Questions: Double Stroller, Dehumidifier, Car Trash, Lestoil, Rust Spots, Coffee Beans, and More

Have I told you lately about my email inbox? It’s a mess. And today I’m ready to at least make a dent by answering 11 questions, each one of them representing dozens more with substantially the same request.

What’s inside? Here are the questions I pulled from my virtual Reader Mailbag for this post. You can click on one to jump to the answer or read straight through.

1. Best double stroller

2. Best Inexpensive Home Dehumidifiers and How to Choose

3. This is the Best Car Trash Can Ever

4. How to Remove Rust Stains from Just About Anything

5. Amazing DIY Laundry and Carpet Stain Remover

6. Shark vacuum … but which one?!

7. Cleaner for icky, greasy, grimy, cabinets

8. How to Get Started Roasting Your Own Coffee Beans

9. Here are the Best Homemade Cleaning Recipes

10. Source for bar mops

11. How to Eliminate Horrible Smoke Odor

Bonus: Do you have a question?

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Q1: What is the Best Inexpensive double stroller?

What is the Best Inexpensive double stroller that you recommended in a  column? I read it, copied the information but now cannot find it anywhere! Thanks.

My pick for the best inexpensive double stroller is Graco Roomfor2 Click Connect Stand and Ride Stroller. It accommodates an older child who can either sit or stand at the back, plus a baby/toddler in the front. I bought this in July 2016. My grandsons Eli and Sam, and I have put thousands of miles, I’m almost certain! And it’s still holding up really well.

I love that our double stroller has a storage area under the seats to hold all of our jackets, snacks, water, toys … we haul a lot of stuff! I highly recommend this stroller. For the price, it can’t be beat.

Q2: Help! I need a dehumidifier

I’m dying here in Atlanta. The humidity has been unbearable. I really need that inexpensive dehumidifier you recommend. Can I get those details again?

A: That column brought a huge response, but none more glowing than from Will who wrote with the question originally. He wrote back once his Frigidaire High Efficiency 70-Pint White Dehumidifier with Built-in Pump, was up and running. He was so happy with the result. Be sure to review the original post as I offered two options, depending on the size of your space.

Everyday Cheapskate participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Q3: Please help me remember that really great car trash can

What is the name of that great trash container for the car that you wrote about a while ago?

My Drive Bin XL continues to be one of the best things I ever bought. I’ve purchased several more for gifts, and everyone agrees—fabulous! It comes loaded with the features I would have absolutely insisted upon had anyone asked me to weigh in on the design. I like that it has side hooks to hold a trash bag liner plus a mesh storage pocket on the side for wipes and sanitizer.

Q4: Rust spots on stainless steel sink

Please may I have a formula or solution for removing rust spots on my stainless steel sink?

I’ve always found it curious that something with “stainless” in its name can be prone to rust stains, but it happens. To remove those spots, start with the easiest, cheapest solution first: baking soda. Make a paste of baking soda and water, apply this to the spots then rub with a soft cloth or non-abrasive sponge. Baking soda is non-abrasive and that should do it if those spots are fairly new.

If not, move on to something more powerful—Barkeepers Friend household cleanser. Available in most supermarkets, stores like Walmart and Target and online, BKF comes in a number of varieties—powdered, soft cleanser, spray—any of which will take those rust spots away in a flash, and clean your sink to shiny-new condition. I cannot recommend BKF highly enough.

Make sure you are using a non-scratch sponge or scrubber whenever cleaning stainless. DO NOT use a green Scotch Brite sponge. Instead use the blue Scotch Brite non-scratch option, a plastic scrubber or soft cloth.

Q5: Name of that powerhouse laundry stain remover is … ?

Can you tell me the name of the fabulous heavy-duty cleaner you wrote about—something like Lexoil or Lesswork. I can’t remember.

It’s Lestoil as in “less toil!” And it is fabulous. Here are the 10 things to know about Lestoil. While not the easiest to find, Lestoil is readily available online as well as some home improvement stores and supermarkets.

