This morning, I noticed that a couple of components of my husband's spare helmet had rust on it. Because I was unsure how to clean it, I decided to turn to the internet. The top results mostly involved vinegar. However, I wasn't too keen on the thought of using vinegar because of the smell and the effect the acidity might have on the metal.

That's when I came upon a suggestion given by a blog commenter. Her idea? Using aluminum foil and water. Basically, all you have to do is take some aluminum foil, dip it in water (or place it under running tap water), and then rub the rusted spots on your item. The rust will turn into sort of a brownish liquid, so keep some tissue paper handy so you can wipe it away.

If you're interested in reading about why aluminum foil plus water works on rust, this web page explains it pretty well.

Here are some "before" pictures.



How effective was this method? Very effective. I didn't even have to rub very hard to remove the rust. I did have to keep going back to the bathroom to wet the aluminum foil, though, so for convenience, I suggest you just keep a small cup of water close by to wet/rinse the aluminum foil in.

Here are the "after" photos, for comparison. There is still some discoloration, but it's not because of rust.



Do you have other go-to solutions for rust? Let me know in the comments below!

This is the line for the main entrance.



After going through baggage inspection, we left our bags at the counter and registered our names.


Here's a directory of the museum, if you're interested. As you can see, the exhibits on the 4th and 5th floor weren't open yet when we visited. I'm not sure when they'll be open but it's still worth a visit even without the two floors.



The first exhibit we explored was the Paintings of Philippine Orchids. The paintings line the walls of the corridor. I didn't take any pictures, however, since we breezed through the exhibit relatively quickly.




You can also browse pictures on this touchscreen monitor.


My favorite parts of the museum are the interactive parts, and The Marine Realm had the perfect interactive display for my son.



Another interesting display you can see at the museum is a large spinning globe.


I meant to take lots of pictures at the museum but we had such a fun time looking around that I forgot about it for the most part. So, in conclusion, yes, I definitely recommend visiting the museum. P.S. If you're bringing your children, you may want to visit Children's Park, which is right next door, too.


NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
T. M. Kalaw Street, Rizal Park
1000 Manila, Philippines
Museum hours: Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission is free

Because I was with my son, we spent majority of our visit browsing the children's books aisles. As such, the pictures here are all from that area.

From what I saw when I visited the other areas, though, a lot of the YA and Fiction books were around P160, P190, and P230.

There were so many books in the children's area that after a certain point, I forgot to take pictures already because I was too busy browsing.


I saw one Cars Touch-and-Feel book that was priced at P60, but most of the books I saw in the children's section were P100, P120, P160, P190, P230, P350, and P480. There were also lots of box sets and activity sets going for P480, P540, and I saw at least one that cost P700+.


Some of the books can also be found in multiple places/tables, so if there happens to be a lot of people when you go and you can't grab the book you want or they run out on one table, don't lose hope because you might find another copy later on while browsing.








Nail art activity box for P480.


Make It Easy activity book for P160, and Who's in the Tree? book for P230.



Learn to Write Colours and Shapes book for P100.


If your child loves The Very Hungry Caterpillar, you'll be pleased to know that there are lots of The Very Hungry Caterpillar activity books at the book sale, priced P100 - P390 (for the activity set in the tin).


Disney School Skills Shapes and Patterns for P160.


Space 4-in-1 Activity Pack and Safari Animals Activity Pack, P580 each.








The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Friends Make-a-Scene book for P120.


If I'm not mistaken, this storybook pillow is P540.



Disney First Words for P290.


Spin-the-Wheel Discovery Channel book for P120.


The Star Wars Rebels book costs P480.


I spotted a few books, aside from these, which can be used/read in the bathtub.


P160 each for these Snappers books.



If I remember correctly, these are P350 each.


For those worried about long lines at the cashiers, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. There is a long, winding roped area to guide shoppers and keep people from cutting in line. There are also assistants to point you to an open cashier.


You also don't have to worry about bringing your own bag, because they provide these plastic bags for shoppers. Of course, you can bring your own bag as well, especially if you plan on buying lots of books which would be difficult to hand-carry.