Cleaning up after your furry friends

We all love our pets, whether they are dogs, cats, rabbits, birds or all of the above. Part of the "fun" is cleaning up after them. Here are our favorite tips for taking care of the little accidents that happen.

• The quicker you get to the accident, the better off you usually will be. Remove as much of the substance as possible and without rubbing it into the surface. Paper towels work best, but newspaper and other absorbent material will work, too. A disposable diaper will soak up a bunch of it if you have one handy.

• I keep a bottle of my own pet carpet cleaner that also would be OK to use on tile or vinyl flooring. It's half hydrogen peroxide and half vinegar. I also put a little Febreze in it just to help with the smell. I spray this on the area after blotting up everything. This cleans up most other messes that I find. On wood floors, I prefer to use an oil-based wood floor cleaner.

• Animal urine has a very strong and persistent odor. You might be able to mask it temporarily, but I swear by the enzymatic treatments available at pet stores. This material is sprayed on the area and works slowly to eradicate the smell. The directions should be followed in order to get the results you are looking for. Areas may need to be treated more than once.

• Porous surfaces can be really difficult to treat, and once the smell has gotten into them, it can be really hard to get rid of. Your best bet is going to be to seal it. This especially is important in areas that are carpeted. You might be able to get it out of the carpet and even the padding, but if it gets to the slab underneath the carpet, you are going to have to clean and seal the slab before re-carpeting.

• After doing all of this, you might consider keeping your pet in a more "pet-friendly" area, or taking it on more frequent walks.

Makeshift tabletop

If you are going to have a crowd over for dinner and all you have is a small table, add a new tabletop. All you need is a large sheet of plywood. Lay it evenly over the top of your existing table to make it bigger. If you can secure it with screws, clamps or anything else, do it. Even a rubber mat would help make it steadier. If it's not secure, just make sure it's not so much larger than your table that it's not balanced properly. Throw on a tablecloth, and nobody will ever know! By the way, what time is dinner?

New use for storage bins

Large plastic storage bins are a super way to store away all sorts of your precious possessions. But when the lids break or become lost, they can no longer be sealed up. One super thing that can be done with these less-than-perfect storage boxes is to mount them directly on your shop or garage wall. You can use screws or nails to attach them to the wall. Fill them with lightweight sporting equipment, garden tools or pool toys. It will leave your floor clear for other stuff!

Super hints

• Waterless hand cleaner should be on every workbench or in every workshop. It's the first line of defense against grease and grime. But it also can be used to clean paintbrushes. Work it into the bristles to clean out thick, latex paint. Follow it up with warm water and soap.

• We like to cook on the grill, but have made the switch to propane. We installed a gauge so we would know when it was running low. I still ran out last weekend. I installed a replacement but wanted to test it for leaks before using it. You can usually "smell" a gas leak, but there's another way to test it. My dad taught me this trick years ago, and I still use it. You can mix up some dishwashing liquid and water and spray it around the gas fittings, covering them with the liquid. If there is a leak, it will cause the mixture to bubble. Remember, you never want to mess around with a gas leak!

• Can't remember which way to turn a screw? Just remember this simple little saying "Clockwise is lockwise." It has never let me down!

Q. Help me, please. I have dark-stained grout in my shower, and I can't get it clean. I've tried most of the standard bathroom cleaners, but nothing removes all of the dark stains. Please give me another option or two.

A. I really swear by bleach. However, you'll need to make sure you have adequate ventilation because of the serious fumes. Mix bleach and baking soda into a paste, and leave it on top of the stains for several hours and see if that takes care of the problem. If that doesn't do it, then you need to remove the bad grout and replace it. If it does come clean, then use a paint-on grout sealer to protect it from future mold and mildew.

Q. I am having a really difficult issue with my washing machine. It has started wiggling around and making a lot of noise. Everything seems to be working just fine, but it's shaking really badly. Got any ideas?

