I wonder all the time how people that enjoy doing things around the house for themselves find out about products old and new to use.  I get to go to about 6 shows a year.  And I find out about new products and get reminded about existing products that do a good job.  We have had enough rain this year (that’s just my opinion) and it has left a lot of homes with mildew and dirt on the siding and paint.  And some roofs have black streaks going all the way down the roof line.  Jomax has been around for years and it’s so easy to use and it’s made just for these problems.  All you have to do is put 1pt Jomax and 3pts of Clorox in a pump up sprayer and fill with water.   Then spray your house from top to bottom.  The mildew will come off, without scrubbing.  Jomax is easy to find at paint stores, we sell in on our website and it’s at most hardware stores in the paint area.  And you just need a $12 pump up sprayer- not even a pressure washer. (I am not crazy about those)  Its things like this that the article is about and that I love helping you with. 

Now to the e-mail….

Question:  Other than bleach, what can I remove mildew of walls -2 x 4’s and underneath carpet?

Answer:  Selig is a commercial line of cleaners and they make a mildew remover. 

Question:  I can’t remember the name of the product that keeps skunks out of the yard?

Answer:  NIMBY-stands for not in my back yard- spray it in the area where they are going and then when they walk on it and lick their paws – wow- they won’t come back.  Make sure you don’t spray into the wind, just spray on the ground. 

The next 2 questions have the same answer

Question:  I dripped some toilet bowl cleaner on my marble floor tiles.  It left terrible stains.  The polish is gone- now how do I get it back?

Question: Johnnie I hope you can help me.  I dripped some Mag tire cleaner on the tile and it looks like it has taken the glaze off.  The product contains hydrofluoric acid.  I dripped it across about 7 tiles?  By the way love the Restore A Finish.

Answer:  Use the Quick Shine and use it on the whole floor so that the shine will match all over the floor.  Holloway House also makes a mop and it comes with 2 pads to apply the Quick Shine and the No Bucket.  It’s a neutral cleaner and doesn’t even have to be rinsed. 

Question:  Our guest bath has marble on the floors.  And the marble in front of the commode is discolored.  We have tried comet and other cleaners but have had no results.  Any suggestion?

Answer:  I think the Restore made by Stone Tech will work for you.  Give them a call 888-786-6343 and then use the Quick Shine to get the shine back.  By the way never use abrasives on your marble.

Question:  Johnnie we tried to find Rockite but can’t find it anywhere.   We looked and Home Depot and Lowes, and they didn’t know what we were talking about.

Answer:  Any Ace dealer can get that for you, because when we were Ace we got it from our warehouse.  Just ask your local Ace Hardware to get it in for you.  We also sell it on our website.

Question:  Johnnie our lake house had not been used for some time.  We found the water in the water heater was black and smelled like sewer.  We drained and flushed and it seemed to be ok.  It is used infrequently.  What cause that to happen and what should we do to prevent it from happening again?

Answer:  Turn the water heater off and drain it when you leave.  That will keep it clean and it will last longer.  Plus it will save you money. 

Question:  A few years ago we had our wooden kitchen table top refinished.  For the next year or so it looked great.  Then I happened to notice that swirl marks probably from cleaning with a sponge began to appear on the table top.  As time went by the swirl marks became worse.  What can I do to take out the swirls?

Answer:  The product to use is called White Ring Remover.  It’s a little pad that you just wipe over the table top and bingo no more white marks.  Then use the Feed and Wax on the table for a protective finish. 

Got a question for Johnnie? Tune in to Johnnie's radio show Saturday mornings on KTSA (5500 AM) from 9-11 or call 828-8907. Reach him on the web at www.AcmeLumber.com.