Household tips

Household tips Ballpoint Pen Marks

Wood or Painted surfaces - use distilled white vinegar. Dab it on with a clean rag, then blot off. repeat as often as needed until the marks come off.

Wallpaper - dampen spot with water, then apply a very light coat of hair spray. Let it set a minute, then blot with a dry rag.

Removing Water And Chemical Stains From Glass

Spray a thin coat of oven cleaner on the glass and leave for about an hour. Wipe off with a damp rag. Warning don't use this process on cut or engraved glass.

Deodorizing Your Home.

Place a small mesh bag of pot pouri inside your air vents and air conditioner outlets ( do not do this in heating vents). The air circulation will spread the perfume throughout your home. Add a few drops of essential oils into your pot-pouri each month for continued deodorizing. Place solid room deodorizer near your heating outlets in the winter months.

Cleaning Lampshades

Sprinkle lampshade with bi-carbonate of soda, leave for 5 minutes then using a clean paint brush, brush it over, vacuum to remove the soda from fabric. This also helps to remove the smell of tobacco smoke residue and odours.

Soap Holders

Place a sponge in your soap holders and leave cakes of soap on the sponge. You then have pre-soaped sponges for use in bath or shower, and you won't have soapy scunge left on your bathroom surfaces.

Behind Stoves and Fridge's.

After cleaning the walls and surfaces well, spray and buff well with furniture polish. The next time you clean you will only need to wipe down with a damp cloth and grease and grime will come straight off without the hard work. Polish the surfaces again with furniture polish when cleaning starts to become a chore. After the 3^rd or 4^th wipe down should be sufficient.

Hair spray is another good thing to use instead of furniture polish.

Bubble Gum and Chewing Gum In Hair

If your child gets bubble or chewing gum in his/her hair use the same method. There is no need to cut it out anymore. Place an ice pack on your child's gum affected hair. After you freeze the gum off simply wash hair normally. Bubble or chewing gum on furniture, carpet, cloths or in the car is simple to remove. Use your Ice pack and chill it well, then scrape it off.

Peanut butter can also be used in hair and on some cloths, carpets and furniture. However, the oil in the Peanut butter can stain the furnishings also. Be sure to wash the furnishings if they are removable and washable. If they are not removable then I suggest you use the freeze method.

Dusting and Cleaning

Not many people like the dusting and cleaning chores around the house. It is always such an endless job. Try these simple tips to help make your dusting a little easier.

For ornaments you can place them into a basin of luke warm water with a small amount of dish washing liquid. Dry them with your blow dryer.

Place an old sock on your hand and rub over the surfaces, frames, sills, and large ornaments with your socked hand. Dusters just flick the dust into the air only to resettle on your surfaces and knick-knacks as soon as you are done. The sock is not flicking so it eliminates the amount of dusty that will float around.

For hard to get to places use long haired red sable artist brushes.

For louvers, venetian blinds, window tracks and sliding door tracks. Use your vacuum cleaner and a paint brush. The paint brush will loosen the dust and the vacuum will suck the dust in as you brush it.

Pictures can be cleaned with eye glass cleaner or eye glass wipes.

Bedding

Hardly anyone bothers with cleaning they mattresses and pillows. It is important that you do to eliminate the dust and specks of dry skin and hair that gathers and decays. It has been documented that dusting bedding can cause breathing problems and cause you to sleep and wake up feeling as though you didn't sleep.

Vacuum your mattress at least once a month. Pillows can be vacuumed and place out in the sun for 2 - 3 hours in the warmer months. Or you can vacuum and place your pillows in the dryer on a low setting for 30 minutes. Sunlight is better but in winter that is not possible in most countries, so the dryer will help.

If at all possible take your mattresses out into the sun at least once a year to air them out.

Spray your mattress with antibacterial deodorising spray to refresh your mattress and to help kill any growing bacteria in the mattress.

Deodorise your mattress with carpet deodorising powder and vacuum off after 10 minutes for a beautifully perfumed mattress.