A. Hopefully it's just out of balance. The front legs actually are screwed in, so by using a bubble level, you can adjust them so that the washer is level in all directions. This should take care of the problem. If not, it's going to be something more serious.

Q. We had some drywall work done in our bathroom, and the guys dripped some rubbery stuff on the shower floor. I don't want to ruin the floor of the shower but would like to get this stuff off the surface. What will do the job?

A. Have you tried a plastic kitchen scrubbie? To get more traction on it, without scratching the surface, try a shot or two of WD-40. You also could try a plastic putty knife, but be very careful not to gouge the surface. This is why we always recommend using a dropcloth. Things could have been a lot worse if the stuff had accidentally gone down your drain.

Reader tips

• I just used a helpful trick that I've done for years. It still works like a charm every time. I was keeping my neighbor's dog for the weekend and, after a little rain, he was very stinky! I poured a bowl of vinegar and set it on the bar in our family room. After a few hours, I noticed the smell was gone. It worked well, and I even used the same vinegar to clean some mineral deposits on the front of our refrigerator after it had taken care of Bingo's bad smell.

• I have done my homework and shopped for a good set of outdoor lights. I bought a kit and then also some additional lamps, wiring and connectors. What I wasn't prepared for was locating the right spots for these lights. So I got out a couple of flashlights. Then I went outside at night and moved around the yard and placed them, facing upward, in the spots where I thought I needed lights. I was able to see them and moved them to the right spots before hooking up the actual lamps. This made things a lot quicker when I was starting to place the lights and hook them up. It looks fantastic!

• I use dryer sheets. I have for years and probably always will. I hear that some people think it's wasteful, but they are so easy to use, and even the kids will add them when they help with the laundry. I do recycle them, though, by using some of them to wipe our TV and monitor screens. These cloths are lint-free and clean these screens really well. You also can use them on oven and microwave doors and other kitchen appliances.

• I have to get my husband to empty them, but I use mouse traps in my house. They are the only way I really know that I am getting rid of these mice. I bait my traps with bacon, but I've tried other baits like peanut butter and the ever popular cheese. The thing that I like most about the bacon is that it's "stretchy," so they have to pull at the bacon to get a bite of it. It works almost every time!

• We have an Irish Setter, and she just had puppies! We've been keeping them in a downstairs sunroom. It's a good-size room, and we wanted to try to keep the puppies in one general area for their own safety. We bought a small kids' swimming pool and put a blanket inside, and they all stay in there. Mom can get out when she wants to, but the puppies are right there when she gets back in. I'm sure they will outgrow it in a couple of weeks, but for now, it's so nice for her. It's easy to keep the room clean, too!

Shoptalk

• If you are trying to be "green" - and who isn't these days - you might be considering starting a compost pile. This is so easy to do, and once you know the basics, you can have a steady supply of FREE plant food and mulch for your yard year 'round. It doesn't cost much and is a great way to get rid of vegetable waste from your home as well as many other items destined for the garbage can, including grass clippings and leaves from your yard. Learn how to build and manage your own compost pile with our instructions: "A Heap About Compost." And don't forget - you can always get this and a lot of other super information at our website, www.thesuperhandyman.com, so come on by and check it out!

• Most camping tents are made to last. But if you do have a tear or gash in yours, you can use Coghlan's nylon tent Repair. Everything you need is in the kit, and you can make repairs wherever you are, rain or shine. The instructions are very detailed and the repairs are permanent. Look for it at camping supply and outdoor stores. To find out more go to www.coghlans.com.

• Goop Hand Cleaner is a staple in my workshop, but recently I've discovered Mom's Goop. Mom's Goop is for stains on fabric and other washable surfaces. It makes a great pre-treatment and spot remover for clothes, upholstery and carpets. It's easy to use, works great and is widely available at discount stores and grocery stores. If you want to find out more, just go to www.goophandcleaner.com.

• Write to Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit online at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2015, Cowles Syndicate Inc.