Varnish most likely under carpet
Q. I'm refinishing the stairs in my turn-of-the-century home, and when I pulled off the carpet I found this black stuff underneath. I don't think it's paint. What could it be?
A. This could be one of two things. It could be shellac, which would be easily removed using alcohol. But the black substance is probably a varnish that was popular to use on wood in the era when your house was built. This varnish is thin and doesn't penetrate the wood, and will be easily cleaned with a mild paint remover.
Q. My husband and I were arguing about what we could or couldn't dispose of in our garbage disposal to keep it from clogging. Can you help us out?
A. Super question, and a subject of debate in many homes. The InSinkErator (ISE) Division of Emerson Electric Co. offers these Dos and Don'ts to dispose by:
• DO grind food waste only with a strong flow of cold water.
• DO grind hard material such as bones, fruit pits, etc. A scouring action is created by the particles inside of the grind chamber.
• DO grind citrus and other melon rinds.
• DO dispose of small amounts of fats and greases in your disposal. Be sure to have the disposal operating and use a strong flow of cold water. If you have a large amount of fat and grease it is suggested that you place it in a container, allow it to solidify, and then dispose of it in the trash.
• DO "flush" the disposal. Allow disposal and cold water to run after grinding or after draining sink of dishwater. Some detergents are caustic; flushing will pass such material into the drain line without disposal damage.
• DON'T use hot water when grinding food waste. However, hot water can be drained into a disposal between grinding periods.
• DON'T turn off the motor or water until grinding is completed and only a motor and water sound is heard.
• DON'T grind extremely fibrous material like corn husks, artichokes, etc. to avoid possible drain blockage. Certain high end disposers will allow grinding and disposal of these fibrous materials.
The folks at ISE also recommend regular cleaning with a foaming garbage disposal cleaner, or a degreaser and a deodorizer -- we find that grinding up a lemon or a lime once every week or two works great.