TIPS ON REMOVING DIFFERENT KIND OF STAINS

• For ink stains, spray the area with hairspray and blot with a clean paper towel. Reapply as often as necessary for removing the stain and rinse.
• For removing deodorant stains from washables, sponge the area with white vinegar and wash in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.
• For grass stains use cold water. Alcohol may be used if the fabric is washable or try rubbing the stain with glycerin and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing.
• For removing a red wine stain, saturate the stain with white wine and watch it disappear.
• For makeup stains, spray with hairspray, blot and repeat until the stain is removed. Wash as usual.
• Shaving cream makes a good spot remover for upholstery and carpets.
• For grease stains, rub in some mechanics' hand cleaner and rinse. Another way to clean grease strain is to wash it with petrol or kerosene.
• If you have grease on clothes, put a can of coca cola in the washer. It takes the grease out of clothes.
• To clean soiled shirt collars, use a small brush with shampoo.
• To make white fabrics as white as possible, add a teaspoon of peroxide to hot water and soak.
• For bloodstains pour peroxide on them and use cold water.
• To remove rust from washable fabrics, put lemon juice and salt on the stain and place in the sun to dry. Also you can make a mixture with equal parts of salt and cream of tartar. Wet the spot, apply the mixture and place in the sun.
• When trying to remove a stain (from a washable fabric), get it good and wet before applying any detergent or stain remover. Less likely to streak or remove colour.
• Pretreat stains before washing. If the stain is not removed after pretreating and washing, do not dry in the dryer. The dryer will set the stain.
• To remove grease stains from fabrics, just dab some dishwashing liquid on the stain and toss it into the washer. The next time it comes out of the machine there will be no trace of the stain.

HOUSEHOLD CLEANING TIPS

• Use a drop of liquid dish soap or hand soap on door hinges to keep them squeak free and working well.
• To save left over paint put it into a clean small bottle or small jar, label it and store it. When nicks and scratches appear on your walls, use cotton swabs to touch-up the paint with left over paint that you have saved.
• To get rid of ants coming into your home, stick cucumber rinds at their point of entry! The ants are allergic and won't enter.
• Use old boxes of baking soda to freshen drains...pour in drain and chase with vinegar and after 5 minutes rinse with boiling water.
• To clean ceramic tiles, use one-quarter cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water. Use a sponge to apply the solution. This solution cleans without leaving a film.
• When painting a chair or table, place jar lids under the legs to prevent paint from dripping to the floor.
• To whiten a porcelain enamel bathtub, make a paste with cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. Apply with a brush and rinse.
• To keep your screwdriver from slipping, rub chalk on the blade
  
• Steam clean or shampoo your carpet every three to six months, or as needed. This will increase the life of your carpet.
• When the weather is mild, try opening all windows in your home to ventilate the house.
• To make stairs safer, have good lighting, install handrails and hold on as you move down or up the stairs. Always keep stairs free of obstacles.
• To prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up, smear shaving cream over the mirror and then wipe it off well with a clean cloth.
• To deodorize carpets, sprinkle them with baking soda at night and vacuum in the morning.
• Use a soft cloth dampened with white vinegar to remove water spots from stainless steel and wipe dry.
• To help remove dried foods from pots and pans pour hot water in the pan and then add generous amount of baking soda. Let soak for 15 minutes, and then wash as usual.
• For faster dusting, wear old socks like gloves and go at it with both hands.
• The bathroom will be much easier to clean after a steamy bath or shower. The steam will help loosen the dirt.
• White toothpaste will shine silver up beautifully! Simply use a dab on a cloth, rub on the silver jewelry and buff as you would with silver polish! It'll shine, shine, and shine!
• Use a slice of lemon to rub off dried eggs from tableware.
• Use a soft paintbrush for dusting hard to reach places, cracks, corners, etc.
• Add a little vinegar to the rinse water for shiny, streakless glasses.
• You can clean silver jewelry by applying baking soda to a dry paper towel or rag and rubbing into silver, then rinse clean.
• Use baking soda on a damp sponge to remove odors from cutting boards.
• For an unpleasant odor from the garbage disposal, grind lemon or orange peels in it.
• Before you shampoo your carpets, place plastic bags on the legs of the furniture to keep them dry.
• After cleaning your ceiling fans, apply a thin coat of wax to the blades to repel dust.
• When painting, place a thin layer of a moisturizer on any skin exposed that may get splattered with paint. It will be easier to remove the paint from your skin.

