|
|
 |
Stain Removal Tips
Stain Alive
Household-hints master Graham Haley shares methods for removing various
types of common stains.
- Crayon/marker on tile and floors: To remove from tiled walls
or vinyl surfaces, apply a little toothpaste and rub with a soft cloth.
Persistent scuff-marks on linoleum can often be removed by rubbing them
with toothpaste.
- Tea and coffee: On fabric, spray with hairspray, then rub with
a bar of soap and rinse in cold water.
- Ketchup: On carpet, first dab away as much as possible, being
careful not to work the stain deeper into the carpet. Cover the area
with a liberal amount of regular (foamy) shaving cream and rub vigorously
with a sponge. When you wipe away the excess, the stain should go too.
To make your own carpet cleaner, mix equal parts salt and baking
soda. Add several drops of white vinegar and enough water to make a paste.
Check the carpet for color-fastness, then apply paste to the stain and
let it sit. When it's dry, brush away residue. The stain should disappear
with the residue. (For particularly nasty stains, scrub when applying
the paste.)
Dirty Laundry
Author Graham Haley explains how to remove common stains and make your
own inexpensive spot-remover.
- Ballpoint-pen ink--Douse the area with hairspray and rub hard with
a bar of soap. Rinse in cold water. An alternative treatment is to use
rubbing alcohol. Soak the garment in milk or lemon juice/salt.
- Lipstick--Rub toothpaste into the area and wash as usual. An alternative
solution is to dab the stain with petroleum jelly and wash.
- Wax (candles, crayons)--Place two folded paper towels on both sides
of the stain, then press with a warm iron. The towels will absorb the
melted wax.
- Mud--Cut a raw potato in half and rub over the area. Soak the item
in cool water and wash as usual.
- Scorching--Cut a raw onion in half and rub over the area, then soak
in cold water. (An alternative is to dampen with a weak hydrogen peroxide
solution.)
- Make your own spot remover by adding one part rubbing alcohol to two
parts water and apply to the stain.
Pet Peeves
Hint collector Graham Haley shares ideas for caring for pets.
- To keep animals from tearing furniture, sprinkle a little perfume
on the floor around the piece or on the area they tear. (A few drops
here and there will do, and it works best on carpet.) Pets hate the
smell and are more likely to stay away. Spray screens with orange juice
to keep pets from damaging them.
- Keep fleas away by putting a little garlic into your pet's food. You
may need to do this once a week. Sprinkle chamomile leaves in its house
or under blankets.
- To keep pets away from electrical cords, rub a perfumed bar of dry
soap down the length of the cord. They'll stop chewing once they've
had a taste of suds.
- Use an old shower curtain with a hole cut in the top as a poncho to
protect clothes against a pet's shakes when giving it a bath.
- Give the pet a dry bath by sprinkling baking soda into his fur and
brushing its coat. This brushes away dirt and is great for winter.
- Use baby oil to remove burrs in fur coats. Use work gloves to work
the oil into the surrounding area. This should loosen the burr.
- Once a month, feed a cat sardines in oil. This smoothes its passageways
and cuts down on fur balls.
Paint the Town
Hint collector Graham Haley shares a variety of tips that focus on the
messy chore of painting.
- When using a roller and paint tray, slip a plastic shopping bag over
the entire thing. It will make cleanup a lot easier.
- To prevent drips from landing on the floor, use a coffee-can lid or
even a half tennis ball with a slit in it. Slip the ball, cup side up,
onto the brush's handle.
- To avoid having messy runs on the paint can, stretch a rubber band
across the top of the can. When dipping the brush in the paint, slide
it over the band to remove excess paint, or punch holes in the lip surrounding
the opening. Excess paint should drip back into the can before it slides
down the outside.
- When painting windows, rub around the edges of the glass with a bar
of soap to avoid impossible cleanups. Another idea is to spread petroleum
jelly over the glass to repel unwanted paint.
- To make brush cleanup easier, presoak the brushes or roller in paint
thinner. When it's time to use them, brush or roll all the excess into
an absorbent cloth.
- For tight paint jobs in corners, try this recycling tip: Use old,
clean shoe-polish applicators as paint containers/brushes.
- To reduce paint odor, add some vanilla or peppermint extract to the
paint. Work with the ratio of two teaspoons to a gallon of paint.
|
