Last of two parts
In this column’s April 26 issue, I compiled a list of uses for cheap sandpaper from the online site BabaMail. Here are the rest of that list:
12) Remove stubborn grout stains. Use the abrasive qualities of fine-grain sandpaper to remove grime between tiles in the bathroom or kitchen. Fold a piece of sandpaper in half and run it gently along the grout to remove stubborn grease. “Be careful not to scratch the actual tiling.”
13) Stop slugs from getting into your flower pots. Cut a strip of sandpaper, make sure it is wider than the base of the pot. Place the pot on top of it. Slugs do not want to crawl across the coarse paper. “You can also wrap sandpaper around the stems of young plants growing in flower beds to help keep slugs at bay.”
14) Maintain a car’s windshield wipers. If the windshield wipers are worn and do not do their task as well as they should, remove the blades and lightly rub them with fine-grit sandpaper. Remove the resulting dust and coat the wipers with petroleum jelly. This will let you use your wipers for many more months.
15) Sharpen sewing needles. When the needles start to appear more blunt than usual, poke them through sandpaper five or six times, or simply twist them inside a folded piece for a minute or two to restore their sharpness.
16) Make your plants grow quicker. If you have a new packet of hard-coated seeds for planting in your garden and want to see them flower as quickly as possible, run some fine-grit sandpaper over their surface before you place them in the ground. The sanding will remove layers of the outer shell of the seed, allowing water to penetrate more quickly and encourage earlier growth.
17) Help iron pleated items. Keep pleats in place when ironing by placing some fine grit sandpaper under each fold. Iron the pleat gently to maintain a nice, sharp fold and keep the pleats intact.
18) Polish hazy headlights. Put masking tape around the headlights to protect the bodywork. Clean off dirt and surface debris with soap or a plastic lens cleaner and wipe dry. Use an 800 grit sandpaper to remove oxidized particles and melted plastic by wetting it with soapy water and rubbing it in a side to side motion while applying gentle, even pressure. Make sure the surface of the light is kept wet at all times.
Change to a finer 1,200 grit paper to remove coarse scratches from the last step. Then move on to a 2,000 grit, then a 2,500 grit to gradually smooth the surface.
Apply a plastic polish or swirl removal compound after using the 2,500 grit sandpaper then wipe with a soft towel. Give the plastic one last clean over with soapy water and then apply a protecting fluid.
BSP needs teeth
Neil Honeyman, on the plan of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to ease requirements for opening deposit accounts: “BSP exerts no authority over banks in relation to deposit account requirements … Banks have requirements, which are difficult for many (to comply with), but they reserve the right to unilaterally ‘move the goal posts’ by increasing the required deposit.”
Treat for teachers
Cabalen restaurant treated partner teachers of the old Learning section of the Inquirer to lunch recently.
It was one of several ways that Cabalen president Maritel Nievera shows her support for Philippine education. Every year, the restaurant chain sets aside a portion of its December earnings for school supplies given as gifts to students of selected schools.
The Consumer, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City. Fax 8974793/94 or e-mail the.consumer.inquirer@gmail.com.