most people find they need to leave the foam to air for a couple of weeks, but the smell does eventually dissipate. For faster results, spray the mattress with vodka to remove the odour or sprinkle the topper with baby powder or baking soda, leave for a few hours and vacuum.

QUESTION: I heard a presentation you recently gave and was amazed by your vast knowledge, so I thought I would throw this question out to you. I have a young daughter named Jesse who was recently diagnosed with strep throat. With our busy home life, I continuously forget to give her the medicine prescribed to her three times a day. I can’t leave the medicine on the counter because it requires refrigeration. Do you have any tricks as to how I can make myself remember her doses? Amy (Forrest, Man.)

ANSWER: Here is an easy trick to help you remember all of her doses. Set three empty medicine-measuring cups on the counter or at her place setting each day. When you see the empty cups, you will not only remember to give her the medicine, but you will be able to keep track of how many doses Jesse still needs for that day.

Fabulous tip of the week:

To avoid dropping eggshell into food while cooking, crack the shell onto a flat surface such as a table or counter instead of the side of the bowl.

Reena Nerbas is a Manitoba-based professional speaker and author of the national bestselling series, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions, Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets and Household Solutions 3 with Green Alternatives. I enjoy your questions and tips. Keep them coming! Check out my website: www.householdsolutions.org