Dear Reena: Can the finish on a听toilet bowl deteriorate due to reddish stains that appear to flow from the top of the bowl to the top of the water? The stains are removed with cleaner but reappear quickly.
Steve
You may want to consult with a听professional plumber but the reddish stains are likely caused by iron in the water. When iron in听water reacts with air, red stains become noticeable. If this is the case, the iron is unlikely to damage the toilet bowl.
Consider purchasing a water conditioning system consisting of听both a filter and softening system to remove iron from the water.
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Dear Reena:We are in the process of remodelling our kitchen from an outdated design to a modern stainless steel look.
We are ready to choose handles for the drawers and cabinets. Do you have any advice about what to look for?
Cornie
Begin by choosing a few styles that match the overall look of the kitchen. Do you like stainless steel, brass, pewter, glass or painted handles? While it is fine to mix and match styles, you can鈥檛 go wrong if you match stainless steel handles or knobs with your stainless steel appliances, light fixtures or sink.
Place the handles against the cabinets and test how graspable they are. This is especially important for people struggling with arthritis or those with very large hands.
If you wear rings, choose a scratch-resistant handle. Consider whether sleeves, belt loops and pockets might get hooked on the ends of the handles.
Also note the care needed for the handles. Will crumbs sit on the tops? Will fingerprints be visible?
Take your time choosing. Most good-quality handles last a long time.
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Clever uses for pool noodles
鈥� Prevent your child from rolling out of bed. Place a pool noodle under the fitted sheet as a soft wall. (Not suitable for infants.)Melinda
鈥� My son had a pool party and instead of handing out plain-old invitations, we used an elastic band and attached each invitation to a section of a pool noodle. Meline
鈥� When my wife parks in the garage, she always hits the wall. I听finally had a clever idea and bolted a pool noodle to the back wall. Now whenever she hits the wall, she doesn鈥檛 damage the vehicle. Tyrone
鈥� Cut sections of pool noodles and put them around the legs of your bed. This prevents people from stubbing their toes on the legs in the dark. Jesse
鈥� Put a piece of pool noodle on a clothes hanger to prevent clothes such as pants from getting a fold line on them when they are hung for a long time. Jesse
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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.
