Cleaning Tips

Yes,we know sometimes between your weekly cleanings, a spill or accident can happen that you need to clean yourself. Here are a few tips to make the job a little easier !

Bathtubs and Sinks:

Use baking soda and salt as a scouring powder and lemon juice or vinegar for the chrome and for certain tough spots. Baking soda with vinegar sprayed on it will fizz, acting like a foaming cleaner, and will help remove soap scum. You can use automatic dishwashing detergent as a scouring powder if the stains are really tough, but be careful. Automatic dishwashing detergent often contains bleach so you will want to make sure that you have rinsed the tub thoroughly before using this method to clean. Remember you never want to combine bleach with anything.

Carpet Deodorizer and Cleaner:

Use baking soda as a general carpet deodorizer. If left on long enough (5 or 6 hours) baking soda should also help remove stains. Simply sprinkle, let set, and vacuum. Shaving cream works wonders as a foaming carpet cleaner and stain remover. If shaving cream and baking soda don't work, you can also try meat tenderizer. Cover the dried stains with the tenderizer, let set, then sponge off with clean water.

Couches, Leather and Cloth:

For leather couches use saddle soap or Murphy's Oil Soap. For cloth sofas vacuum regularly and treat stains as you would treat carpet-stains.

Counters, Stove Tops, and All General Surface Cleaning:

Use baking soda and salt for scouring powders. Pour vinegar on top of the baking soda and let set for tough stains. Use vinegar and water to create a nice shine. Always wipe counters off with pure water after using any cleaning solution.

Garbage Disposal:

Pour half a cup of straight vinegar down the disposal, followed by 1/4c sea salt. It will act as a deodorizer and abrasive!

Hardwood floor cleaning:

Do not use Murphys oil soap! In addition to voiding some warranties, it will cause major problems if you redo your floors! Instead, use 1T lemon oil to 1 gallon warm water. For floors that are a little dirtier than usual, add a TINY DROP of Dawn to the water (no bigger than a dime size of soap!) Clean your floors with microfiber mop heads.

Microwave Cleaning:

To clean hardened food-spills in a microwave, place a microwave-safe container of water in the oven and heat for three minutes. Stuck-on food will then be easier to remove. Add about 1T sea salt to about a liter of warm water,and scrub. The salt acts as an abrasive to scrub off the grime!

Mini blinds:

Put some old socks on your hands. Spray the socks with soapy water. Hold the blinds between your hands and rub back and forth until clean.

Mirrors:

Clean the mirror from top to bottom while the mirror is cold, before you turn the light on. Instead of paper towels, use 000 steel wool with your glass cleaner.

Shower Curtains:

In general, always keep your shower curtain spread out and never bunch it into a corner. This will allow for better drying and less mold. For spring cleaning take the whole thing down and clean with soap and water Soak in salt water to prevent mold regrowth. For quick cleaning, fill a small bucket with a vinegar, water, salt and rubbing alcohol mix. Place the bucket on the rim of the tub. Bunch the shower curtain and dip the entire bottom of the curtain (where most of the mold is anyway) in the bucket. Let soak for a few hours. Remove and wipe/scrub with a kitchen towel. Rinse. Repeat as necessary.

Shower Doors:

Use vinegar and water for the doors. To clean the grime out of the tracks, pour vinegar inside and let set, then rinse.

Toilet:

Keep the toilet bowl ring-free by pouring a half-gallon of white vinegar or Cola in it once a month. Let it soak overnight before flushing. To avoid clogging and odors, pour one cup baking soda down the bowl weekly. To remove rings try a scrub brush and a bit of baking soda or bit of Tang (yes the drink). The Tang is a mild abrasive and the citric acid will help clean the bowl. Do not pour anything down the bowl, especially bleach, if you use a leave-in toilet bowl cleaner.

Walls:

For wallpaper, wood and other delicate surfaces use Murphy's Oil Soap. For plaster and more durable surfaces use one of our homemade cleaners.

Windows, Window Scratches and Window Screens:

Clean windows with a mixture of vinegar and water or vinegar/ammonia and water. For drying, try coffee filters. They're cheaper than paper towels and won't leave lint. Newspaper is also supposed to work well. Scratches from glass can be removed with a little toothpaste, but be careful. It works because its an abrasive, you don't want to overdo it and make more scratches. Small holes in window screens can be glossed over with clear nail polish to keep the bugs out.