Eh, not sure about that honestly. A color cast in the blacks can be a style choice if it fits the mood you're going for. Sometimes a bit of warmth in the shadows adds more atmosphere than a pure black does.

Honestly, wait, sewing machine oil? That's wild. I've been buying that fancy branded stuff for years thinking it was the only option. Definitely gonna hit up the hardware store tomorrow and save like 20 bucks.

Man, that's rough. I really feel for you having to drive three hours back to fix that, what a nightmare way to learn a lesson.

You're totally right @reese_garcia! The difference is night and day once you see how lime handles moisture. I had a section of wall that kept getting those damp patches in winter with Portland mortar, and after repointing with lime it dried out evenly and stayed stable. The brick faces on that wall look way better now, no more chipping or flaking like before. It really makes you wonder why modern houses don't stick with lime from the start.

Wait, did you say $30? I picked up a bottle of the store brand stuff for like 8 bucks and it does the same thing. I was dead set against rinse aid for years, thought it was a total waste. But then my mom brought a bottle over and made me try it on my cloudy glasses, and yeah, it totally fixed the spots. The name brand is just fancy marketing, pretty sure they all use the same chemical anyway. Just grab whatever is cheapest next time, it will save you money and your glasses will still come out perfect.