Few furnace filters, except expensive HEPA filters, do much about trapping or killing germs. Electronic air filters will reduce somewhat the air born germ count because the high electrical voltages do kill some of the bacteria passing through them and probably all that is caught on the plates. ...
Sometimes water conservation can be helped a bit simply by knowing how much water we use -- awareness. Water Watch is a little water meter, one for the garden hose and another for the shower head, that measures in either litres or gallons. In my household it has already cut down on the water wa...
A viewer wrote in complaining about soap suds backing up in her sink, another complained about the suds backing up in the basement floor drain.Suds are something that drains have trouble flushing out, because they float on top of the water and tend to pile up in the pipes. First you should try t...
We took an old chrome chair that was quite rusty and tried cleaning it with various products.Just paint thinner and steel wool did a fairly decent job, although you have to be careful to not scratch the chrome. But this put on no protection against rust coming right back.Care polishes and other ...
On this TV segment we focused on testing if water based cleaners worked better than solvent based cleaners on concrete stones.When done thoroughly, they didn't make much difference. What does make a difference is waiting long enough for the chemical to work, and scrubbing or rinsing before it dr...
The Elgin and Wintergarden Theatre in Toronto was left empty for 60 years. When they set about restoring it to its original beauty, they had to find a way to clean the walls, which were all painted with intricate murals, all in water based paint. How do you clean that without destroying it?They...
We have all admired the beauty of a new stainless steel sink. With time it does avoid taking on stains, but it tends to get dull and scratched up. It is really difficult trying to get it back to the manufactured buffed surface we there are several things you can do to brighten it up.Most Stainl...
2009 update: Safer's De-Moss, specifically made for removing moss, is still available but considered a controlled herbicide in many jurisdictions. If you cannot find it in stores, check GOOGLE.You can't mechanically remove this moss without bothering all the gravel, perhaps even the roof. You n...
Nellie has inherited an old chest from her grandmother and it is charged with moth ball smells. How to get rid of that smell since Nellie doesn't have any more woollens that need protecting?The answer is bicarbonate of soda, and lots of it.This common power actually changes the pH of different o...
Isn't it frustrating to clean brass over and over again, it just turns dark so quickly. Well a long time ago an Asian friend taught me that it goes black because of oxygen that gets to the surface. Spray it with lacquer right after it is cleaned, and it will stay bright for years.Spray lacquer ...
