Rosie on the House: How do we clean stained travertine tiles?

QUESTION: We had a party and spilled wine on our travertine tiles. We washed it up, but we can’t seem to get the discoloration off the stone. What do we do now?

ANSWER: If you washed it thoroughly and there is still a stain left, you need to call a professional cleaning company to remove the discoloration. They will put a poultice, a sort of dressing, on it that contains liquid and an absorbent compound that will draw the coloring out of the stone.

Q: What is the best way to do regular cleaning of tile floors? Should we use a bucket of soapy water and a string mop?

A: The problem with that method is that as soon as you run that mop across the floor and put it back in the bucket, the water is completely dirty and shouldn’t be used again on the floor. First, dry-mop the floor to pick up dust and dirt. Then use a steamer to clean the tiles after that. The mop and steamer should both have microfiber cloth pads that run across the floor. Then be sure to launder any microfiber material in your washing machine frequently.

Compared to cotton cloths, microfiber cloths have fibers that help grab dirt and other debris. They’re easy to clean and maintain and won’t scratch delicate surfaces. Don’t use softener sheets in the dryer when you launder them or they may lose some of their cleaning power.

Q: I recently moved into a slump-block home built in Green Valley back in 1994. The previous owners put in a new, very efficient air conditioner about a year before they left. But they also left an older evaporative cooler up on the roof. Now that summer is here I’m wondering whether it’s better to run the AC full-time or use the evaporative cooler part of the time.

A: Evaporative coolers used to be a very affordable way to cool houses back in 1994. But because the efficiency of air conditioners has increased so much in the last five years, it’s probably better just to run the air conditioner full-time. It doesn’t make sense to run the evaporative cooler part of the time and then the AC later in the day when it starts getting hotter. Anyway, you can’t run evaporative coolers during the monsoon season because they don’t work well when moisture in the air increases.

Q: Why do they always prune bushes and trees in public places like shopping centers and business parks so severely? Is that good for the plants?

A: No, it can be very damaging to the plants. In many cases their root zones run under the parking lots, and for months during the summer, the temperature of the asphalt can measure over 100 degrees. In a case like that, you should leave as much leaf surface on the trees and bushes as possible to keep the plants healthy, but some people don’t seem to realize that.

Q: I have a mulberry tree with a large termite infestation. How do I get rid of them, and what are they doing to the tree?

A: It depends on where they are feeding. If they’re just feeding on the bark, you probably don’t need to worry too much. If there is decayed heartwood on the tree, they might be attracted to that and it could cause future problems for the tree. You probably need to have an arborist to look at the situation and possibly treat the tree.