Hi Reena, I was enjoying a cup of hot tea one morning. The tea was so hot that I had to put it down on the table. I had no coasters around me, so I grabbed the closest thing which was a sheet of paper with some writing in blue ink on it. My tea not only melted the finish on the dining room table, but the heat melted the ink onto the table! Because hindsight is always 20/20, I realize now how stupid it was to think that a thin piece of paper would protect the table against something so hot! If you can help me fix this mistake, I would really appreciate it. — Maria
Dear Maria, Boy, have I been there! The first and easiest solution is to apply mayonnaise or non-gel, non-bleach toothpaste to the wood. Leave for 30 minutes and wipe. If the stain remains, cover the mark with a white cloth. Using the steam setting on your clothing iron, wave the iron overtop of the cloth making sure that you do not set the iron on one area. Even if the heat mark disappears, the ink may remain. If hairspray doesn’t remove the ink, you can try baking powder and dish soap. Be cautious not to hurt the finish of the wood.
Dear Reena, We bought a toaster oven last year. With our old one, we tried everything and could not keep the inside of the trays clean or the crump tray, so we bought a bit more expensive one and now have the same problem. It says the tray should be cleaned with hot sudsy water or use a nylon scouring pad or nylon brush. We have tried numerous cleaners without success. There seems to be a buildup of grease just under the element on the crumb tray, but I can’t get that off either. — Elaine
Dear Elaine, Since you are not able to use abrasive products of pads when cleaning the tray consider pouring household ammonia onto the greased area and leave for 20 minutes. While wearing gloves, scrub the grease with a non-scratching scrubby pad. Next, wash with dish soap and water. Avoid covering the crumb tray with foil as this will cause the tray to overheat.
RE: INGREDIENTS ADDED TO BUTTER TO PREVENT MELTING
About two years ago, the butter we had been using for years was splitting when I was making one of our Christmas baking dishes. I tried again, and the same thing happened. In addition, that was when I noticed the butter was not acting the same at room temperature, as it wouldn’t soften up, just as the contributor described. I should add when it split, it became oily. In the meantime, I had spoken to a number of my friends who had been baking for years, and there was a consensus that all butter brands were acting the same. I checked the ingredient list on all butters, and none indicated any ingredient that was different from the past.
Subsequently, I contacted one of the manufacturers directly and told them my concerns and asked if they had added anything to their butter that would cause it to split and be oily and hard at room temperature. The fellow I talked to said, “No” nothing had been added. I indicated I was going to contact the CFIA about it. I did contact CFIA and after many months, and just one phone call, they gave me a very political response, but voila, the butter changed and my friends and I had a further discussion about having our old butter back. That was last year. Alas, it has not lasted, and I agree with your contributor, something is being added to change the texture.
Please note: butter bells make it worse. Perhaps if we organized in some fashion about this issue, we could get a more permanent solution. Thanks for hearing me out. — Margot
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.
Reena Nerbas is a popular motivational presenter for large and small groups; check out her website: reena.ca. Ask a question or share a tip at reena.ca.
-Reena Nerbas