Everyday Hints

How to Clean Your Feather Duster

If your duster is made of real feathers, pour a box of cornstarch into a strong plastic bag. Push the duster into it and tightly wrap the top of the plastic around the handle. Shake it really well and the cornstarch will clean the feathers. Shake off any leftover cornstarch outside.

Lemon Juice to remove gum

Lemon Joice will remove adhesive tape and gum from hands and clothes!

Remove the Bleach Smell from your hands

To remove bleach smell from hands,just pour a little vinegar or lemon juice over your hands then rinse. Bleach is alkaline, vinegar and lemon are acid, so they cancel each other out and balance the pH of your skin.

How to Clean A Vase

To remove tough stains from the bottom of a glass flower vase, just fill with water and add two Alka-Seltzer tablets.

Remove the Garlic Odor on Hands

To rid your hands of garlic odor, rub a piece of stainless steel while washing your hands under running water. It works like a charm everytime!

Must Do Spring Cleaning Checklist

Clear away clutter. Put magazines, mail, stray books, clothes and toys in their place.

Once the air is warm, open all the windows and let the spring air naturally deodorize the rooms.

Clean high and low. Remove the cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling, dust the tops of door frames and baseboards.

Clean one room at a time, beginning with the dirtiest one. Start at the back of the room and work toward the door.

Use a new vacuum bag and make sure to vacuum everything you can--drapes, lampshades, bookshelves, blinds, window and door frames and, of course, carpets and floors.

Deep-clean vinyl, laminate or wood floors. Because we typically track in a lot of dirt during the summer months, it's best to wait until fall to have your carpeting cleaned.

Clean (or replace) throw rugs and door mats.

Spot-clean walls and ceilings with a dry sponge or with as little water as possible.

Clean woodwork, window sills and vents.

Clean light fixtures, especially ceiling fixtures.

Vacuum bed mattresses, flip them over and turn the head end toward the toe end.

Replace furnace filters. (Yes, you have to continue to replace filters monthly in the summer, too, if you have central air conditioning) and remove any clutter from around the furnace.

Test your air conditioner and schedule necessary maintenance now--before the warm-weather rush.

Check basements, bathrooms and other damp areas in your home for mildew. Clean mildewed areas with a solution of one cup chlorine bleach to one gallon of water. To prevent mildew, make sure areas are dry and well-ventilated and use a dehumidifier in the warm-weather months.

Wash windows with a mixture of two tablespoons of household ammonia or white vinegar and one quart warm water. Wash with a cotton cloth and work from top to bottom. Squeegees make quick work of drying, but lintless rags or paper towels also do the job. To prevent streaking, don't wash windows in direct sunlight.

Submitted by Linda in Kansas City, MO

Remove Pet Urine and Odor from Carpet / Floor

Remove Pet Urine and Odor from your carpeting or flooring. 

Mix warm water with white vinegar (50/50 ratio) in a spray bottle.

Spray onto the area lightly.

Blot dry.

This will work to neutralize the area.

Use a solution made up of baking soda (1/4 cup) with the vinegar and warm water spray.
Spray onto the area or blot on with towel.

This will help to get to the pet stain that has been sitting for too long.

After successfully removing the stain from the flooring, you will want to allow the area to thoroughly dry. Use fans if necessary.

Then apply a sprinkle of baking soda over the area and allow it to sit over night.
Vacuum up in the morning. This will insure that odor has been removed as well.
Pet urine stain and odor removal can be successful if you spend enough time getting to the stain.

Never use ammonia on urine stains

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Use denture tablets to take care of those rings inside toilet. Just drop two tablets into toilet bowl and it will leave your toilet fresh and clean.

Removing Rust Rings in the Sink and Tub

If you get rust spots on your tubs or sink, don't spend a lot of money on expensive cleaners that don't work well. Just grab your tube of toothpaste. Make sure you use the paste and not the gel.

Simply wet the area a little bit then squeeze a generous amount of paste over the area and rub it in, then use an old tooth brush to brush away the stain. For stubborn stains, add more paste and some baking soda.

Homeade Metal Cleaners and Polishes

aluminum - using a soft cloth, clean with a solution of cream of tartar and water.
brass or bronze: polish with a soft cloth dipped in lemon and baking-soda solution, or vinegar and salt solution.

chrome - polish with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminum foil shiny side out.

copper - soak a cotton rag in a pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar. Apply to copper while hot; let cool, then wipe clean. For tougher jobs, sprinkle baking soda or lemon juice on a soft cloth, then wipe. For copper cookware, sprinkle a lemon wedge with salt, then scrub.

gold - clean with toothpaste, or a paste of salt, vinegar, and flour.

silver - line a pan with aluminum foil and fill with water; add a teaspoon each of baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil and immerse silver. Polish with soft cloth.

stainless steel - clean with a cloth dampened with undiluted white vinegar, or olive oil. For stainless cookware, mix 4 tbs baking soda in 1 qt water, and apply using a soft cloth. Wipe dry using a clean cloth.