Steel Wool Clears Up Matter of Rust
Question: Since I moved to a home near the beach from inland Orange County, I’ve had problems with my tools getting rusty. I’ve had to clean them off about once a month and give them a coating of light oil, which makes a mess in my toolbox. Is there anything else I can do?
G.Y., Huntington Beach
Answer: “Try cleaning them off with naval jelly and extra-fine steel wool,” says D.J. Belemont of Plains Lumber & Supply in Costa Mesa. “That will get the rust off, and the jelly helps protect the metal surface. Afterward, put something like Tri-Flow, a silicone-based lubricant on them. This does the same job as a light machine oil with less of a mess.”
Q: We’re considering getting one of those electronic whole house particle cleaners to remove pollen and dust from our home to alleviate our daughter’s allergies. How well do they work and how difficult are they to install?
B.C., Garden Grove
A: “The ones I’ve seen are very effective. They pick up enough dust in the air so you won’t have to do as much cleaning,” says Rod Albright of Albright Plumbing and Heating in Los Alamitos. “They’re hooked up to the return air side of a forced air heating and/or cooling system. As air is drawn in to be heated or cooled, it passes through a filter that removes contaminants such as pollen, dust and cigarette smoke. Since it involves cutting through sheet metal, it’s often better to just have a professional install it.”
Q: I have a fancy rechargeable flashlight that I received as a gift. While it works great for short uses, the batteries tend to wear down after I’ve had the light on for more than an hour. Could there be a problem with my electrical circuit where it’s charged, or are the batteries defective?
F.S., La Palma
A: “If other appliances you plug in work fine, I would suspect the flashlight,” says Bill Cramer of Ferrell’s Electrical Home Center in Anaheim. “Rechargeable appliances have a built-in transformer that converts the current that comes in to charge the batteries. These transformers can often fail, depending on their quality.
“On some rechargeable battery units, such as those used for video cameras, the batteries must be fully decharged before they can be fully recharged. You may want to try turning it on and letting it run down completely, then plug it in and recharge it up.”
Q: For the first time in my life, I’m living in a two-story house, and I’ve had to come to grips with the problem of cleaning the outside of a second-story window. It’s tricky, and I’m never able to clean them right. Is there anything I can put on the windows that will help them resist dirt and dust?
T.O., Lake Forest
A: “There are a lot of products on the market that claim they can prevent dirt and dust on your windows, but none that I’ve seen actually work,” says Tammy Griffith of B & D Glass in Orange. “I’ve used a foam-type glass cleaner that seems to protect against dust a little bit, but because of the contaminants in our air, it’s not real effective. Probably the best way get your windows clean is to mix up some vinegar and water, which is a great, inexpensive glass cleaner, and use a squeegee.”
Handyman’s Note: Regarding a question last week on the use of extra Fiberglas batt insulation to make a water heater blanket, Frank LoVerde of Geers Plumbing in Huntington Beach suggests that while making your own blanket was possible, it would probably be easier to buy a blanket kit. It’s also important to note that using the wrong insulation around a water heater can be a fire hazard.
“We don’t advise it,” says Cathy Cirelli, sales and service coordinator for Owens-Corning Fiberglas in Los Angeles. “If the water heater gets too hot, it’s possible that the binding can burn off.”
Cirelli points out that most blankets sold in Southern California have an R-7 rating. If your water heater is in an unheated garage, you can order a blanket with a higher insulating value.