Post by joyce on Feb 25, 2008 4:48:25 GMT -6
Care of Leather and Suede
1. Leather should always be able to breathe when it is in storage, so never hang it in a plastic bag. To protect it from dust while it is hanging, buy some inexpensive king sized pillowcases, cut a hole in the top for a hanger and you've made an easy dust cover.
2. Polish leather shoes with the inside of a banana peel. It sound crazy, but the peel helps to condition the leather, it will look great.
3. Shine up and protect patent leather shoes with a little petroleum jelly.
4. If you get a grease stain on some leather, sprinkle the spot with some cornstarch and let it sit overnight. Brush it away in the morning and the cornstarch should have absorbed the grease.
5. Suede is even trickier to care for because it has a raised nap that can get matted and shiny. Occasionally rub suede with an emery board; it will loosen dirt and revive the nap.
6. Rub dried mud off of suede shoes with a white ink eraser, or try another piece of suede.
7. To treat spots, dab sparingly with a little full strength white vinegar.
Odor Eliminators
1. When you're steaming vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli the odor sometimes just lingers. Well, eliminate the smell by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water!
2. Ever noticed that plastic containers take on the smell of whatever you store in them. Well, for a lingering onion or garlic odor in your plastic ware, clean and dry it well and then pop it in the freezer overnight. Odors out.
3. This same trick works with stinky sneakers, slip them in a plastic bag and then pop them in the freezer overnight. The cold will kill the bacteria that's causing the stink!
4. If your closets are musty, spritz some cotton balls with your favorite perfume and stash the balls in the corners of your closet, it will keep them smelling great!
5. Musty carpets are often caused by excess moisture. Here's a one two punch for those odors, Sprinkle carpets with some scented baby powder, let it sit for a while and vacuum it up. The powder will absorb some of the moisture and the scent will linger in the air!
Spring Spruce Ups
1. Start at the top. Cut a slit in an old tennis ball, slip it over the end of your broom handle and then secure a used dryer sheet over the ball. This handy extension arm will grab dust and cobwebs from high corners and ceilings.
2. To shed some light, take the glass globes and hurricanes off of your light fixtures and wash away the dirt and grime. Add vinegar to the rinse water for a streak free shine!
3. Wash woodwork. Work from the bottom up to avoid streaking. A simple soap and water mixture will clean away fingerprints and dirt.
4. Spring is a good time to flip your mattress. This will also force you to take off all bedding and clean it. Vacuum the mattress and box spring. A hint, slip a couple of dryer sheets into the vacuum bag and it will release that fresh scent into the air as you work.
5. Move furniture so you can deep clean behind and underneath. If you're working alone, slip the plastic covers from coffee cans under the furniture feet and slide it with ease.
6. Take down curtains and draperies to be cleaned, and while you have them down, go to work on the windows.
Pillow Talk
1. If you have allergies and are concerned about dust mites, put your pillow in the freezer for a few hours! It will kill them, and then you can clean your pillows.
2. You can wash most polyester, foam and down pillows. Wash them on a gentle cycle with cool water. Don't wash more than two pillows at a time or you could break your washer! (A tip, run the pillows through a second spin cycle just to be sure all of the excess moisture is out of them).
3. Check the label on your pillow to see whether they can be tossed in the dryer on low heat. If it can, put a few clean tennis balls in the dryer with them. The balls will keep the filling even!
4. Don't wash the pillows too often, in between washings, invest in some zip-on pillow covers. These will help keep body oils off of them and keep dust to a minimum.
5. Just remember to wash the pillow protectors when you change your sheets.
Prevent Laundry Mildew
1. Never throw damp clothing or towels down a laundry chute or into a hamper. Damp closed quarters are the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew.
2. Don't let clean laundry sit in the washing machine for more than a few hours. If you do happen to forget a load re-wash it in the warmest water the clothing will take and then add a cup of white vinegar to the cycle along with your detergent.
3. This also goes for your dryer. Remove clothes promptly so if there are items that didn't dry completely you can take care of it before the mildew starts to creep in.
