Category: Home Cleaning

A cigarette smell not only lingers, it clings to and yellows everything in its path — also isn’t easily washed out of draperies, if they’re washable at all. Some cleaning products help dispose of this kind of odor better than others do.

Washable Ones

Launder washable draperies in the hottest Water indicated on the label; cold water does not loosen, remove or melt a sticky smoke picture as efficiently. Add 3/4 cup of borax or baking soda, or 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash water along with your regular detergent for odor-neutralizing power. If the smell remains, repeat the washing procedure up to five times, indicates the American Cleaning Institute. Hang drapes outside to dry to avoid shrinkage and also to let fresh air filter through the cloth.

Finicky Group

Dry cleaning with an enzymatic product designed for odors can remove a cigarette odor from dry-clean-only drapes. Allow the dry cleaner understand about the particular odor you would like removed. If the odor remains, hang the drapes outside for a few dry, sunny days. Or lay the dry drapes in your ground, sprinkle them with baking soda, wait 1 hour, then vacuum the cloth, working in the center outward. Weight the edges to keep the material flat. Repeat the procedure on the other side.

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White cabinets can get a yellow tinge unlike double cabinetry, which seems to hide yellowing. Clean, white cabinets are a bright portion of many a kitchen or bathroom. The yellowish tinge which seems to creep over them with time is preventable, however; discover the reason and implement the treatment.

Be a Fan of Your Fan

When you’re cooking, these delicious smells rising to the air in the kind of microscopic food or grease particles have to land someplace; do not let them accumulate on your own white cabinetry. Whenever you begin boiling, broiling, deep-frying or baking, turn on the exhaust fan or range hood to filter out at least some of those nesting pieces before they build up yellow and on the surrounding surfaces. If your bathroom cabinets are yellowing, turn on the fan prior to running a bath or turning on the shower, and leave it on till the humidity or damp, soap-filled air clears.

In case Smoking Turns Teeth Yellow…

If you’re a smoker, smoking outdoors — or quitting — might help keep your white cabinets, and ceiling and walls, from yellowing. To remove an existing yellow tinge, clean your cupboards with a fizzy mixture of 1 cup of vinegar, two cups of warm water and one tablespoon of baking soda.

Hold the Sealer

Yellowed cabinets which will not come clean can benefit from a coat of white paint, but after painting them, then you might have a tendency to give them a protective coat of polyurethane, even a top-coat sealer — hold off until you consider the facts. Oil-based sealers, as well as some water-based sealers, can yellow over time, which might have resulted in the original issue. If you would like to give your cabinets a protective top coat, use a stain-blocking primer and good-quality bathroom-and-kitchen paint to begin with.

Rethink Spring Cleaning

You probably spot clean your cabinetry during the entire year and wipe down it entirely on your spring-cleaning efforts, but that might not be enough. Yellowing occurs gradually. Instead of once a year, give your white cabinets a monthly “bathroom,” with a solution of warm water and grease-busting dish soap and enjoy yellow in the kind of bananas and lemons, instead of discolored cabinets.

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Use a particular set of maintenance instructions to keep your stone coasters looking their best. You can maintain the natural beauty of stone without causing damage to the surface from identifying the stone and where it came from. For best results, check the manufacturer’s directions prior to using any cleaning products on natural stone.

Sandstone Coasters

Sandstone is just a porous substance that instantly soaks upward moisture and holds onto it until it evaporates. As it’s highly absorbent, liquids like tea, coffee, wine and fruit juices can cause stains if not flushed out immediately. Run under warm water and scrub lightly as soon as the staining material comes from contact with sandstone. A delicate alkaline cleanser containing a stone and tile cleaning product may be used if needed. Avoid using cleaners containing bleach because they might leakage and damage the surface.

Slate Coasters

Slate is harder and more durable than sandstone. Slate coasters are comparatively absorbent and are resistant to scratches and stains. Slate does not need as much upkeep as other stones and can be washed with warm water and a small quantity of a mild soap when cleaning is needed.

Marble Coasters

Marble requires extra maintenance, especially in regards in contact using an Poisonous liquid like juice or tomato sauce. Immediately wipe a marble coaster with a damp cloth if it comes in contact with a staining fluid. Use a marble-cleaning product to remove stains. Don’t use soap or chemical cleansers that are acidic in nature.

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No matter how well you take care of your bathroom, it wo not look clean in the event the shower doors have a muddy layer of mineral deposits. These deposits are mainly composed of lime scale, otherwise known as calcium carbonate, and if you’ve tried to wash them off with soap and water. You are aware that this method is futile. You will need something that dissolves lime, and you do not need to look far to find it.

Dissolving Lime Scale

The chemistry involved with cleaning calcium carbonate deposits is not that complex; most acids react with potassium carbonate to produce water, carbon dioxide and other compounds. Strong acids work faster than weak ones, however you do not want to spray your shower door using a strong acid like hydrochloric acid, that can burn skin and cause damage in the bathroom. It is not simple to discover a weak acid that could do the job, but you probably have several in your kitchen. Any soft drink that contains phosphoric acid, such as coke, is one option, however there are much better ones that won’t make your bathroom sticky.

