| December 27, 2008 |
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Swift action best for oil stains
I HAVE a few car oil marks on my driveway brick paving. What is the best treatment to remove these stains? – DW, Port Elizabeth. One of the first products recommended in this column – back in the 1980s – was Aquasolv, an industrial degreaser. It's now sold under the Plascon label, and you should find it in your hardware store. Another product that should do the trick is Stone and Brick Cleaning Compound, made by Alumanation, a combination of acids and emulsifiers, soaps and fungicides, it comes in 750ml and 5-litre containers and is said to rejuvenate old paving and remove stains. Of course, it is best to tackle oil marks as soon as they appear, and before they impregnate the surface. If I notice oil stains on the driveway, I wipe up any surplus with a paper towel and then pour sand on the stain. After several days, it does a good absorbing job. I have a stainless steel char-broil gas burner, that has been standing outside under a rather weathered cover. I have cleaned it with 3M stainless steel cleaner and have noticed some marks that resemble drops which I assume are water stains. Do you have a remedy I can use to get rid of these marks? – ES, Port Elizabeth. The first time this type of query came up was in December, 1982, and I asked a Port Elizabeth metallurgist how to deal with the marks. His solution was to make a paste of baking powder or bicarbonate of soda and rub the marks with this, using a soft cloth. Baking powder is an extremely fine abrasive. He did a test run on a stainless steel fork, and it took 10 minutes of rubbing, so this is certainly no easy wipe-on, wipe-off method. A stainless steel cleaner strongly recommended by a reader is a Franke product, Inox Crème. “AW” said old marks would take some elbow grease, “but it is worth the effort”. Thank you for your column. I keep a file of your hints, which I have used to help young family members. The most magic of all your advice was that on removing a glass stopper from a cut-glass Victorian scent bottle. Your method of tapping the stopper firmly with a solid piece of glass worked like a dream. When I performed the same trick for a friend in Cape Town she was equally dumbstruck. A few times you have referred to oil of camphor for treating water marks on polished wooden tabletops but I have been unable to get it from pharmacists. They all offer camphorated oil. Is it the same thing? – SS, Port Elizabeth. I was also astonished when, for the first time, I tapped a fragile looking stopper with the base of a sweet bowl, and the stopper just lifted out. The secret, of course, is that the tapping sets up a vibration, which loosens the stopper. Regarding the oil of camphor, camphorated oil will do just fine. I would like to thank your readers for their suggestions on what I could use to make the peak on baseball caps. They came up with great ideas. – Daphne, Port Elizabeth. It's good to hear that readers continue to respond enthusiastically to the Home Market section of the column, which appears on the first Saturday of the month.
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Pop job for dancer Clayton Morar WEEKEND POST CORRESPONDENT A NELSON Mandela Bay-born talent has landed the job of a lifetime by becoming the official dance choreographer for South African all-girl pop and R&B group Jamali.... Coffee table book on elephants a labour of love Luyolo Mkentane WILDLIFE photographer and author Nicola Schwim is bent on educating the public on interesting facts about elephants through her self-published book Elephant Footprints. Schwim, 28, a wildlife photographer and author, lives alone with her dogs on a citrus farm in Addo. She‘s also the manager of Gorah Elephant Camp in Addo.... Cuisine to savour in venue with fine view Timothy Twidle LEISURE Isle Lodge in Knysna has a restaurant that can boast both fine cuisine and a most lovely outlook over the Knysna Lagoon. The décor of the restaurant is understated in pale shades of white and ochre, giving a pleasing ambiance, entirely appropriate for the satisfaction of a healthy appetite with good food.... Water-wise planting turns dry area into lush paradise Ivor Markman TO all intents and purposes, the Baviaans River Valley outside Bedford in the Eastern Cape is dry and desolate – except where man has made his contribution. Gardeners have turned areas of barren ground into lush beautiful gardens.... Tony‘s revamped old cars have a racy feel Shaanaaz de Jager STREET-RODDING enthusiast Tony Slater from Rowallan Park in Port Elizabeth not only uses the best car polish to shine his vintage Chevrolet and Ford Anglia, but has also modified them to suit his personal taste. Slater‘s bright pink 1939 Chevrolet, nicknamed Chevrolet Confusion, with the rear of a 1948 Chev and his wife Sonja‘s bright yellow 1957 Ford Anglia are fitted with “difficult to find”, model display cars.... Showtime nominees online Theatre Correspondent THE 2009 PE Opera House Showtime Awards emanate from no fewer than 40 presentations on stages in Port Elizabeth during the past year and the full list of nominees for a number of awards is extensive.... New era for quaint little Langkloof train Luyolo Mkentane THE Eastern Cape‘s famous Apple Express narrow- gauge train has been given a new lease on life. A recent partnership agreement between the department of roads and transport and the Apple Express Section 21 Company saw the launch of the Apple Express Train Tourism Service between Port Elizabeth and the Langkloof – and at the same time unveiling of an Eastern Cape 10-year Rail Plan.... 
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Drink driving blitz welcome THE holiday season clampdown on drunken drivers by the police and traffic authorities in Nelson Mandela Bay is one all right-minded citizens should welcome given the number of fatal accidents caused by those who foolishly choose to drink and drive. The large number of drivers arrested for flouting the law in this regard over the past few weeks is an indication that too many drivers in the region have no regard for the law or for the safety of their fellow citizens. This in turn is symptomatic of South African society at large where ordinary so-called “law-abiding” people think nothing of drinking and driving, driving through a red traffic light, driving while speaking on a cellphone or allowing children to stand on the front seat of vehicles unrestrained by a seat belt.... 
Charities battle to survive as donations slow to a trickle Yolandé Hayward WEEKEND POST REPORTER haywardy@avusa.co.za EASTERN Cape charity organisations – already struggling from the fall-out of the economic downturn – are finding their resources stretched to the limit as an increasing number of desperate people seek help to survive.... 
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Unconventional inventor heads architects Barbara Hollands EAST LONDON CORRESPONDENT
hollandsb@avusa.co.za... |
