Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cleaning and repair

Clinging melted plastic must go!

EatTheWeak — Sun, 03 May 2009 08:38:43 -0800

How do you remove plastic that has melted onto a heating element? A couple weeks ago, a tupperware lid fell from the upper rack in my dishwasher and onto the heating element below. By the time I discovered this, the the lid was split in two, melted where it touched the heating element.

Now, there's a thin layer of plastic clinging to the heating element that smokes when I try to run the washer. I was hoping AskMe might have some advice to offer on how I might remove this plastic from the heating element. I had a notion to run the dishwasher to heat the plastic up and make it soft, but that fume-scented smoke sure makes me nervous. That, and I'm not sure if re-melting it just winds up bonding it tighter.

The reason I haven't dealt with this sooner is that I'm in a cast at the moment, making it quite difficult to get down on the ground and d what must be done. This cast shall be removed soon, and I'll be keen to have my dishwasher back soon after.

Any advice is most appreciated. I cannot afford any professional repair services.

Fix for Braun Shaver/Razor Syncro Clean & Charge System?

criticman — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:18:39 -0800

Fix for Braun Shaver/Razor Syncro Clean & Charge System? The base on my system has been broken for years. Here is a replacement: http://www.theessentials.com/jump.jsp?itemID=186&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=186

The upper "arm" that snaps into the bottom of the razor when it is placed in the charge/cleaning station stopped working. It used to snap into place and stay there unless you hit the blue release button on it. Now (and as I said, for years) it never snaps/clicks into place. For about a year, thanks to the position of some shelves in my bathroom at my old house, I could wedge the unit between shelves after inserting the shaver. This kept the top part locked into place & allowed the cleaning and charging cycles to run.

However, in my past two (including my present) living situations, there is no place to wedge it. I spent time on Google seeking answers previously without any luck.

I am hoping someone either A) managed to open it and fix it or B) has a clever way to keep the top locked into place to allow normal operation. Yes, I could spend $50 (plus shipping) to get a new base station, but I worry if they did not update the design, that it may fail (I noticed newer models did not have anything that snapped into the back of the razor, making me believe they recognized the design flaw but chose to ignore it on the old parts).

I love this shaver, but the quality of shave (even with recently replaced foils etc) is not as good as when it is frequently cleaned with the base station. I actually have 3 cleaning cartridges waiting to be used, so hoping someone can help.

335 TLC

unSane — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:56:24 -0800

I just bought a Gibson ES-335 on eBay and it arrived today. It's great, but it needs a bit of TLC. Data points:

1. The previous owner was a smoker, and the guitar is a bit smelly.

2. The nickel hardware needs cleaning, and the fretboard could use oil.

3. The bridge pickup volume pot crackles.

4. It shipped with really light strings -- I'm guessing 8s -- and I'm used to playing 11s.

I normally do all my own tech work (setups etc) but haven't had to clean up a guitar before, so here are my questions:

A: What should I use to clean the nickel hardware, oil the fretboard, and get rid of the smoker smell?

B: What gauge strings do 335s ship with from the factory? I'd like to try it like that before I go to my regular heavy strings. I normally play flatwounds: should I put them on the 335?

C: Is there a way to cure the crackling pot without replacing it? Pulling the wiring loom out of these things is a PITA,

Finally, I had vague ideas of putting a Bigsby on it. Any thoughts?

I want my investment in erasers to be worth it!

Ms. Saint — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:59:06 -0800

Is there any way to improve the erasability of an old whiteboard? I have a whiteboard that simply does not work any more. You write on it with a dry-erase marker, and, if you're lucky, what you wrote becomes slightly fainter after strenuous attempts to erase it. It's frustrating and useless.

I've heard that cleaning agents actually ruin whiteboards by destroying the slick film on the board's surface. I'm assuming that this is true and that it explains what happened to my whiteboard. Now, the question is, is there anything I can do to get that slick film back? Is there any way I can make the whiteboard actually work again, or is it irrevocably ruined?

Spilled primer on dark carpet. Am I SOL?

clever sheep — Mon, 06 Jun 2005 19:10:12 -0800

Arrrrrrgh! Spilled a LOT of primer on dark outdoor carpeting (in the breezeway). Anybody ever successfully cleaned this up, or am I doomed to replace the rug? I thought I was miserable just having to paint the stupid breezeway, but at least I had a sense of pride going on about how I was enduring the misery and doing such a good job. Then, of course, the paint tray fell off the ladder while I was moving it...and of course, it didn't fall anywhere near the drop cloth. Instant mess 3' in diameter. I guess club soda isn't going to get this out...?