December 7, 2011: Homemade Stain Solutions

As you begin to take our your Christmas decorations after being stored for a year or so, you may see that some of the items are stained. Luckily, getting your holiday décor in tip-top shape for parties or guests is a breeze when you use simple household ingredients.

Note: I was reminded of many of these recipes after reading last week’s American Profile magazine (I want to give credit where credit is due).

Coffee Cup Stains

One of my favorite holiday displays is a collection of snowman coffee mugs I put in the hutch cabinet in my kitchen. But during the holidays, I often serve my guests hot chocolate and tea, which tend to leave stains in the bottom of the cups. The solution? A teaspoon of baking soda and water to fill the cup will do the trick. For really stubborn stains, fill the cup with plain white vinegar and allow to sit overnight.

White Tablecloths and Linens

Tablecloths that are stored for long periods of time tend to get yellow. Make them bright white again by soaking in a basin of cool water to which the juice of one lemon has been added (you can also do this in your washing machine prior to running a regular washing cycle). Use a tablespoon of vinegar in the rinse cycle for even more brightening.

Before washing a load of whites, let them soak for half an hour first in the washing machine with 1 to 2 cups hydrogen peroxide added to the normal amount of laundry detergent.

To remove grease stains from napkins, rub in a bit of liquid dish detergent before laundering.

 

Carpet Stains

I haven’t tried this one myself yet, but Mary Findley, quoted in the American Profile article, claims that shaving cream works well to remove stains from furniture because it stays on top of the fabric. The same concept should hold true for carpet; just be sure to test it on an inconspicuous spot first in case it has an adverse effect on the dye.

Plain sudsy ammonia, diluted with warm water, works well on small carpet stains. Spray it on and then use an absorbent white cloth to absorb the liquid (use the bottom of your foot to dab at the stain with the cloth). Repeat as many times as necessary to remove the stain. This works well on spilled red wine, juice or soda.

March 21, 2011: Miscellaneous Spring Cleaning Recipes

I’ve been laboring under a delusion for some time now. I always thought the first day of spring – the vernal equinox – was scheduled for March 21st. It was my pastor who set me straight. I did a bit of research on www.timeanddate.com and found out that the equinox can occur on either the 20th or 21st of the month and this year it happened to be the earlier date. Spring officially began at 11:21 PM, marking the date when day and night became nearly equal.

So… I had meant for today’s post to be about spring cleaning in honor of the first day of spring but I guess I’m a few hours late. Oh well, this stuff happens. Onward and upward with our spring cleaning chores!

I tend to break up my spring cleaning chores because it’s just too much to do all at once. Each time I clean my house, I select one job that I never get around to but once or twice a year. A few weeks ago it was cleaning the back side of the wooden louvered doors to my pantry. Boy, that was a real eye opener! The back of the slats were black with grime. Yuck! Now, however, they are clean and dust-free. This past weekend I moved my couch out from the wall and vacuumed up all the dog hair, dust bunnies, and accumulated filth from underneath. It’s tasks like those that make spring cleaning very time-consuming – but oh so satisfactory.

I’ve shared lots of cleaning formulas this past month and now I’ve compiled a list of miscellaneous recipes for various cleaning tasks. Here they are, in no particular order.

Mold – make a paste of salt, vinegar, and a bit dishwashing liquid and apply to the mold, then wipe off with a wet rag. Or you can use foamy shaving cream.

Carpet Cleaner – make a paste of Fels Naptha soap suds, water, and borax. Test on a small, inconspicuous area first to be sure this solution doesn’t bleach your carpet.

Sterling Silver and other types of jewelry – scrub with white toothpaste then rinse with water. Be careful of soft stones, such as opals, which shouldn’t be scrubbed.

Mirrors – brew a week tea using plain Lipton or other black or green tea and put in a spray bottle. Wipe off with dry, white coffee filters.

Dusting (non-wood items) – in a container with a lid (like the one I use for homemade all purpose wipes), add water plus a few drops of lemon. Add paper towels (cut a roll in half) or white dusting cloths. Squeeze out excess water from the paper towel or cloth and use to clean the dust from veneers, plastics, countertops, etc.

Brass – use full-strength Worcestershire sauce (wipe on and then remove with a clean, damp cloth), ketchup, or a paste of lemon juice and salt.

Silk Flowers or plush baby toys – place in a paper bag and sprinkle with salt. Shake and remove.

Garbage Disposal – for tough odors, make a tray of vinegar ice cubes and toss a couple down the drain, then run the garbage disposal.

Toilet Bowl – if your toilet bowl is terribly stained, soak paper towels in cola, then plaster them along the inside rim of the bowl. Let sit for about an hour, then remove and flush.