Q6: Shark vacuum … but which one?!

I need a new vacuum and want to get your favorite Shark! But there are so many models to choose from. Help?

Model numbers can vary depending on the store or retailer where you are looking, so look for these words: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional. Most likely you’ll find the best price at Amazon. It is a wonderful machine.

Q7: Cleaner for icky, greasy, grimy, cabinets

What is that product you recommend for clean and restore icky, dirty, dull wood cabinets?

You will be thrilled to pieces with Howards Feed-N-Wax Orange Oil Polish and Conditioner. However, if your cabinets haven’t been deep cleaned recently, I suggest you do some pre-cleaning first then follow with Howards. Read specific instructions for how to clean wood cabinets in How to Clean Kitchen Cabinets and Keep Them Looking Gorgeous.

Q8: Source for green coffee beans

I want to start roasting my own coffee. Can you please tell me again where do you get your green coffee beans?

I have used several sources for La Minita green coffee over the years (How to Get Started Roasting Your Own Coffee Beans) Currently, I purchase in bulk from the La Minita Plantation in Costa Rica, with a minimum purchase requirement of 150 lbs. That’s a lot of coffee and probably not where you want to start. But no worries! You can buy as little as 5 lbs. green coffee beans at a time at Amazon.

Q9: What is the hardwood, laminate floor cleaner recipe

Could I ask you to repeat the recipe for hardwood and laminate flooring?

Sure! This works as a DIY replacement for pricy refills in floor-cleaning machines as well as a simple spray bottle. One part isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, 4 parts distilled water and 8 drops Blue Dawn. Mix well and dispense in a spray bottle. Scrub small areas at a time, wiping dry as you go. No rinsing required.

Q10: What is the source for those small towels?

Where can I get the small kitchen towels you love and buy by the dozen?

They’re called “bar mops” and available online: Utopia Towels Kitchen Bar Mop Cleaning Towels, And you’re right. I have 6 dozen that I use with abandon, the way I used to use paper towels.

I keep a small hamper in my kitchen where I can easily toss them. When it gets full, I launder my bar mops in hot water with a small amount of detergent, 1/4 cup bleach, and white vinegar in the final rinse and wool dryer balls in the dryer. They come out brilliant white; soft and fluffy. And they last what seems like forever, despite all the laundering and bleach.

Costco members: Costco sells very similar towels, Unitex 100% Cotton Towel, White, 14 in x 17 in, 52-count. They’re shelved in the automotive area of most clubs. Or members can order online at Costco.com.

Q11: How to fumigate a space that reeks of tobacco smoke

I read in a previous post about how to fumigate a space that reeks of tobacco smoke, but now I can’t find it! 

Here is a link to that post, Best Room Humidifier for DIY Fumigation. You are going to need a Honeywell Germ Free Cool Mist Humidifier HCM-350 (best, inexpensive that meets the need for this operation) as well as a supply of Nok-Out Odor Eliminator.

Here’s a link to that post, Help! My Apartment Stinks Like a Stale Ashtray, with steps and instructions. Hope that helps!

Do you have a question?

It’s possible that I have answered your question in a previous post—all of which are archived for your use and enjoyment at EverydayCheapskate.com. We’ve recently beefed up the search function, to make it easy for you to find the answer to your question or to read related posts with ease.

Do this

Go to EverydayCheapskate.com. You will land on our Home Page. Look at the top menu bar above my picture. See that little magnifying glass? On your laptop or desktop computer it is orange and looks like this (it may be positioned differently and appear in blue on your mobile device): 

When you click on it, a Search box opens. Simply type a keyword or phrase … something like “vacuum” or “Shark.” A dropdown list of posts will appear almost immediately. Or click on the dark blue magnifying glass in the search bar that appears with that dropdown to open a new page with each of those posts in a list for your consideration.

Isn’t that fabulous? I use this search function all the time because well, even I can’t remember everything I’ve written about 😂.

 

 

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