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Cleaning
There are many types of cleaning that need be done around the house. There are also many methods, tips, and tricks on how to clean. These question and answers about types and ways of cleaning.
11,817 Questions
How do you get permanent marker out of a couch?
Get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol out with a roll of paper towels. Wet the paper towel and blot the stain. Keep blotting with the alcohol and paper towel until the stain is gone.
Alcohol works great on ink stains on almost any surface, but permanent markers take a lot more work. Try any Whitening Tooth Paste.
How do you clean a dirty shirt collar?
To clean a dirty shirt collar, pretreat the collar with a stain remover or a mixture of detergent and water. Let it sit for a few minutes before washing the shirt as usual. For tough stains, consider using a soft-bristled brush to gently scrub the collar or seeking professional dry cleaning services.
How do you remove rust stains?
You can remove rust stains by using a mixture of lemon juice and salt or a paste made of baking soda and water. Apply the mixture to the affected area and scrub with a brush or cloth. Rinse thoroughly with water after the rust stain has been removed.
How do you get shower doors clean?
Try white vinegar in a spray bottle with a good tough scrubbing pad. It eats the hard water stains and soap scum. Hot white vinegar is even better. Answer I don't like the smell of vinegar in the shower. I found a great product at the home show for cleaning showers. Its called Scum OFF. Its completely safe and cleans all surfaces. It doesn't smell either. You can dilute it to make a daily shower cleaner too. It makes about 30 bottles of other cleaners so it doesn't really cost that much. Spray them with a mixture of 50/50 water and white vinegar and leave it to soak in a bit. You may need to go over it with a gentle pan scrubber and use an old toothbrush in the corners. If it is mildew (little black spots) use a mixture of water and bleach. Keep them clean by using a squeegee (a car one will do fine) and wiping the water off after every shower. I saw this on a TV show just today.
How can you remove blood from clothes?
To remove blood from clothes, rinse the garment in cold water as soon as possible. Then, you can soak the clothing in a mixture of cold water and a stain remover or detergent before laundering as usual. Avoid using hot water, as it can set the stain.
OxiClean was invented in 1997 by Max Appel. He was inspired by his interest in creating products that would effectively clean and brighten fabrics without using harsh chemicals.
How do you remove stains caused by lip balm being melted onto clothing in the dryer?
ok, lipbalm i believe is sort of a waxy substance... and the way i remove candle wax from my tablecloths is by putting the fabric between sheets of paper towel or any absorbent paper and going over it with a hot iron. the heat melts the wax and the paper absorbs it out of the fabric. change papers requently so you dont transfer the wax back into the material.
How do you clean marcasite and silver jewelry?
Because marcasites are often glued in sterling jewelry rather than set into the metal with prongs, etc., you must take extreme care with these items. You should avoid water or other liquids and just buff the jewelry with a silver polishing cloth. If you must clean area around the stones, use a soft, dry brush to remove any debris.
What is the difference between high efficiency and regular detergents?
They don't suds up as much.
You can use regular detergent in a HE washer, just use about a third to a half of what you normally use in a regular machine.
Hope this helps!
How do you strip wax build up from a laminate floor and then clean it?
First, do NOT wax laminate floors in the first place! They are not supposed to be waxed.
However, if you are in a situation like I am, namely the previous owners waxed your laminate and now it looks awful, you can try scraping the wax up with a credit card or store "club" card, or hitting it with a hot blow-dryer and wiping with paper towels. == Ammonia water will help dissolve and remove the wax. We used to do this periodically on our old-style asbestos tile. Works well and then you can clean as usual. It may take several tries to get it right. I also used Mop and Glow, which yellowed like wax, so this works to remove that, too.
I also used the solution provided by Eric and www.fixmyfloors.com he gave great advice and saved me a bundle.
Can you use front loading detergent for top loading washers?
Yes you can use. But if the front loading washers, if used with the right detergent are a great investment. You’ll save a lot of electricity and money as a result. Plus, front loaders are more sophisticated technology and hence arguably have been cleaning technology than the traditional top loaders.
How do you clean candle wax from brick?
