Some ideas for cleaning resin furniture

Friday, August 25, 2006 Dear Heloise: How do you clean resin (plastic) patio furniture? Mine always get black stains on it — looks like mildew. I have tried cleaners made with bleach, and they made the furniture "chalky." The soap-and-water method doesn't do the trick. My folks have the same problem with their furniture. Any suggestions? We would appreciate your help. Simone in San Diego Usually, the furniture looks dirty because dust, dirt and grime settle into the "grooves" or scratches and won't just rinse off. It could also be mildew. You can make a solution of: 3/4 cup regular household bleach 1 tablespoon powder or liquid laundry detergent 1 gallon water Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands, and test the solution on a small spot to be sure it doesn't harm the surface. Next, apply the mixture to the furniture with a sponge or soft brush and let sit for a few minutes, then rinse away. One of my assistants had some inexpensive, white resin tables, and she had good luck cleaning them with foam bathroom cleaner and a battery-operated scrubber. After scrubbing, she simply rinsed the tables off with the hose, and voilá! They looked like new! Heloise Dear Heloise: In case of an emergency, I try to keep several gallons of fresh tap water stored. After a week or two, I recycle that water through my water-filter pitcher and refill the tap-water jugs with tap water. J.L.G., Hope, Ark. Dear Heloise: To safely scrub the bugs off my windshield, I put an old, heavy sock in the net bag that small tomatoes came in from the grocer. It scrubbed like a charm. Onyx, via e-mail Bugs, bugs, bugs be gone! One note, however, for others: Be sure to not use anything abrasive that might scratch the glass. Heloise Dear Heloise: I recently encountered two volunteers in a large hospital elevator. They were pushing a cart of paperbacks and magazines to give to patients. They told me they would welcome any and all donations. Joan from Utah Dear Heloise: My husband and I do a lot of traveling by motorcycle, and I have found that rolling my clothes when packing not only helps to decrease wrinkles but also allows me to pack twice as much as my husband! This is an old hint, but a very valuable one. Also, when I got married, I was given a wonderful gift that I use regularly. A friend and colleague bought me a travel bag filled with necessities like bandages, a sewing kit, lip balm, lotion and a sponge. It was my most memorable shower gift, and I copy it every time someone I know gets married. Natasha in Nebraska Dear Heloise: In a young child's room, taking off the heavy sliding closet doors and installing a pretty shower curtain makes it easy for little ones to get in and out of all corners of their closets. I actually thought the room looked bigger. S. Ewing, Fullerton, Calif. Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. King Features Syndicate