THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507140071
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around the House
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines
SALT IS NOT simply for sprinkling on food. It's for scouring and scrubbing too, says the press release from Morton Salt. Here are some household tips worth their salt from the company:
To remove ketchup spills from plush nylon carpeting, immediately sprinkle enough salt to soak up the stain. Wipe away excess salt, vacuum and use a dampened sponge to remove any residue.
To remove a wine stain from a cotton tablecloth or napkin, immediately pour enough salt directly on the stain to soak up the liquid. Immerse the fabric for a half hour in cold water, then launder as usual.
To make glass flower vases sparkle, mix 1/3 cup salt and 2 tablespoons vinegar to form a paste. Coat the inside of the vase. Let stand for 20 minutes. Scrub lightly, rinse and dry.
To freshen garbage disposals pour 1/2 cup salt into the disposal and run it according to manufacturer's directions.
To remove odors from a wood cutting board, pour a generous amount of salt on the board. Rub lightly with a damp cloth, then wipe.
Make pantyhose more resistant to runs and snags with this trick: Wash new pantyhose according to manufacturer's directions. Drip dry. Mix 2 cups salt with 1 gallon of water and immerse pantyhose. Soak for three hours, rinse in cold water and drip dry.
To clean rust from bike handlebars and tire rims, make a paste using 6 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Apply paste to rusted area with a dry cloth and rub. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
When it rains, it pours. There are many more household uses for salt in the free booklet ``Get the Reds Out and a Whole Lot More with Morton Salt.'' For a copy, write Morton Salt Tips, Dept. SU, 100 N. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, Ill. 60606-1597.
CONGRATULATIONS TO QUILTER number 051-069 of Atlanta, winner of the first annual Worst Quilt in the World Contest. Prizes totaling more than $2,400 were awarded to this nameless, faceless and talentless winner by Ami Simms, author of six books on quilting and developer of this wacky contest.
The identity of each entrant was reduced to a number and a hometown to protect the reputations and feelings of the 702 brave craftspeople who submitted photographs of their most poorly made quilts.
In a press release announcing the winning quilt, Simms went into detail about what made the first-place quilt irresistible to the judges. She described the quilt's Pepto-Bismol color scheme as ``delightfully schizophrenic'' and the workmanship as ``perfectly horrible.''
She added: ``We tried to lay the quilt flat on the table to examine it. It couldn't be done. No matter which way we pulled on it, it looked like there was a body underneath.''
Nine slightly less inept quilters each received ``abominable mention awards'' for producing the worst quilt in a category.
Simms' most recent book, ``How Not to Make a Prize-Winning Quilt'' (Mallery Press, 1994) has chapter titles like ``When Bad Binding Happens to Good People'' and is filled with pictures of the author's early quilts, all dreadful. The point of it, she says in the introduction, is that ``it's healthy for everyone, quilt makers included, to laugh at themselves . . . And it's important for beginning quilters to realize that very few people start out making perfect quilts.''
Entry forms for the second annual worst quilt contest will be available Aug. 1. For a free entry form and information about Simms' latest book, send a stamped, self-addressed business envelope to Mallery Press, 4206 Sheraton Drive, Flint, Mich. 48532. Call (800) A-STITCH.
All about log cabins
If you have log cabin fever, try this prescription: a visit to the log home consumer show Labor Day weekend in Lexington, Ky.
From Sept. 1 through 3, log home dealers and builders and manufacturers of related products will collect at The Lexington Center for The World of Log Homes and Timber Frames consumer show. Along with displays of everything from full-size homes to fixtures and accessories, the show will feature seminars on all aspects of log living.
Daily admission at the door is $10. A three-day ticket can be purchased in advance for $25. Call (604) 376-4290.
Romancing a home
The new magazine Victorian Homes & Gardens from GCR Publishing Group Inc. bills itself as ``the decorating and lifestyle magazine for modern romantics.'' An article in the premiere issue, now on the newsstands, lists 25 decorating ideas to ``romance'' your home. Here's a sample:
Use golden colors or peach tones often.
Mix different textures, a velvet pillow on a wicker chair, for example.
Supplement comfortable seating with a few floor pillows.
Add whimsy with odd touches.
Use greenery and flowering plants.
Blend the line between outdoors and in by using a trellis, a column or a shutter inside.
Use subtle lighting with candles and dimmers on overhead lights.
Dress up your home with vintage clothing - place gloves on a writing table, a shawl on the piano, a silk scarf on a table as a runner. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
The Worst Quilt in the World was chosen for its ``perfectly
horrible'' workmanship.
by CNB