A heating gun, you can buy one at wall-mart for about $29.00 It also removes paint,stain, and many other things with low mess. If you place a cloth over the wax and run a warm iron over the top of it, the wax will transfer to the cloth. This works on just about any surface.
How do you clean semen off suede couch?
To clean semen off a suede couch, first, blot the area with a clean, dry cloth to remove excess moisture. Then, sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on the spot to absorb the remaining liquid. Let it sit for a few hours before gently brushing off the powder. Finally, use a suede brush to gently scrub the area and remove any remaining residue.
How do you get body fluid stains out of black interior upholstery?
Steam Cleaner
You can also try a product called "Folex". I bought it at Lowe's for only $5.00 for 32 ounces. You spray it on, let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes and wipe with a paper towel. It's amazing. The stains almost disappear before your eyes.
If it is blood, you can also try hydrogen peroxide.
When I worked at the local GM we had a year old Envoy that a man had died inside (suicide) and rotted for about a week. This spilled about as many bodily fluids as you can imagine. The cure? The entire interior of the vehicle was discarded (including the dash and whatnot) and the cabin fumigated, then repainted. After installation, a new interior was installed. At a cost of only about $12K and three months off the road, the vehicle had no remaining stains or odors. If your body fluid stains are very bad, this procedure just might work for you!
How do you remove the glue from pill bottles?
One option for removing glue from a pill bottle is to use a product such as Goo Gone. People have also had success using white vinegar, or simply soaking the bottle in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
How do you remove an oily stain on a white comforter?
Most people I have looked at say Dawn liquid is the best. Put some directly on the stain, rub it in by hand, and when launder as usual. Yeah, I agree Dawn is good. You might also try gojo hand cleaner or Simple Green, too.
How do you get petroleum jelly out of a bed quilt?
This is going to sound really weird and please only use this as your last resort because I have tried it with other types of substances like petroleum jelly but not specifically that. First rub in vegetable oil wherever the petroleum is and that should break the petroleum down then all you need to do is wash the vegetable oil out with dish soap. Like I said, sounds weird.
How do you get a yellow pollen stain out of carpet?
Try club soda. Let it fizz and sit for a few minutes before rubbing gently with a clean, soft cloth. yerwatused - I would ignore the previous comment about rubbing anything. Rubbing pollen simply spreads it and pushes it in to the fabric. So, hoover lightly over the pollen stain so that any loose grains are lifted up. You can then apply a carpet cleaner, Vanish/DeSolve are products that work well. Once you've applied them dab gently with the cloth until you've removed it. You might have to do this a couple of times.
How do you remove furniture polish buildup from wood furniture?
Please, please, please do not "strip" your furniture just to remove wax buildup. Understand that "stripping" your furniture removes its original finish all the way down to the bare wood. This is not good for your furniture and if your treasured piece is an antique, "stripping" and refinishing will decrease its monetary value by as much as half. Would you remove the paint finish on your car because it was too hard to remove the dried turtle wax on the surface? The same principle applies here.
It is safer for your wood finish to have coating of wax than to be "stripped" of its finish altogether. In fact it's preferable. A good wax coating actually protects a wood's finish from many household pollutants such as cigarette smoke. And in environments where there is a lack of humidity, the wax will also protect the wood from splitting.
Also understand that wax buildup is a sign that your furniture's finish needs a proper cleaning, not a "stripping". Wax buildup is noticeable when a wax-base or oil-base furniture polish is applied over and over again without a proper buffing of its surface. The furniture surface will look dull. It might even feel slightly sticky to the touch. There are two methods to try to remove excess build up. One is to actually buff the piece with a soft lint-free rag. Old yet clean cloth diapers are perfect (if you can find them). First wipe off any excess dust then buff in a circular motion with some pressure applied to the surface. Keep doing this until the surface becomes less dull and sticky. If your cloth gets dirty, change to a clean one. Remember you want to remove and smooth out the excess wax on the furniture, not reapply it. Finish by buffing again with another clean cloth with the grain of the wood. If this is done properly, you will feel that your arms have gotten a good workout. Don't be afraid to use a little elbow grease.
