Tag Archives: home care

More Laundry Tips

Doing the laundry can actually be elevated to an art form when it comes to washing specialty items like lace, linens and such. Here are some tips to help you along your lint-free way. Read on, if you dare. White Linen Combine a melted bar of white soap into a pail of milk and let the item sit in the solution for an hour or so. (Whether you use skim or whole milk it doesn’t matter, as this is one of the few times in life when calories are not the issue.) Wash the linen piece by hand and then … Continue reading →

Cleaning Fixtures And Such

Those things made of brass, bronze and other metals that hang, dangle and more or less sit around your home and hearth gathering dust need some attention every once in a while. You may have to pick a day when you don’t have much to do (ha!) and tackle all of them at once. They like a united front. The strategy you choose can only be yours, but these tips are for everyone, and here they come, ready or not. Brass Door Knockers For most brass items, ammonia cleans very well. Apply some to a soft cloth and rub the … Continue reading →

More Cleaning Tips: P To The End

More Cleaning Tips: P To The EndWe are almost finished with the alphabet and still many things remain that need to be cleaned. You must face this for it will never change. We will cover today a range of items that includes paintings, pianos, seashells, pillow and video tapes, to name a few and exclude a few. Read on, if you dare. Paintings and Frames Some matching shoe polish or boiled linseed oil can really spruce up wooden picture frames. Gilt frames need a bit more special attention. Make a paste of 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon (level) baking … Continue reading →

Alphabet Cleaning Tips: L Through Some P

Just when you thought you finished cleaning, here come some more things. Well, face it, that is the way it goes. Cleaning never ends. In fact, it never even slows up or fades away. Here are some more tips, no matter how you may feel about time, fading or even cleaning for that matter. Read on if you dare. Lampshade Cleaning The easiest way to remove marks from a fabric lampshade is to apply a mixture made from ½ cup dish soap, 1/2 teaspoon ammonia, 1 teaspoon vinegar and a quart of warm water. Froth the solution with a hand … Continue reading →

Cleaning Alphabetically: D Through I

We will continue today with our cleaning ABCs even though we are now at D, E, F, G, H and I. Do not let this confuse you as everything, no matter which letter of the alphabet its name may begin with, needs a good cleaning every once in a while. Read on, even if you don’t want to. Cleaning Dolls To remove the odor from your kid’s plastic doll, place it in a shopping bag with a few handfuls of cat litter. Leave it there for two or three days and it will absorb the odor. (Do not, however, under … Continue reading →

Your Cleaning ABCs (DEF&G to Come)

Cleaning alphabetically works the same way as doing anything else in that manner; namely, it puts things in order. If your xylophone is dirty, it will have to wait its turn, but those items closer to the front of the alphabet will soon get a dusting, whether they want to or not. Read on, no matter how you may feel about order and letters or vice versa. Bedding A sure fire way to kill those dust mites that live rent-free within the folds of your bedding is to place the item in a garbage bag and leave it in the … Continue reading →

Cleaning Curtains: A Different Fun

Curtains do so much to enhance the décor of any home, but they too gather dust and dirt that must be addressed after a while. How can you clean them when you can ignore the dirt no longer? Well, some curtains you really can’t in terms of washing, but others will respond to a light touch. Read on for some tips or…it’s curtains to you! Window Sheers and Net Curtains These types of curtains can be easily cleaned by filling your bathtub with warm water and throw in a couple of denture tablets. (Resist the urge to jump in and … Continue reading →

More Window Cleaning Tips

Cleaning windows is a part of life and doing it effectively will bring a shine to your whole house, inside and out. Pick the right day to do it (not too hot, not too cold, no blizzard or rainstorm) and go to it armed with the following tips. Read on, if you dare. Frost-Free Windows Add 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol to a homemade cleaner made from ¼ cup ammonia and ¼ cup vinegar mixed into a bucket half-filled with warm water. Apply to surface and this will prevent frost from forming on the inside of your windows. A solution … Continue reading →

Washing Windows: A Carefree Diversion

Probably the last items we wash in our homes is our windows. I really speak just for myself, but my experience has been that cleaning windows is not even Martha Stewart’s favorite pastime. I once knew someone who told me she had 72 windows throughout her home, and when I asked how she kept them clean, I got a look I will never forget: It said without words, “I don’t.” Here are some tips; no matter how many windows you may have in your home and how little you feel like washing them. How To Wash Windows One general rule … Continue reading →

Cleaning Wallpaper

Wallpaper, just like everything else that lives in our homes, requires care and attention to keep it looking good. Even those hard to reach spots don’t like to be ignored and here are some tips on how to keep your wallpaper happy and clean. Fabric Wall Cleaner As a general rule, walls covered with fabric like velvet, burlap, cloth etc should be vacuumed only. Wallpaper Cleaner Today, many types of wallpaper are washable. Be careful not to get the paper too wet as you clean with a little dish soap mixed into a pail of warm water. As an alternative, … Continue reading →