4. You should also make sure that your dryer is properly vented to the outside of your home so that it doesn't spit moisture back into your laundry room.
5. If you hang a lot of clothes to dry consider running a dehumidifier in the room to help suck the excess moisture out of the air so the laundry smells nice and fresh.
Wash Day Wonders
1. When washing a brightly colored item for the first time, add a teaspoon of Epsom salts to the water to keep the material from fading or running.
2. No epsom salts? Soak brightly colored clothes in cold salt water before washing them, it will help set the colors and keep them brighter.
3. When you're washing whites and you run out of bleach, add three tablespoons of peroxide in its place.
4. Peroxide will also remove blood stains on white clothing. Just use a cotton swab to dab some on the stain, wait for it to fizz up and then launder it as you usually do. The stains will disappear.
5. Accidentally wash a wool sweater or blanket? No problem. Soak it in lukewarm water and hair conditioner. A tablespoon of hair conditioner per gallon will loosen those fibers so you can reshape the item.
6. Washing shower curtains or vinyl tablecloths? Add a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle will keep the plastic pliable and lasting longer.
Washer and Dryer
1. Clean your washing machine a couple of times a year. Wipe down the housing with a baby wipe. This will give you a quick and easy clean. Don't forget to lift the lid and get around the inside rims.
2. To clean soap scum and hard water deposits from the water jets and drainage system run the washer through an empty hot wash cycle with a gallon of white vinegar.
3. Hit the dryer with a baby wipe too, and then check out the lint screen. A quick wipe with a dryer sheet or washcloth will remove imbedded lint and dust. While you have the screen out use your vacuum to clean the inside of the lint trap.
4. You should also remove and vacuum the exhaust hoses at least couple of times a year you want to be sure lint isn't building up inside the hose.
5. Items like crayons, pens and lip balm can make it through a washing machine undetected, IT'S when they hit the dryer that you run into trouble. So, if you find stains on the inside of the dryer, use a washcloth and some rubbing alcohol to remove them. Then clean away the rubbing alcohol with a clean damp cloth before running the dryer.
1. Leather should always be able to breathe when it is in storage, so never hang it in a plastic bag. To protect it from dust while it is hanging, buy some inexpensive king sized pillowcases, cut a hole in the top for a hanger and you've made an easy dust cover.
2. Polish leather shoes with the inside of a banana peel. It sound crazy, but the peel helps to condition the leather, it will look great.
3. Shine up and protect patent leather shoes with a little petroleum jelly.
4. If you get a grease stain on some leather, sprinkle the spot with some cornstarch and let it sit overnight. Brush it away in the morning and the cornstarch should have absorbed the grease.
5. Suede is even trickier to care for because it has a raised nap that can get matted and shiny. Occasionally rub suede with an emery board; it will loosen dirt and revive the nap.
6. Rub dried mud off of suede shoes with a white ink eraser, or try another piece of suede.
7. To treat spots, dab sparingly with a little full strength white vinegar.
Odor Eliminators
1. When you're steaming vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli the odor sometimes just lingers. Well, eliminate the smell by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water!
2. Ever noticed that plastic containers take on the smell of whatever you store in them. Well, for a lingering onion or garlic odor in your plastic ware, clean and dry it well and then pop it in the freezer overnight. Odors out.
3. This same trick works with stinky sneakers, slip them in a plastic bag and then pop them in the freezer overnight. The cold will kill the bacteria that's causing the stink!
4. If your closets are musty, spritz some cotton balls with your favorite perfume and stash the balls in the corners of your closet, it will keep them smelling great!
5. Musty carpets are often caused by excess moisture. Here's a one two punch for those odors, Sprinkle carpets with some scented baby powder, let it sit for a while and vacuum it up. The powder will absorb some of the moisture and the scent will linger in the air!
Spring Spruce Ups
1. Start at the top. Cut a slit in an old tennis ball, slip it over the end of your broom handle and then secure a used dryer sheet over the ball. This handy extension arm will grab dust and cobwebs from high corners and ceilings.