If this does not work to your satisfaction or if the wax build up is too old, then its time to remove the excess wax. There are several products on the market designed to do just that. My favorite is a product called Vernax and is produced by the Hagerty's silver polish people. This can be purchased at Harry's Ace Hardware, any good antique furniture store, or online at http://hagertyusa.com/home/products/vernax.htm This is not a furniture stripper but is designed to remove excess wax, dirt and oils and will not harm your finish as long as it is used properly. To use apply a little to a clean cloth (not to the wood surface). Then buff the surface of the wood as describe above going first in a circular motion and then with the grain of the wood until dry. You will see a difference immediately. Remember a little will go a long way. After the Vernax treatment, I usually follow up with a good beeswax and/or carnuba wax based furniture polish which does not contain any linseed oil or silicone. Briwax or Johnson's paste wax is acceptable. The paste wax is applied in the same manner as the Vernax. Remember to keep changing cloths until they no longer pick up any residue and that a little wax goes along way. I use this method maybe once a year on furniture that is not in heavy use and twice a year on pieces that are in use everyday. The finish is maintained by weekly or bi-monthly dusting and buffing using only clean lint-free cloths. I use no other furniture polish or sprays other than what I've mentioned here on this website. I have even made my own beeswax furniture polish. The formula and its applications can be found on this Website under "How do you make beeswax furniture polish?"
As a curator, I've seen the damage done to beautiful furniture by overzealous, but well-meaning, do-it-yourself restorers. It takes practice and lots a patience to properly "strip" and restore a finish. In many cases where the finish is botched, the piece can be restored but its monetary value has dropped to almost nil. And the cost to properly refinish a treasured piece of furniture is exorbitant and not worth the value of the piece. Therefore Great-Grandmother's Hope Chest gets moved out into the garage and used as a tool chest or worst yet, tossed out into the garbage.
Murphy's oil soap is an easily found product, and works on some finishes. Do be careful, though as it will cloud some finishes. Those are best cleaned using the methods above. Never use a brillo pad, only 0000 steel wool.
COMMENT: Let me just say that Vernax, IS NOT, designed to remove EXCESS WAX. It is a cleaner, but not that kind of cleaner. I contacted Hagerty, maker of Vernax. They said that they had heard about the comment made online in regards to this claim. However it is untrue. They do have a great cleaner, polish and protectant. A wax remover, they do not have. So, save the $15 to $20, and put it in your gas tank. Your welcome.
How do you clean leaked ink from inside a Parker Ballpoint pen.?
You can try soaking the pen in warm water or using a solution of water and mild detergent to gently clean the inside. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and let it air dry completely before using it again. If the ink has dried, you may need to replace the refill.
How do you remove sticky tack from hair?
Try cooking oil or peanut butter to help make it removable. You may end up pulling out hairs while scraping it. When you have most of it out, wash and condition your hair. While the conditioner is in, try gently removing the remainder.
How is rubbing alcohol made and can it be homemade?
Yes, it can be homemade, but in most parts of the world this involves distilling to produce a spirit, like producing whiskey or vodka, and is illegal. The raw alcohol produced by fermenting and distilling biomass (ie it doesn't have to taste nice) is then blended with substances such as methyl salicylate (wintergreen) which have an effect on the skin's circulation, and on its nervous supply, making the surface hot. This blending also makes the alcohol quite poisonous: drinking it will get you drunk but the effects on the lining of your stomach are spectacular. In the UK its known as "surgical spirit."
How do you remove stains on furniture?
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water, or use a mild detergent mixed with water. Dab the solution onto the stained area with a clean cloth, then blot with a dry cloth. Repeat as needed until the stain is removed.
How do you remove silicon gel from tile?
petrol with an acid (lemon or vinegar or battery acid) in it will soften the silicon. (break some of the bonds) talcum powder will abraid it if you rub it in with something soft (finger-tip). hope this helps. Don't sand it. or use anything that's harder than the surface or you will leave some marks.
How do you get rid of the urine smell out of your bathroom ceramic tile?
Put straight white vinegar on the tiles and close the door and let sit for 1/2 hour. Rinse off then use the general tile cleaner you use. Or use Clorox spray. Let it sit. If that doesnt work there is a product called Urinegone, its in a black bottle.
