Q. This week: The joint between our cast iron tub and the tiling on the wall has turned almost completely black. Nothing I put on it will clean it to the point that it is white, the way it was when it ...

Reader Beacham Hoyle says he was able to clean soot from fireplace bricks with hydrogen peroxide. Hoyle says he sprayed the peroxide on dirty bricks and “the black stuff just rolled down. It also ...

Q. I am using your column titled “Recaulking Is Dull Work but Worth It” as a guide to recaulking my tub. I have never caulked before, but your column went into such detail, I thought I’d give it a try ...

Dear James: I try to keep the bathroom as clean as possible, but the caulk around the bathtub and shower stall is black. Can you tell me how to clean the caulk or how to replace it if that is ...

Q: My landlord’s novice repair person caulked around the bathtub — twice. Both times, the caulk pulled away from the wall. Why? And what’s the right way to do it? A: New caulk doesn’t stick well to ...