Window cleaning
Keeping your windows sparkling clean has always been a problem. But not any more here is what you should do to have a sparkling clean window without much effort. It is very simple and easy way and believe me you will get great result.

All you want is 1-gallon water (or as per your requirement), 1-cup ammonia, 1 pint rubbing alcohol (available in store), 2-table spoon dish soap. Mix all these ingredients together and always have a plant sprayer bottle filled and ready.

Another method is if you use a heaping tsp. of cornstarch with hot water, your windows shine beautifully with "NO" streaks.

Handy Household Hints

• Remove make up with cotton wool soaked in fresh milk instead of with cleansing milk, before washing it off with water.
  
• Place an open box of baking soda on the top shelf, to prevent food odours from spreading inside the fridge.
  
• Champagne and wine bottles should be tilted for a while before uncorking them. This will prevent the cork from breaking into pieces.
  
• To prevent butter from melting during long journeys or picnics, put the packets in a flask along with a few ice cubes.
  
• To set thick curd, add a little corn flour paste to the milk while setting it.
  
• Homemade cottage cheese will remain fresh longer if you wrap it in blotting paper before refrigerating it.
  
• To get rid of cockroaches, ants and other insects, mix one-cup boric powder, one-cup sugar, one-cup flour and ¼ cup milk. Knead to a smooth dough. Place a few balls made of this dough in various corners. Repeat after a few months.
  
• For sparkling clean toilets, wash basins and sinks, use a few drops of fabric whitener.
  
• Drink tea with a pinch of pepper to get relief from sore throat.
  
• Soak a block of paneer (cottage cheese) tied in a muslin cloth in ice cold water. You will get paneer similar to the one that you get in the market.
  
• Place the chapatti dough in a clean milk sachet and store in a refrigerator. It will remain fresh for long.
  
• To peel potatoes easily after boiling them, replace the hot water with ice cold water. You can now peel the potatoes without any discomfort.
  
• To make bathroom tiles really clean, wet them and apply a mixture of soda bicarbonate and bleaching powder. Wash off after 15 minutes.
  
• Clean windows with a sponge soaked in white vinegar for a super shine.
  
• To extract every bit of ghee from a packet, cut open on both sides and slide the ghee easily into a container. So much easier than trying to transfer it in the unfrozen state.
  
• Soak dirty handkerchiefs, napkins, etc. in soap water to which a pinch of washing soda has been added. Boil in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes for laundry - clean results.
  
• Add a teaspoon of glycerine to the water in which woollen garments are to be washed. This prevents them from shrinking and losing their shape.
  
• Banana is a natural skin whitener. Mash a ripe banana and apply in the face and neck. Your tan will fade away.
  

Hi,

>> To deodorize carpets, sprinkle them with baking soda at night and vacuum in the morning

Can u tell me what kind of difference it will make than the steaming which you have mentioned?? Also you have mentioned shampoo for steaming the carpet, dont get it?? Pls explain.

I would use anti bacterial wipes to clean the car inside near the glass or seats. But, it stays some dirts somehow. Any alternative pls??

Rgds.

to remove ink spots - apply toothpast on the wrong side and just rub it and then soak and wash as usual .

Hi,
great to read so many useful household tips.can anyone suggest something for preventing lizards in the house.There are quite a few in tropical malaysia and i am so scared that i keep all windows/doors closed and then it is unvearably hot...
cheers
shobha

Hi All,

Thanks for the wonderful tips on cleaning stains. Is there a way to clean turmeric stains from carpet?? I have tried several off the shelf cleaning products including oxy-clean nothing seems to clean it in full :(

Thanks,
Radha

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the useful tips !
I have some white glue stuck in one of my favourite dress.What should I do to remove ?
Can anybody help me ?

HI

I have tried the cucumber rind trick for ants and it works.


Cheers