Q–My bathroom sink has a pop-up type drain stopper that raises and opens by pushing down or pulling up on a rod at the top of the faucet body. My problem is that when I open the drain by raising it as high as it will go, it barely lifts up a fraction of an inch. As a result, the water drains out very slowly. How can I correct this?
A–If you look under the sink, near the back you will see that the push-rod that raises and lowers the pop-up stopper is connected to a linkage. The vertical flat link has a series of holes in it and the horizontal rod that comes out from the drain pipe goes through one of these holes.
If you remove the spring clip that holds this rod in place, you will be able to pull the rod out of its hole and move it up or down to a different hole–thus raising or lowering the maximum height of the pop-up stopper inside the sink.
Q–I have a cedar-lined clothes closet that was installed many years ago. The original scent is apparently all gone and I believe that without this scent the closet is no longer a deterrent to moths. Is there any way to restore the original cedar scent?
A–In many cases the cedar scent can be restored by first vacuuming the wood with a brush attachment and/or wiping it with a cloth to remove all dust. Then sand the wood surface with 100- or 120-grade paper and vacuum it again.
If the sanding doesn’t restore the scent, then you can apply one of the cedar oils that are available in some hardware stores and department stores, as well as by mail order from firms that specialize in furniture-finishing supplies. Merely wiped on, the oil leaves a cedar scent that will last for some time.
