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Dear Heloise: I live in a waterfront home on a lake, and I have a large dock on the water. During the summer, we get hundreds of spiders on the ceiling and walls of the structure. Where there are spiders, there's poop and black spots that are difficult to remove. But no more! I mix a 1/3 cup of ammonia and 2/3 cup of water in a spray bottle. As soon as the spray hits the poop, it dissolves. Then I just spray it again with a hose, and it's clean as ever!
Same goes for the rascals who are pooping on my boat! Thank you for all your great advice over the years. -- Susan on Lake Anna, in Orange, Va.
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Dear Heloise: To kill weeds, just add salt to some vinegar. This will do the trick and kill the root. -- Morris V., Alhambra, Calif.
Morris, yes, salt and vinegar will kill the weeds, but be sure you don't spray anything in your yard that you want to grow. -- Heloise
Dear Heloise: Having worked as an auto detailer when I was teenager, I've always paid attention to products on the market to make detailing easier and make my car look even more beautiful.
I read a letter in your column where a reader contacted a company about using a ceramic cleaner that was intended for cooktops, but the company advised against using it on dishware and other items. For the past three or four years, I've been using a newer product that is a ceramic wax for your vehicle and leads to a nice water-repellent finish that shines like crazy.
While I wouldn't use it on dishes, I have used it on everything in my house and all of my sinks. Stainless steel appliances, countertops, my glass range top, and even my fiberglass stall shower and molded bathtub.
A word of caution: Never use it on any floors, or you'll be skating around like Dorothy Hamill! But it even works on windows without leaving streaks. There really are endless uses for this product.
It is extremely easy to apply and does not leave any white residue like other stovetop cleaners and waxes.
It also helps not to have 10 different types of cleaners in your cupboards.
I enjoy your column very much and have far too many tips to share, but this is one of my favorites. -- Robert L.B., in Vermont