General Cleaning Tips

Last Updated on Saturday, 12 September 2009 07:45 Written by Richard Wednesday, 02 September 2009 06:17

Use crumpled up black and white newspaper dipped in vinegar to wash windows. Dip paper in vinegar and wipe the glass until almost dry, then shine with dry newspaper or cloth.

• Children's stickers can be removed from wood by applying white vinegar to the sticker, letting it soak and then scraping off.
• Clean those dirty, dusty, mini-blinds in your house in a snap! Fill the bathtub with warm, soapy water and let the blinds soak. If they are white blinds add a little bleach to get rid of any stains.
• Remove spilled nail polish from wood furniture: Don't wipe it up! The solvents in nail polish soften most finishes, and wiping may take off the finish. Instead, let the polish dry completely; then gently scrape it off with a credit card. Wax the surface, using superfine steel wool.
• Use cooking or salad oil for lubricating non-essential mechanical things like hinges, tools etc. A light coat of oil will keep tools from rusting and you don't need to buy expensive and toxic chemicals like WD-40 etc.
• To get hard water deposits off of your fixtures try some diluted muriatic acid (available at pool stores or hardware stores), but don't store it near chlorine- they can combine and become explosive!
• Consider investing in a small rug cleaner to use for quick cleanups of pet stains and kid spills.
• If you have a busy schedule (and who doesn't?), and hate to clean, (and who doesn't?), make a schedule of what needs cleaning when and who will do it. If you have too much to do, consider hiring someone to come in once a month and do the chores you can't get to.
• Run your sponges through your dishwasher every few days, and dispose of them every few weeks. They breed bacteria because they do not get the opportunity to dry out in between uses.
• If you live in a two story house, keep a second vacuum cleaner upstairs; who likes to lug those things up and down stairs? Having 2 makes it easier to whip off some vacuuming when the mood strikes.
• Wash your child's toys after an illness to prevent reinfection or infection of another child.
• When washing windows, wipe the windows with newspaper, it won't leave streaks.
• Don't buy special cleaners to get out baby formula stains, use a little isopropyl alcohol on the stain, then a regular stain remover. Works like a charm.
• Cleaning ceramic tile: Regular rubbing alcohol works wonders for a ceramic floor. Just pour straight on and rub around with mop until it drys. Make sure children are not in the area during this process and have good ventilation in room.
• Removing Crayon from walls: use damp sponge and colgate toothpaste. Rub carefully.
• Removing scuff marks, pen, and pencil from walls: use a dry cloth and rubbing alcohol.
• Cleaning your carpet: Preparing for carpet cleaning? First sweep your carpet with a broom, this loosens up all the ground in dirt. Then vacuum. After that you might notice a big difference in the way your carpet looks. For wiping out stains, you can use a solution of 2 parts water one part ammonia in a spray bottle. Spray stain and wipe. For a dry cleaner use a mixture of 2 cups cornmeal and 1 cup borax. Sprinkle on carpet and let sit for one hour then vacuum. To remove pet odors, sprinkle carpet with baking soda and let sit for one hour, then vacuum.
• Make your own furniture polish: Yucky but works, take a slab of spam and rub it on your wood -- wipe with pantyhose. Or, make a concoction of: 1 tsp olive oil, juice of a lemon, 1 tsp whisky or brandy, 1 tsp water. Mix together and rub on furniture with cloth, buff for a deep shine.
• Cleaning a Keyboard: On a weekly basis, carefully vacuum the keys with the round brush attachment of your vacuum. Never spray keyboard directly, spray the a cleaning cloth with all-purpose cleaning solution and wipe it with it.
• Home oil spills: Paint thinner is best for this type of spill. Pour on spill and it will dissolve oil.
• Garbage Disposal: If you've got a lemon that's a little past its prime, cut it in quarters and run it through your sink disposal to freshen your drain.
• Use an alcohol(isopropyl)/water solution for cleaning mirrors. 1 part alcohol to 4 parts water. Cleans with no streaks. Coffee filters make great glass cleaning cloths.
• Dirty neck rings around shirt or blouse collars can be removed by putting shampoo on them. Rub the shampoo in like you were washing your hair. Shampoo is specifically made to remove body oils. A cheap bottle of shampoo kept by the washing machine is handy for all kinds of stains in clothing. Don't forget this trick when you are traveling.
• For removing ink stains: Ball point pen stains can be removed by using hair spray - let the hair spray dry and wash the item. Table salt will absorb ink when it is spilled - pour salt on the wet ink and continue to add salt until there is no more "wet ink". Then vacuum or wash. Other types of ink can be removed using rubbing alcohol.