---Tips & Tricks- Cleaning

Cleaning Tips for the Kitchen
	For more effective dishwashing, add a few tablespoons  of vinegar along with the dishwashing detergent when washing  dishes. The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves dishes sparkling.
	To clean up spills in your oven, sprinkle the spills  immediately with salt. When the oven has cooled, brush  away the burnt-on food with a damp sponge.
	To disinfect smelly sponges, wash sponge thoroughly,  then microwave it while it is wet, for a short period. When  you see steam from the sponge, the bacteria in the sponge  will be dead. Remove carefully, it will be hot! Wash the  sponge thoroughly before use. **Make sure the sponge  has no metal components!**
	To remove hard-water and lime build-up in a teapot or kettle,  pour in two cups of vinegar and bring to a boil. Let simmer  for about 10 minutes, then rinse well.
	To remove mineral deposits in a tea pot or burnt spots on  a coffee pot, put some ice cubes, cut-up lemon, and salt  with a tad water and swish around and let sit overnight.
	To whiten an old stained sink , poor a half cup of salt in it  and then scrub it with a lemon. Let it stand for a few  minutes and rinse.
	To remove skid marks on linoleum rub the spot with  toothpaste before washing the floor.
	To keep your plastic containers from getting stained  from tomato based foods, rub the inside with vegetable  oil before placing the food in the container.
	Kitchen surfaces: Mix in spray bottle, 1 part ammonia to  3 parts water. Or try diluted bleach solution in a spray bottle.  It will remove stains AND disinfect.
	Removing kitchen and food odors: Soak pure vanilla on a  cotton ball and place in a saucer. Put the saucer in the car  or refrigerator to remove odors. Keep cotton ball out of reach  of children as it contains some alcohol.
	Odor producing mold and bacteria in garbage cans: sprinkle  1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.
	Cleaning coffee maker: Pour straight vinegar into it as if you  are making the coffee, no filter is need. Turn coffee maker  on as if you were making a pot of coffee. Repeat this with a  new batch of vinegar until it runs clear of calcium deposits.
Cleaning Tips for the Bathroom
	Bars of soap too small to use effectively can be  pressed into the sides of new bars softened by recent use.
	Shower curtains can be renovated by being washed,  on gentle cycle, with a pint of white vinegar.
	If you have more than one bath to clean, keep separate  cleaning supplies in each bathroom, that way you can  clean the bath at a moments notice.
	To clean tubs and showers use a product that contains  phosphoric acid, their is no scrubbing involved. Buildup on shower doors: Wipe with lemon oil. Removes  buildup and keeps doors protected longer from future  buildup.
	Removing mildew from shower or bath: 3 parts bleach and  1 part water -- put in spray bottle. Spray on mildew areas  and it will virtually disappear.
Cleaning Tips for the Laundry Room
	To remove perspiration stains in clothing, soak in  warm vinegar and water.
	Microwaves can be used to emergency disinfect  clothes, such as a child's cap that another kid has put on,  as long as they have absolutely NO metal in the zippers,  buttons, rivets etc. ALWAYS place a cup of cold water  next to the article to absorb the heat and microwave on  high until the water is steaming.
	Removing mildew stains from clothes: Begin by  brushing of mold outdoors so you don't scatter mildew  spores in the house. On washable fabrics, pretreat by  rubbing detergent into the dampened stain. Then, launder  the items in hot water, detergent and chlorine bleach, if it is  safe for the fabric. If the stain remains, sponge it with  hydrogen peroxide, rinse and launder. If the item isn't  bleach-safe, soak it in an oxygen bleach that is safe for  colors, then wash it. Take non-washable fabrics to the dry  cleaner and tell them what the stain is.
	Urine Stains:For washable fabrics that can  be bleached… pre-soak them in cold water for at least  thirty minutes. Launder these fabrics in hot water using  detergent and chlorine bleach according to the directions  on the bleach container.  For washable, non-bleachable items,  sponge the stained area with a solution of equal parts  of household ammonia and water then launder the item  in warm water and detergent. Rinse it well. For non-washable items, sponge just the stained area with  clear water to which a few drops of ammonia have been added.  Then, sponge with clear water only.
	Gray Dingies: One cause of the gray dingies is  overloading the washing machine. When you do this, the  clothes cannot move freely, resulting in poor washing and  unremovable soil. To estimate the right-sized load, place  dry, unfolded clothes in the washer loosely until it is about  three-quarters full. Another cause is using non-phosphate  detergents, particularly the granular type. If you`re using a  non-phosphate detergent, use the hottest water possible  and dissolve the detergent in the water before adding the  clothes. If you have hard water, you might want to add  about a third to a half cup of packaged water softener  along with the detergent.
Miscellaneous Cleaning Tips
	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. http://www.thefunplace.com/house/tips/clean.html