Vinegar and Lemon Juice

Vinegar has many uses, and by virtue of the acetic acid it contains, among these is dissolving lime scale. Lemon juice is also similarly effective, since it comprises citric acid. Whether you take advantage of either one separately or blend them together, these acids require time to get the job done. Pour vinegar, lemon juice or a mixture of both at a plant-spraying bottle, mist the solution on the shower door and let it stay there for 10 to 20 minutes before washing it off with soap and water. The remedy is slender and runs off quickly, which means you may need to spray several times to keep the lime deposits moist.

Coping with Stubborn Deposits

If you haven’t washed your shower doors for a little while, there may be considerable lime accumulation, particularly on hinges and metal door frames. Either vinegar or lemon juice can eliminate it if it remains in contact long enough. To protect against running, create a glue with salt or borax — do not use baking soda, because it’s a foundation and reacts with either silicon to neutralize it. Spread the glue on the area you need to wash and scrub with a toothbrush, adding more as necessary. For problem stains, then spread the glue and allow it to work for an hour or two — or even immediately — before washing and scrubbing it off, using water in the shower.

Fast and Easy Alternatives

Should you would rather a faster-acting commercial product, you can locate a number of these in the hardware store. These tend to be more corrosive than vinegar or lemon juice, so wear rubber gloves and goggles when you use one of these products. You may also have success using the cleaner you use for your own bathtub. In a pinch, you can use oven cleaner, which also removes lime scale, and you may also have success using a laundry pretreatment. If the deposits have been mild, try rubbing them off using a fabric-softener dryer sheet.

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A silver-cleaning product with the words “poison,” “flammable,” “corrosive” or “harmful if swallowed” on the tag probably doesn’t inspire much confidence when you’re searching for a silver cleaner. It possibly has you searching for home remedies so that you can avoid those awful, toxic substances. The good news is it’s possible to earn a homemade remedy from common household ingredients to get all your silver clean and shiny.

Gather the Ingredients

Start by laying out an old towel or cloth on a flat work surface, such as the dining or kitchen table or kitchen countertop. You will need a measuring cup, baking soda, white pepper, white vinegar, a sheet of tinfoil, a large bowl, a pan and a microfiber polishing cloth. Have a tbsp handy for measuring the salt and baking soda. If you want to do the job on the stove, you’ll need a set pan.

The Prep Work

Boil the cup of water in a pan on the stove. If you’ve got a microwave, you can heat it there for just one minute on high, but use caution to avoid getting it too hot, since you can seriously burn yourself. Cut a sheet of tinfoil to line the bottom of the bowl, shiny side up. Add one tablespoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of white pepper to the bottom of the bowl atop the foil. Gradually pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar into the mixture. When the vinegar mixes with the baking soda, it begins to fizz. Thoroughly mix the vinegar and the dry ingredients until they dissolve.

The Waiting Stage

Add the warm water into the mixture in the bowl. Establish the silver-plated spoons that you would like to wash on the tinfoil so they’re covered by the mixture. The only thing you have to do is turn them over with tongs to receive full exposure, since the chemistry and makeup of the various ingredients combined with the tinfoil do all the hard work for you. Allow the spoons sit in the mixture in 2 minutes to an hour, depending on how tarnished they’re. Then remove one spoon at one time, dry and buff it with the polishing cloth, which should get rid of any remaining tarnish. You can also add the spoons to your pan of boiling water on the stove, after adding 3 tablespoons baking soda along with a crumpled ball of aluminum foil. Remove when the tarnish dissipates.

White Toothpaste

Another method for cleaning silver begins with a tube of white toothpaste. All you need to do is coat the spoons, rubbing as you operate, with a bit of toothpaste. Allow the toothpaste, then wash the spoons in warm soapy water. Buff and polish dry. If you are cleaning spoons with etched designs, or jewelry, then an old toothbrush may help spread the toothpaste into all the crevices. You can also use the toothbrush with the warm soapy water to remove the toothpaste before drying.

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Cleaning kitchen cupboards occasionally means removing odors left behind from cooked meals or spilled materials. Air out the cupboards, wash all cabinet surfaces and use natural odor removers to remove any lingering scents.

Air It Out

Regardless of what the origin of the odor, airing out the cabinet helps eliminate the problem. Open the cabinet doors and doors, and eliminate everything stored in the cabinet. If the odor is smoke or cooking associated, such as a burnt-popcorn odor, air out the kitchen as well. Open windows and turn on a ceiling fan. Use a box fan in a window, then aimed to draw air from the room, if needed. If the smell is musty and induced by damp conditions, place a dehumidifier in the room or turn in an air conditioner to pull extra moisture from the atmosphere.

Wash All Surfaces

Wash the cupboards inside and out with a soft cloth or sponge dipped in warm, soapy water, using a plant-based oil soap or mild dish soap since the cleaning component. Keep the cloth or sponge damp, not soaking wet, then follow up with the other slightly damp cloth. Dry the cupboards with a towel or enable them to air-dry with the doors and drawers open. This cleaning also helps eliminate any deposits from spilled substances within drawers or on cabinet shelves.

Deodorize While Cleaning

From time to time, the smell clings to the surfaces on and at the cupboards. Totally wipe down the cupboards with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar onto a slightly damp sponge or lint-free cloth. The vinegar helps cut oily deposits whilst eliminating odors.

Odor Obliterators

After the cupboards are cleaned and dried inside and out, the odor ought to be gone. Otherwise, or when the smell is in dry, fairly fresh paint or varnish and washing is not feasible, place a bowl of vinegar, baking soda or coffee beans at the closet and shut to the cabinet overnight. All of these substances remove odors.

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