Need help on 2 small problems.

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Hello, I have two small questions for some of you housewives. The first one is the dampness under my sink. I would like to use it but am worried about mildew. Is there any way to prevent it. I also have a wooden garbage can and it is about 8 years old. It has an oder to it, just from garbage I guess. Is there any way short of throwing it away to get rid of it. I have used Lysol,borox,murphys soap oil. I cant seem to get rid of it but I love the can it is very pretty. Thanks in advance for all your help.

Jennifer

-- Jennifer (jfisher4@midsouth.rr.com), April 14, 2002

Answers

Under the sink, I'd look for a leak if it's wet; it shouldn't be. You can also store stuff in a large plastic tub with a lid.

On the stinky wooden can I'd bleach it thoroughly, let it dry, then paint it with shellac or whatever your local paint store says is right to seal it from stink.

-- Melinda (clicker@izap.com), April 14, 2002.


Check under the sink for leaks and also you can put rice in a large butter tub with plenty of holes punched in it to act as a dissicant pack to absorb moisture. I use this with a box of baking soda in all mildew prone areas.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.

Yes it should not be wet under your sink. There must be a leak. Try to dry it out well with a fan and see if you can tell what is leaking. If the sink is above a shallow dirt crawl space in an old house it may be moisture coming up from the dirt underneath it. This happened to one of my neighbors. If you can get it dried , bleach it, dry it well and coat with a product called BIN, It is shellac with white pigment in it, and it sticks to just about anything. This would make it much nicer under your sink. This was done at our house and worked very well to keep odors out. I would clean the garbage box and coat it with several coats of the BIN and it will be much easier to wash out and keep clean.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002.


Like Melinda said-check for a leak under the sink and fix it. Then I'd let it dry out and paint it with Kilz. For the wooden can have you tried putting baking soda in it and leaving it for awhile? That should help draw out alot of the odor. I hope this helps.

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.

Everyone seems to be hitting on the under the sink question I shoot for the wooden can one.

Try vinegar, if that doesn't work try baking soda. Good old sunshine and fresh air may do the trick too. I don't know what you line your cans with but if I use a paper bag from the grocery store I usually put a section from the paper filded in half in the bottom. It keeps the bottom of the bag from getting soggy and it helps keep odor down. News paper is great for absorbing odors.

Susan

-- Susan in MN (nanaboo@paulbunyan.net), April 14, 2002.



Jenifer,If you have a Sams club warehouse look for Odoban It is antibacterial and Virucidal.I works miracles.Pam

-- Pam (pams65@hotmail.com), April 14, 2002.

I have an old vanity that smelled horribly of mildew and rats (yes, they have their own 'special' fragrance). I bleached the whole vanity, then put all kinds of herbs in the drawers and also stuffed them with newspapers and set the whole thing in the sun for several days, moving it indoors at night. It finally got to smelling OK. If that treatment got the stench out of that vanity, it might just work on your trash can, too.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.

I am not a housewife but as a single male I do have to make do so will answer your question anyway. I like to use Orange GLO wood cleaner and polish. I have really liked the hint of orange it leaves on things. This might work to get rid of the smell and the oil might help to keep it from soaking up the moisture. gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gefozarks@centurytel.net), April 14, 2002.

I have always heard that charcoal will take smells out. And it did work at a house that I had bought. It had a musty smell so I put charcoal bricks (like you cook with but the ones without starter fluid) in open containers and set some in each room. It worked too. Maybe you could put some in the bottom of you trash can.

-- Jodie in TX (stanchnmotion@yahoo.com), April 14, 2002.

I go with the other posts on the dampness, and as for the smell, I would bleach it, sun it, and place it in a plastic garbage sack with fresh peppermint leaves in it....you would be totally surprised with how peppermint takes out odors, including cigarette smoke! Good luck, In His Grace, sissy

-- Sissy (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), April 14, 2002.


If you dont find a leak in your pipes anywhere check out the seal around your sink if not good and you spash it runs under the edge if bad just put a little silicone on your finger and run around the edge of it when dry wipe all extra off and try that

-- l. Hamann (yorel_56714@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

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