Cleaning Tips

BATHROOM Cleaning Tips

Bathtub Cleaning
Borax works great to get at those hard water stains, and all the other nastiness that collects over time in your tub in shower. Use it as you would a powder cleanser, and rinse well after scrubbing.

"I've found the best thing to clean our tub is to wipe it down with white vinegar then pour baking soda all over it, let it sit for awhile, then scrub as you would with scouring powder. Also works great on the faucets - sprinkle baking soda on stainless steel faucets, wrap with rag, pour vinegar over rag and let soak for awhile. This gets the stainless steel sparkling." Submitted by a reader

"You can use a rinse agent for the dishwasher in a spray bottle with water to keep soap build-up and water marks off your tub and shower." (Submitted by Susan)

1. Fill the container halfway with hot water & a couple of drops of dish detergent. Cover and blend; rinse and dry.

Use a soft bristle paintbrush, or a foam paintbrush. If using the foam one, use a wide one and cut a few notches in it to reach in between the blinds.

A number of helpful tips sent in by our readers on how to clean brass, at Brass Cleaning Tips and Techniques

Carpet Cleaning Tips

"For the person that asked about the spots on the carpet. I use Windex, my son spilled coffee on the light grey carpet of his truck and couldn't get it out. I sprayed the stain with the Windex and let it sit for a few minutes and then used a scrub brush and it came out. I have since tried it on many stains, not only on my rugs but on the furniture and it really works, on almost any stain." Submitted by Linda

1. Dip a damp rag in baking soda to clean up any inside spots. For odors, sprinkle bakingsoda in the bottom and let it stand overnight.

1. A damp rag, dipped in baking soda works great! Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
2. "I also saw on a tv show today that you can use WD-40 to remove crayon marks and then wash the item with dish soap to remove the film." (Thanks to Lisa for this tip.)

1. Loosen dirt with a toothbrush & run a paper towel through the cutting assembly. Then spray with non-stick vegetable spray.

Restore the bloom to a glass flower vase. Just mix 1/3 cup salt and 2 tablespoons vinegar to form a paste. Apply to inside of vase (for a large vase, double or triple the quantity of paste). Let stand 20 minutes, scrub, and discard paste. Rinse vase and dry.

1 gallon white distilled vinegar
20 drops essential oil (lavendar, tea tree, etc.)

Mix together and use as you would normal fabric softener. Use a cup or two.

"Nail polish remover dissolves permanent marker stains quite nicely and should be okay to use on doors or painted walls (although I would test it someplace inconspicuous first). As for wallpaper, it would probably depend on how porous it is, but hey, things probably can't get much worse!"

Candy suggests: "Make a paste of baking soda and water and spread on your oven racks and place between layers of newspaper that is wet. Let soak and remove, rinse and you should have shiny oven racks."

Remove cats hairs from clothes and furniture by rubbing with wetted rubber gloves

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

1. "Clean your silver jewelry with toothpaste! Saw it on some morning show about a million years ago and it really works! My husband uses Crest toothpaste, so that's what I use to clean my silver jewelry. Just put some toothpaste on a damp cloth and rub the jewelry gently. Rinse and dry carefully. The SLS in toothpaste (sodium laurel sulfate- an industrial de-greaser and sudsing agent), cleans tarnish and body oils from jewelry and the mint essential oil used to flavor the toothpaste leave a fresh minty fragrance that won't clash with your perfume (the last is a joke!). Works every time for me!" Tip from Julie.

2. "Select a pot large enough to hold your biggest item of silverware. Fill with sufficient water to cover the largest item to be cleaned. Bring to a boil. Lightly crumple a good sized piece of aluminum foil and place in the pot; add a sprinkling of baking soda. Submerge the silverware into the boiling pot. Be sure to have tongs handy so that you can easily remove the piece when it looks clean. This will only take a minute or so. Remove and place in hot soapy water, rinse well and towel well to remove all water spots. Your silverware should be sparkling clean without the fuss and mess and elbow grease!" Submitted by Avalon.

Stainless Steel Cleaning Tips

"Try BarkeepersFriend and scrub it with a "Scotch Brite All Purpose Never Scratch Wool Soap Pads for non-stick cookware, stove & countertops" (all this is on the front of the box). My husband managed to cement food onto a professional fry pan that I had given him as a gift (a $100 pan!!!) and I tried everything I could think of to get that pan clean. These two products together work wonders."

1. Coke can be used as a toilet bowl cleaner! Pour a can in, let it sit for a while and scrub. It'll be sparkling clean.

1. To remove pencil, crayon or ink marks from upholstery, use dry baking soda. Use a hairbrush or similar brush to rub baking soda and remove the marks.

Thanks to Kathy for this idea.
"Fill the washer with hot water. Add 1 quart of chlorine bleach (no detergent, please). Run the washer through the longest wash cycle. When the washer is still wet -- this should be immediately after the bleach cycle -- add 1 quart of white vinegar and run the washer through the same cycle again. This will clean out soap scum and mineral deposits from the spin basket and also from the hoses. If you live in an area with hard water you really need to do this every three months -- otherwise, every six months will do. You'll be amazed at the difference it will make."

Poliana wrote in with this idea...
"I've tried running the washer with 2 cups of white vinegar. Like in water kettles and coffee pots, the vinegar removes any hard water buildup. I've never tried this one: using coca cola. I've heard that coke can clean just about anything, including tough toilet stains. :)"

And here is Martha's suggestion...
"I use vinegar at least once a month in my washer. I set the water level to med. load and use 1 gallon vinegar in the wash cycle. After it has agitated for 4 minutes I shut the washer off and let it soak for about 30 minutes then continue with the cycle."

Water spots on wood - removal

Water makes a filmy gray spot. If not too deep, rubbing with the fingertip will remove the spot. Otherwise, use a small piece of cheesecloth tightly wrung out of hot water with 2 or 3 drops of household ammonia in it. Rub lightly and quickly with the cloth; then instantly rub with a soft oiled cloth. Finally go over the whole surfact with oil. Rub until all extra oil is used. Keep coasters under glasses and guard wood floors from dripping umbrellas!

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.