How to get water stains off stipple ceiling

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/03/2014 (4256 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Hi Reena,
Do you have any suggestions on removing water stains on a stipple ceiling without making it too noticeable? With all the snow this year, melting and freezing it has found a weak spot and moisture is coming into the ceiling. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks,
Lorraine

Dear Lorraine,
Begin by determining if the stipple has previously been painted. If the stipple was painted with an oil-based paint, paint over the oil with latex or oil. If the ceiling was never painted, spray it with the following all-purpose cleaner recipe: two cups rubbing alcohol, half a cup household ammonia, one teaspoon Dawn dish soap and enough water to fill the bottle. Spray, wipe and rinse (taken from Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets). If the stain remains, hide it by using shellac before painting. The shellac will seal the stain and prevent the stain from bleeding through. Or paint with an oil-based stipple paint, to harden the surface making it easy to wipe. Keep in mind that once stipple is painted, it is extremely difficult to remove if you ever do decide to scrape it. Touching up stipple on ceilings can be difficult to color match, often the entire surface must be repainted. Other options in touching up stipple are to sponge on colour-matched grout or Stipple Fix, which comes in a small container and is available at hardware stores.

Hi Reena,
How do you get a very strong urine odour out of a mattress? Thanks so much,
Barb

Dear Barb,
Sprinkle baking soda onto the mattress and spray with plain water. Let dry and vacuum the mattress. Next, into a spray bottle, combine one tablespoon household ammonia, one quarter teaspoon dish soap and a quarter cup 3% hydrogen peroxide (or plain vodka). Spray stain liberally and blot with warm water. Leave to dry.
Extra Hint: If the stain is dry cat urine, you can shine a UV black light onto the mattress and the area with urine will glow yellow.

Hello Reena,
I would like to know how to remove candle wax that has run down a wall. I scraped what I could with a plastic scraper, but of course the line is still visible. The wall is painted with latex and beige in colour. The wax is red. Looking forward to hearing from you,
Elaine

Hi Elaine,
Begin by heating the area with a hair dryer, then scrape with a plastic putty knife. Next spray the wall with household ammonia or Windex and wipe. If the stain remains, wet a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser sponge with water, and wash the wall. Test on an inconspicuous area first because you do not want to remove the paint. If the wax stain is still there, touch up the wall with paint.

Dear Reena,
Whenever my family comes to visit, I make extra baked potatoes just in case anyone is extra hungry! I often end up throwing leftover baked potatoes into the compost because no one eats them. Is there any way to jazz up baked potatoes so that I don’t feel like I am eating leftovers day after day after day?
Diana

Dear Diana,
Great news! Baked potatoes can be frozen for up to one month. When you want to eat a potato, remove it from the freezer and thaw. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees. Leftover baked potatoes are also great for: potato casserole (which you can freeze), potato soup, potato salad, adding to omelettes, potato pancakes, French fries, hash browns and shepherd’s pie. But if you want your mouth to really water, and you need a break from your healthy diet, here’s what you do. Remove baked potato from skin (even though the skin is very healthy). Cut potato evenly into quarter-inch slices and fry. Prepare a grilled cheese sandwich as usual but instead of only adding cheese add: fried bacon, fried potato and fried green onions. Grill sandwich. Serve with sour cream.
Extra Hint: Adding leftover baked or mashed potatoes to homemade bread dough makes the best dough.

Smart Uses for Household Items
• I own an old-fashioned suitcase and instead of storing it where no one can see it, I put it on top of a TV tray to add interest to our guest bedroom. I leave the suitcase slightly open and store extra sheets and guest towels inside. Submitted by: Mattias
• I use my cookie jar to store unused plastic bags. Submitted by: Franca
• I put a clothespin on any garment that has a stain, as a reminder to treat the stain. Clothespins are also great for keeping baby blankets in place in my baby’s stroller. Submitted by: Laura
• I always pack a few clothespins when I go on a trip. That way, if the curtains don’t close all the way, I can pinch them together with my clothespins. Submitted by: Zena

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