Dear Mary: The copper post tops on my deck are becoming tarnished. Do you know of a natural (cheap) way that I can clean them without damaging the copper? I'm enclosing a photo, too. — Patti

Dear Patti: I really like this beautiful treatment on your deck. Thanks for sending the photo (that's always a good idea, by the way). Yes, I do have a solution, involving ordinary items from your pantry. It is cheap to make and easy to use, and it works great. Best of all, it contains no toxic chemicals.

COPPER CLEANER

—6 tablespoons table salt

—6 tablespoons flour

—white vinegar

Make a paste of equal parts salt and flour with a few tablespoons of white vinegar. Apply the paste on the copper with a soft cloth, and rub gently to remove tarnish. Rinse with water and dry.

Dear Mary: I have inherited a set of vintage aluminum canisters. Somewhere along the line, the canisters were washed in the dishwasher and came out so discolored they are no longer pretty. I have tried a couple of cleaning methods, but they did nothing to restore their beauty. Do you have any suggestions? — Ina

Dear Ina: Most aluminum is best washed by hand with dishwashing liquid to prevent a change in metal color and feel. When washed in a dishwasher, aluminum cookware and other items like these canisters can react and darken, due to mineral content in the water, chemicals in the detergent or high heat from the dryer. In most cases, though, this change in appearance is not permanent.

I am confident that you can remove the discoloration using such natural, ordinary items as lemon juice, vinegar or cream of tartar (depending on what you have handy), which you'll make into a paste by adding a bit of water. Apply with a soft cloth or sponge. Never use steel wool or any other type of abrasive applicator that could scratch the aluminum. Rub gently, rinse with warm water, and buff dry with a clean, soft cloth.

Any of these options should remove the discoloration and provide fast, effective results without damaging the metal.

Dear Mary: I'm hoping you have a recipe for homemade dishwasher detergent. Thanks in advance. — Preston

Dear Preston: Are you willing to experiment a bit? The following recipe has been met with mixed reviews, due to (I believe) how hard the water is. Provided you do not have a home water-softener system in place, give this a try.

Mix together equal parts borax and baking soda. Store in a dry place in a container with a tight-fitting lid. To use, add 2 tablespoons to the detergent-holding area (measure it, don't just dump it in). Instead of a commercial rinse aid, you can fill that reservoir with distilled white vinegar.

Again, do not use this homemade dishwasher detergent if you have a home water-softener system in place. The reaction between the system and this detergent could permanently etch glassware.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.