This is a hammer
Cleaner Works Miracles on Hard- Water Buildup
BY SAMANTHA MAZZOTTA

Q: I read your column on cleaning hard water spots off windows and wanted to put in my 2 cents. I use a product called Lemi Shine, which is actually made to work in your dishwasher to clean hard-water buildup. It's available at retailers like Wal-Mart. This stuff works great.

I used it on church windows at an old church that has a water well, which as you know, can have water with a high mineral content. I mixed some of this product up in a squirt bottle, sprayed down the windows and let it sit for about 30 minutes, then came back and rinsed it off. It took two applications, but it took off 40 years of hard-water buildup on those windows! Hope this helps -- Cheryl H., via e-mail

A: Many thanks, Cheryl! I had heard somewhere that dishwashing detergent could help clean off hard-water spots, but I've never tried it. Lemi Shine, however, is not a detergent, but an automatic dishwasher cleaner that removes mineral buildup due to repeated washes with hard water (water with a high mineral content). Acheck of the company's Web site (www.lemishine. com) reveals several additional uses, including cleaning hard-water stains from shower doors and removing buildup from fixtures.

This product and similar cleaners can often be used in a diluted form on glass, porcelain and chromed hardware. Just be sure to test the product in a small area of the item you are cleaning, to make sure chemicals in the cleaning product don't stain or react with the material (especially when cleaning metal fixtures or door frames).

HOME TIP: Hard-water cleaners developed for dishwashers may be used to clean buildup from other fixtures and appliances; always check the manufacturer's directions on the product label or the manufacturer's Web site.

Send questions or homerepair tips to homeguru2000@ hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.