From the Mailbox:

In regards to washing blue jeans with vinegar so they do not fade, can you please outline how this is done? How much vinegar do you add to your washing machine or do you soak the jeans in a pail of water? Any help you can give me regarding washing clothes and not losing their colour I would appreciate.

Helen from Mildmay, Ontario

For Reena’s answer, read on! Read the rest of this entry »

From Dabbler Reader: Clinton Elliott – Original Source: wikiHow

No shoe polish? No problem, as long as you have a banana!

That’s right, you can go polish your shoes with this yellow crescent of unparalleled beauty because bananas contain a key ingredient found in commercial shoe polishes – potassium. Here’s how:

1. Peel a banana. Take the fruit out and eat it if you like, just make sure you keep the skin.

2. Apply the skin. Using the inner lining of the banana skin, begin to rub it all over your shoes, just as you would if you were using polish. It may feel strange to be doing this (and it is) but don’t worry, it does work.

3. Buff. Once you have wiped the banana skin over the whole of both shoes, buff them up with a soft cloth.

4. Admire your now clean shoes. They’ll come up shiny and almost like new again: perfectly polished shoes, organic style.

Why it works: The natural oils in the banana soak into the leather, helping your shoes to last longer. Potassium, a key ingredient in commercial shoe polish, is found in abundance in bananas!

Have something interesting, cool, or just plain weird to share with Dabbler readers? Email me!

I read somewhere that in China there is a certain kind of ostrich that when scared will duck it’s head under the river water to hide. Some times it stays under for so long it drowns. I can’t think of a more fitting example of the way we are dealing with the climate change issue.

As you should know, Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway this year for his work on halting climate change. At the same time world leaders have gathered in Bali to come to an agreement on a new platform to replace the Kyoto Protocol. The proposal on the table is the so-called “two degree mark” meaning that nations would work to keep global warming to two degrees globally. Unfortunately the greatest emitters of global warming gasses like the USA and Saudi Arabia are refusing to agree to this term claiming that it would harm their economy.

This comes on the heels of a report published by Germanwatch rating the top 56 CO2 emitting nations on emission trends and climate protection policies. On the list Sweden, Germany and Iceland take the three top spots while Canada took 53rd, USA took 55th and Saudi Arabia hit rock bottom at 56. It’s worth noting that both India and China ranked higher than both the USA and Canada (India came in 5th and China 40th) because these two countries have been used as a reason not to sign the Kyoto treaty for years.

In two days time Al Gore is speaking to the conference in Bali and he is bringing with him signatures from as many like-minded people as possible. From my inbox:

Dear Friend,

In less than forty-eight hours, I will step on stage at the UN Climate Conference in Bali. With me I will bring hundreds of thousands of messages demanding a visionary global treaty be completed and brought into effect by 2010.

If we want to solve the climate crisis, we need to demonstrate the broad public support for action together. That’s why it is vital you sign our petition right now by visiting:

http://www.climateprotect.org/standwithal

Over the past few months we’ve taken many positive steps towards uniting governments worldwide around the goal of solving the climate crisis. Just over a week ago on December 3rd, Australia’s new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was sworn in. His first formal act in office was to ratify the Kyoto Treaty. This was a clear demonstration of Australia’s priorities.

Yet this progress has not swayed the Bush Administration. With thousands of delegates gathered in Bali for the UN Climate Conference, this is our last chance in 2007 to show the world how serious the American people are about ending the climate crisis. That’s why it is so vital all of us join together and demonstrate the political will of our country.

Only two days remain before I deliver your messages to the delegates meeting in Bali. Over the past few days more than 174,612 people have added their voices. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to demonstrate your support for a visionary global treaty to end the climate crisis.

Sign our petition, then reach out to everyone you know and ask them to sign today by visiting:

http://www.climateprotect.org/standwithal

Your activism and enthusiasm for this cause inspires me every day.

Thank you,

Al Gore

So do your part: Sign the petition and hope that the world leaders start thinking with their brains rather than their wallets and act on this impending catastrophe we have put ourselves in.

From the Mailbox:

How do you remove water marks from a cherry wood dining table?

Thanks so much. Enjoy hearing you on CBC!

Shirley

From Reena:

There are a number of treatments (that have had great success) for water/heat marks:

Lay a thick blotter over the spot and press it with a warm iron until the stain is gone

Rub mayonnaise into the spot, leave for an hour, then wipe. You can also use petroleum jelly, non-gel (non-bleach) toothpaste, or baking soda and water.

Be sure to test every solution on an inconspicuous area first. If the stain remains, then you may be dealing with a stripped finish, in which case the table will need refinishing.

