Summertime Cleaning Tips
Summer Cleaning Tips By Mary Findley copyright@2003
This article may be reprinted but only with the accompanying bio
at the end of the article.
Oh those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer. Those lazy days turn
into hectic days when a few summer hazards pluck away at your
time. Let's take a look at a few easy solutions to summer
problems.
First, when you head to the gas station to fill your lawn mower
gas container, place this container inside a heavy-duty plastic
bag then inside a plastic bucket. Secure it to prevent it from
tipping during travel. Oil and water don?t mix. Should the
container tip in your car, there is little you can do to remove
the gas from carpeting.
A handy trick for cleaning hands outside: Cut off an old pair of
panty hose just below the knee. Slide your soap slivers into the
toe part. Tie the top end around an outdoor faucet and it?s a
quick way to wash outside. Cut off the rest of the leg part just
below the panty and place over your cotton dust mop for an
inexpensive and reusable "Swiffer". The panty part makes an
excellent polishing cloth for shoes.
Panty hose manufacturers really don't like me for giving out
this next handy tip but ? well too bad. After purchasing a pair
of panty hose, saturate them with water and place in a zip lock
bag. Fill the bag half full with water then freeze until solid.
Remove and thaw at room temperature. Freezing hardens the fibers
so they don't run so easily. Refreeze them occasionally for even
longer wear. One pair should last you a month or two.
Grass stains: Pour liquid dish soap onto the stains and allow to
set overnight. Rinse and wash as normal. Be certain to rinse out
the dish soap before laundering, otherwise it may cause too much
foam in your washing machine. This also does a great job on
soccer and baseball uniforms or for extra dirty socks.
Red clay: Follow the above directions only use a concentrated
orange cleaner instead. Do not rinse it out. Bio Ox is now my
favorite cleaner. It's ten times more potent than Orange Clean
and far more concentrated. You would need to call me to order it
at 800-345-3934. It's not available in the stores yet. Or find
Orange Clean at Bed Bath and Beyond. If you use Orange Clean get
the concentrated type. The pre diluted is not much good.
Underarm stains on shirts seem to worsen when we sweat. Before
washing saturate the underarm area with a 50/50 solution of
hydrogen peroxide to water. Allow that to set 30 minutes then
wash as normal. If you have been using bleach to whiten clothes
and they are now graying, switch to peroxide. The first time
pour 1 to 2 cups peroxide in your washer as it fills along with
your detergent. Add the clothes and soak for 30 minutes. After
the initial cleaning 1 cup works fine. You?ll find less
expensive peroxide at beauty supply stores. It?s a 20 per cent
solution so use only one-half cup.
Grease or oil: The orange cleaner does an excellent job. Use it
concentrated dab on the spot and wait 30 minutes or until the
oil has loosened. There is a product at the automotive supply
stores called GoJo. Use the liquid nonabrasive kind following
the above directions. It does contain petroleum distillates that
could leave a stain on clothing. Always test a spot before using
a cleaner.
Be careful of the orange cleaner you buy, many contain petroleum
distillates that dry certain fabrics and material. Check
clothing before placing in the dryer. Heat sets stains and if
any stain remains on the clothes, dryer heat makes it very
difficult to remove.
Mini blinds. Oh how they attract dirt. For lightly dusty blinds,
put a clean old cotton tube sock over one hand. Spray that with
and all purpose cleaner. My favorite all purpose cleaner is to
nearly fill a spray bottle with water then add one good squirt
of Ivory Liquid dish washing detergent and gently shake to mix.
Turn the slats of the mini blind down and wipe over the slats
turning the sock as it soils. Reverse the slats and walk around
behind them and repeat. To clean the cords, grab a can of
foaming shaving cream and gently dab on the cord. Wait 20
minutes then rinse. Strange as it sounds foaming shaving cream
removes many a stain.
If your blinds are past the point of no return then try this
handy trick. First pound two nails into the back part of your
home positioning them about a foot narrower than the width of
the blind. Remove the blinds one at a time and place on the
nails. At the grocery store purchase a can of Dow or Lysol Tub
and Tile Cleaner. Don't use the spray bottle because those don't
foam very well.
Put the blind on the nails and turn the slats facing down. Spray
the slats thoroughly with the tub cleaner starting at the bottom
of the blind working your way upward. Wait until the foam begins
to drip down from the top then wipe them down with a damp
sponge. Reverse the slats and turn the blinds over and repeat
the process. Dry and rehang. You should clean one blind in about
10 minutes without the mess of dunking them in the bathtub and
scratching the tub.
Mary Findley spent 12 years professionally cleaning homes and
developed a mop made to clean with ordinary terry cloth towels.
She also shares her cleaning tips and shortcuts with you twice a
month in her "Moppins Mail" newsletter. You can sign up for her
free newsletter at http://www.GoClean.com.