2. To shed some light, take the glass globes and hurricanes off of your light fixtures and wash away the dirt and grime. Add vinegar to the rinse water for a streak free shine!
3. Wash woodwork. Work from the bottom up to avoid streaking. A simple soap and water mixture will clean away fingerprints and dirt.
4. Spring is a good time to flip your mattress. This will also force you to take off all bedding and clean it. Vacuum the mattress and box spring. A hint, slip a couple of dryer sheets into the vacuum bag and it will release that fresh scent into the air as you work.
5. Move furniture so you can deep clean behind and underneath. If you're working alone, slip the plastic covers from coffee cans under the furniture feet and slide it with ease.
6. Take down curtains and draperies to be cleaned, and while you have them down, go to work on the windows.
Pillow Talk
1. If you have allergies and are concerned about dust mites, put your pillow in the freezer for a few hours! It will kill them, and then you can clean your pillows.
2. You can wash most polyester, foam and down pillows. Wash them on a gentle cycle with cool water. Don't wash more than two pillows at a time or you could break your washer! (A tip, run the pillows through a second spin cycle just to be sure all of the excess moisture is out of them).
3. Check the label on your pillow to see whether they can be tossed in the dryer on low heat. If it can, put a few clean tennis balls in the dryer with them. The balls will keep the filling even!
4. Don't wash the pillows too often, in between washings, invest in some zip-on pillow covers. These will help keep body oils off of them and keep dust to a minimum.
5. Just remember to wash the pillow protectors when you change your sheets.
Prevent Laundry Mildew
1. Never throw damp clothing or towels down a laundry chute or into a hamper. Damp closed quarters are the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew.
2. Don't let clean laundry sit in the washing machine for more than a few hours. If you do happen to forget a load re-wash it in the warmest water the clothing will take and then add a cup of white vinegar to the cycle along with your detergent.
3. This also goes for your dryer. Remove clothes promptly so if there are items that didn't dry completely you can take care of it before the mildew starts to creep in.
4. You should also make sure that your dryer is properly vented to the outside of your home so that it doesn't spit moisture back into your laundry room.
5. If you hang a lot of clothes to dry consider running a dehumidifier in the room to help suck the excess moisture out of the air so the laundry smells nice and fresh.
Wash Day Wonders
1. When washing a brightly colored item for the first time, add a teaspoon of Epsom salts to the water to keep the material from fading or running.
2. No epsom salts? Soak brightly colored clothes in cold salt water before washing them, it will help set the colors and keep them brighter.
3. When you're washing whites and you run out of bleach, add three tablespoons of peroxide in its place.
4. Peroxide will also remove blood stains on white clothing. Just use a cotton swab to dab some on the stain, wait for it to fizz up and then launder it as you usually do. The stains will disappear.
5. Accidentally wash a wool sweater or blanket? No problem. Soak it in lukewarm water and hair conditioner. A tablespoon of hair conditioner per gallon will loosen those fibers so you can reshape the item.
6. Washing shower curtains or vinyl tablecloths? Add a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle will keep the plastic pliable and lasting longer.
Washer and Dryer
1. Clean your washing machine a couple of times a year. Wipe down the housing with a baby wipe. This will give you a quick and easy clean. Don't forget to lift the lid and get around the inside rims.
2. To clean soap scum and hard water deposits from the water jets and drainage system run the washer through an empty hot wash cycle with a gallon of white vinegar.
3. Hit the dryer with a baby wipe too, and then check out the lint screen. A quick wipe with a dryer sheet or washcloth will remove imbedded lint and dust. While you have the screen out use your vacuum to clean the inside of the lint trap.
4. You should also remove and vacuum the exhaust hoses at least couple of times a year you want to be sure lint isn't building up inside the hose.
5. Items like crayons, pens and lip balm can make it through a washing machine undetected, IT'S when they hit the dryer that you run into trouble. So, if you find stains on the inside of the dryer, use a washcloth and some rubbing alcohol to remove them. Then clean away the rubbing alcohol with a clean damp cloth before running the dryer.
Almost skeered to see what's behind there. 