This handy household solution can be found in Reena Nerbas’ book, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions (page 57).

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the two National Best Sellers, “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets,” available in stores across Canada. Reena is a columnist and Home Economist in a lab coat (and she’s not afraid to use it). She can be heard on CBC radio programs across Canada.

To learn more about Reena, click here.

From the Mailbox:

Hi! Could you please give me your recipe for washing windows? I know I’ve seen it in your column, but can’t remember all the ingredients.

Thanks!

Lee

From Reena:

No problem Lee! Here’s the recipe:

In a 1 gallon size container, mix 1 tsp of cheap shampoo, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol and enough vinegar to fill the jug. Pour into a spray bottle. Spray and wipe with three-day old or older newspaper.

Always wash windows on a cloudy day!

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the two National Best Sellers, “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets,” available in stores across Canada. Reena is a columnist and Home Economist in a lab coat (and she’s not afraid to use it). She can be heard on CBC radio programs across Canada.

To learn more about Reena, click here.

From the Mailbox:

When I came to my son’s home, I brought the children some gel window decorations. My granddaughter placed the gels on an alder coffee table which is stained dark. The sun shining on the gels caused some of the colour from the gels to stain the table. Do you have any suggestions so that I may be able to rectify this for my family?
Thanks! Rose

From Reena:

You sound like a very loving grandmother with great intentions, Rose. Accidents happen to everyone.

To fix this problem, begin by wiping the area with dish soap and water. Follow up with a baking soda and water paste. Leave for 10 minutes and then wipe clean. You can also try WD-40, non-gel toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, or possibly baby wipes.

With so many woods and finishes on the market, you must always test everything on an inconspicuous area first to ensure that it does not damage the finish because what works on one piece of wood will not necessarily work on another.

As a last resort, use acetone. This typically removes dye, but is so strong that the finish can become permanently stripped away as well. If all else fails, you may have no choice but to refinish the table.

Lastly, I have been told that Acne Gel containing benzyl peroxide or hydrogen peroxide is fantastic at bleaching out dye stains on wood. Apply, then leave for a day and wipe.

Keep us posted!

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the two National Best Sellers, “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets,” available in stores across Canada. Reena is a columnist and Home Economist in a lab coat (and she’s not afraid to use it). She can be heard on CBC radio programs across Canada.

To learn more about Reena, click here.

From the Mailbox:

I often dye black clothes with RIT clothing dye. I find it very hard to rinse out as it has to be rinsed again and again. Also, it doesn’t last long and I need to do them again after half a dozen washes. Is there a better dye and with the dye I am using, can I use something in the cold rinse water to hold the dye longer? Please let me know.

Thanks, Glynnis

For Reena’s solution, please read on! Read the rest of this entry »

From the Mailbox:

A while back you had an answer in our paper as to how to get rid of fruit flies. I cut it out and have since looked high and low for your answer. Could you please tell me what it was or what to do?

Joan

For Reena’s solution, please read on! Read the rest of this entry »

This is a follow-up to a comment that Angela (no, I’m not talking about myself in the third person) left in the article “Shoe Shopping Hell“:

Angela Says:
June 14th, 2007 at 9:37 am

All I have to say is piperlime…and the best part is I never leave my house. hahaha I guess that’s the ultimate in laziness though!?

Thank you for your feedback Angela! I had actually never heard of Piperlime so I checked it out. If you guys think the Gap stopped after Banana Republic and Old Navy, think again. Now there is a site from Gap Inc. that features shoes from a great variety of brands (155 to be exact). It actually appeals to pretty much ANYbody so if you are in love with a pair of shoes at a store and they don’t have your size, don’t have a panic attack. Just pop into this site and see if they have it.

Ok, I can hear you asking already. You can’t buy something you can’t try! Sure you can! Not only can you buy a pair of comfy sandals without leaving your home, Piperlime also offers FREE shipping and FREE returns. It really can’t get much better than that people! The online shop will drop your order at your doorstep within four to seven business days. They come with a prepaid return label that you can use within 60 days of your purchase.

Alright, yes I hear your next question as well. The prices are actually not too bad. I can’t really see you paying a whole lot less in store. That is of course very subjective but just check it out for yourself. You’ll see a range of prices. The designer stuff is obviously still not going to come at a bargain but the normal stuff is available at standard prices. Piperlime lays out their site in a very dangerous way – easy to navigate! You can choose to see selections by brand, by designer, by style, by sex and if that fails, you can always just type in a search. Oy…maybe it’s better to keep this site under wraps!