Forget the Mayonnaise for Removing Water Rings on Furniture

Dear Mary: How can I get rid of white water rings on wood tables? Thanks! — Amy

Dear Amy: There are homemade remedies, but I’ve had only marginal results using things such as mayonnaise or other household products to remove the infuriating white marks you describe.

I suggest you save yourself a lot of time and frustration with a Homax White Ring Remover treated cloth. It is fairly inexpensive, reusable and works miraculously to remove heat and water marks from fine furniture without harming the finish. I was able to remove white rings with this cloth — white, hazy stains that were more than a decade old and had resisted every other imaginable treatment.

You can find this Homax product at stores such as Ace Hardware, Walmart and Amazon.

Dear Mary: I have inherited some jewelry — diamonds and gold, likely not worth a lot. But I don’t wear any of it, and I might as well sell it and apply it toward paying off debt. Can you recommend a way to do this? — Sheri

Dear Sheri: I would call or stop into a local independent jewelry store like Johnson Jewelry Store, which was in business for many years in Bellflower, California, or Wade’s Jewelry in Gibsonville, North Carolina, (both excellent examples of family-owned, highly reputable establishments to which I am partial) for a little show and tell. If they are buying gold and gems, they will tell you on the spot what they can pay based upon the karat weight of the gold and the quality and authenticity of the precious stones. If they are not buying at this time, they may have a referral for how best to liquidate these assets.

I would avoid big chain jewelry stores and ads that say, “We buy gold!” I for sure would not make this kind of transaction online.

Dear Mary: I have a new 100% New Zealand wool rug that has an unpleasant odor about it. How can I get rid of the smell? — Denise

Dear Denise: You need to contact the manufacturer (find the name on a tag and hopefully a phone number or website address). In the meantime, your rug may simply be going through a process known as “degassing” as the chemicals used during the manufacturing process are dissipating. If this is the case, the smell will go away by itself within a few weeks. You can hasten this process by putting the rug out in the direct sun (I would turn it right-side down to prevent any fading), being careful to not let it get damp and to bring it in at sundown. I loved hearing from you, and I wish you the best with your beautiful new rug!

Dear Mary: I love picking up the small, boxed mixes by Jiffy because they are often so cheap. The trouble is I don’t always know what to do with them. Do you have any recipes that include these mixes? — Ruby

Dear Ruby: Oh, I love those mixes, too. Have you seen the newest, the Honey Corn Muffin mix? Yum! The people at Chelsea Milling Co., manufacturers of Jiffy Mixes, have you covered. They offer a wonderful free recipe book that contains many new recipes along with old-time favorites for all of the Jiffy mixes, including Jiffy Baking Mix and Jiffy Cornbread Mix. You can view the online version at the Jiffy Mix website or request a copy of the Jiffy recipe book by mail at Chelsea Milling Co., 201 W. North St., P.O. Box 460, Chelsea, MI 48118-0460.