Knives take a dark turn

hoUsehold adViCe

Knives take a dark turn

Dear Heloise: What is happening to our STAINLESS KNIFE BLADES? They are getting dark splotches. Could the water-softener salt cause this? This started after the system was installed.

— Delton S., Tomball, Texas

BINGO! Delton, you figured

it out! The water is treated with salt to remove minerals and make it “soft,” so that probably is the answer. Has anything else changed? Handwashing? Do you put them in the dishwasher? Is there a new detergent?

Hand-wash, no soaking, rinse and dry ASAP to prevent the dark spots.

— Heloise

BANANA CUBES Dear Heloise: We enjoy the great advice from your column in the (Middletown, N.Y.) Times Herald-Record.

We make smoothies. As a banana starts to look like it is ready to go, I cut it up and freeze it for smoothies. The bananas are like ice cubes. It’s nothing new, but we save them for future use!

— Debby H., Newburgh, N.Y.

REMOVE RESIDUE Dear Heloise: I washed new metal pans, and even after washing, there was still residue left from the label. I used a little shortening, rubbed it on the adhesive and wiped it with a paper towel. It removed the adhesive like a charm.

— Andidee, via email

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