Vinegar, an all-surface cleaner? Guess again
Dear Heloise: A while back, I remember reading about the many wonderful uses for vinegar. I want to share my vinegar nightmare so that others might not have the same experience.
I have a small cleaning business, and while on a walk-through for a new client, I noticed that her granite counter had some water spots that she couldn't get out. I used vinegar to take care of the problem, and it worked.
Well, she had a marble dining-room table. I noticed some spots, so I sprayed the table with vinegar. Huge mistake. I never knew that vinegar would etch the marble table and do major damage. I contacted several people on what to do about it, and most said it would cost hundreds of dollars to repair.
My husband found a place that had products that they thought would take care of the problem, and thankfully it did.
The point of this is to tell your readers that although vinegar is a wonderful cleaning aid, it does nothing but damage marble, and I never knew that before this experience. M.J., Freeport, Ill.
Oh my! I love vinegar, but, as you have found, it does not work on all surfaces. Also, it's lucky the granite countertop wasn't damaged as well. We did some research, and guess what? Vinegar, as well as lemon juice, tub and tile cleaners, grout cleaners and some citrus cleaners that have a high acid content, can etch granite and marble. So, stick with the cleaners made especially for them, and leave the vinegar for other household uses. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When we travel by car and plan to stop for a few nights before getting to our destination, I pack what we will be wearing for three days in a couple of small suitcases. Everything else is packed in plastic bags and laid out neatly in the trunk. Plastic bags take up much less room, and when we get to our vacation home, all we have to do is hang the clothing in the closet. Chris L., via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I love to share this one about the many uses of ceramic tiles:
ULay glazed floor tiles on the countertop next to the stove (without grouting) so you can safely put your hot pots and pans there during baking and cooking. (Usually there is never enough space on the stove top.)
UUse them as trivets. Put self-adhesive felt protectors on the underside of the tiles.
U They are great to use as work surfaces for messy jobs involving instant glue, candles, soldering iron, etc.
UThey are easily washable, even in the dishwasher. Helga, via e-mail
Here are two more uses: Put pretty, decorative ceramic tiles under candleholders to catch dripping wax. Large tiles can also provide decorative protection for potted plants on furniture and flooring. Heloise
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000; fax to (210) HELOISE, or e-mail Heloise@Heloise.com.
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