If you’ve got a home, you’ll have problems sooner or later. For instance, a cultured marble sink gets a large brown stain. Where did it come from? Who knows — life happens.
That’s the issue Mike in Illinois faces. He sees the stain, but doesn’t know how it got there, and no one is ’fessing up. Now, he wonders: Can you sand the stain out?
You can wet-stand the stain on that cultured marble sink, sure, but then you’ll remove the finish and end up with a bare spot. And you’ll have to cover that spot with high-gloss finish and match the sheen to the rest of the sink.
But before you get to that point, there may be some other things you haven’t tried.
For instance, make a paste from Bar Keeper’s Friend and water, let it sit on the stain overnight and see if that helps. Also use a rag dipped in hydrogen peroxide and let that sit on the stain overnight.
With any stain, you just have to try one product after the next and the next, until you get to the one that works — assuming that the stain can be removed.
Listen to the Today’s Homeowner Podcast for more home improvement tips!
- [skipto time=1:50][1:50][/skipto] Danny and Joe talk landscaping
- [skipto time=5:38][5:38][/skipto] The problems with using mothballs to repel snakes, rodents and raccoons
- [skipto time=8:08][8:08][/skipto] Joe revisits a Simple Solution for reading the fine print on product labels
- [skipto time=14:28][14:28][/skipto] Best New Product: Zevo Instant Action Aerosol Wasp, Hornet, Yellow Jacket and Stinging Insect Killer
- [skipto time=15:32][15:32][/skipto] “When my kitchen sink drains, it gurgles. Is this something I can fix myself or do I have to call a plumber?”
- [skipto time=18:25][18:25][/skipto] “I have a cultured marble sink in my bathroom that has a large brown stain in it. I heard you can sand stains out of cultured marble. Is that true?”
- [skipto time=22:36][22:36][/skipto] Danny and Joe talk about Bar Keeper’s Friend as a way to clean a boat
- [skipto time=24:23][24:23][/skipto] “I got polyurethane on the wood siding of my house. Is there any way to remove it without damaging the siding?”
- [skipto time=26:13][26:13][/skipto] Simple Solution: How to safely and easily move heavy objects across the floor
- [skipto time=27:53][27:53][/skipto] Question of the Week: “What product might work best to kill cockroaches?”
Simple Solutions
Fast Fix for Loose Knobs — When a wooden cabinet-door knob or drawer pull becomes loose, and you can no longer tighten its screw, chances are the hole is stripped. Here’s a quick remedy: Remove the screw and knob, dip two or three flat wooden toothpicks in glue and force them into the stripped hole on the back of the knob. Trim off the excess toothpick and screw the knob back in place.
Easy Slider — Here’s how to safely and easily move heavy objects across the floor and downstairs: Set the object on top of an old blanket or quilted moving pad. Then, simply pull on the leading edge of the blanket to slide the object across the floor. Lift up on the blanket slightly to slide over raised transitions and thresholds. When you come to a staircase, back down the stairs, using one hand to hold the blanket and the other to steady the object to prevent it from free-sliding down the staircase. Slowly back down the stairs one step at a time, allowing the object to glide over the steps.
Question of the Week
Q: What product might work best to kill cockroaches? I’d rather not use any chemicals unless absolutely necessary.
A: First, eliminate why they’re there. Seal the envelope of the house. Then, remove water and food sources. Wipe down countertops before you go to sleep, and make sure everything is nice and dry. Use roach-killing baits, which come in discs, or use glue traps.
