Cleaning Tips – Cleaning Tips 2
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Cleaning Tips – Cleaning Tips 2
For the best clever cleaning tips around, look no further. We’ve put together a definitive list of cleaning tips for all areas of your home, as sent in by you. You’ll be amazed by what you can do with a little baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and other natural ingredients from your kitchen cupboard.
We’e broken out the best cleaning tips for the bathroom, kitchen, lounge, garage and outdoor areas, as well as stacks of great general household cleaning tips. Click on a room below to view all the top cleaning tips for that category, or simply browse the list and get inspired by the fantastic range of innovative cleaning tips available!
Click on one of the rooms below for a fool-proof clever cleaning plan that will leave your home sparkling and free from dirt and germs. Or for a more detailed look at home cleaning, visit the Cleaning Surfaces and Cleaning Appliances sections.
Kitchen Cleaning
The kitchen is the hub of the home. For a lot of us, it’s also a constant messy zone! When food preparation, cooking and dish washing all take place in the same area, the bench top, sink, stove stop, oven, and even the fridge will need regular attention to keep surfaces clean, dry and free from grease.
The best way to tackle kitchen cleaning is to maintain as much as you can – wipe down your benches, hot plates and sink after cooking so that food doesn’t stick to them and grease doesn’t build up. For more thorough kitchen cleaning, scrub down bench tops and the kitchen sink using hot water mixed with a few drops of lemon or vinegar. Run over benches with a VIVA Paper Towel after cleaning them to leave them streak free and dry. If there are any bad odours lingering around, give your bench tops a quick swipe with a VIVA Paper Towel moistened with a few drops of eucalyptus oil.
If your stove top is in need of some work, sprinkle bicarb soda onto the surface and then scrub it a little with a damp VIVA Paper Towel. Grease and grime tends to build up between the stove top and the wall or splashback, so make sure you give this area a good scrub too when you’re doing your kitchen cleaning. As long as your oven’s not too dirty, you can clean it out using bicarb soda, vinegar, salt and a bit of elbow grease. Remember that a still-warm oven is easier to clean (but make sure you don’t burn yourself!) And if your oven door is looking grimy, drench a VIVA Paper Towel in brown vinegar and leave it on the glass door for an hour, then wipe away with a dry paper towel.
After you’ve emptied out the fridge and cleaned it with warm soapy water, give the inside a quick swipe with vanilla essence to leave it smelling fresh and pleasant. If you have a stainless steel fridge, use VIVA Stainless Steel Wipes to remove any fingermarks or streaks and leave it in showroom condition. For extra protection, you can even line your fridge shelves with paper towels to catch any drips, spills and leaks.
Top tips for a clean kitchen
- A cheap alternative to using dishwasher detergent is to use the ever useful bicarb soda – it gives a wonderful and environmentally-friendly clean.
- A drop of eucalyptus oil on bits of cotton wool placed in dark cupboard corners can keep the ants and bugs away naturally.
- Add 1 cup of white vinegar to your empty dishwasher and start a ‘normal’ wash. This will eliminate smells and lime scales from the stainless steel interior.
- Bake orange peels in the oven at 350 degrees to remove kitchen smells.
- Bay leaves in drawers help keep insects away.
- Boil rhubarb leaves in pans that have burnt during cooking for 3-5 minutes. Drain and wipe away any residue.
- Clean the inside of the fridge with vanilla essence and water.
- Lemon – use it to clean your kitchen sinks, it works wonders!
- Place a small amount of bicarb soda in an open container and leave it in the fridge. It will absorb odours.
- To clean around stove hotplates, sprinkle bicarb soda onto the surface and then scrub a little with a damp VIVA Paper Towel.
- To clean dirty chopping boards, squeeze lemon juice onto them and put them out in the sun.
- To clean a kettle or jug, boil it with water and white vinegar. This will clean all the scale from inside.
- To clean the inside of bottles your sponge can’t get into, pour in some raw rice, detergent and water and shake vigorously.
- To clean your microwave, fill a bowl with boiling water, add a squeeze of lemon juice, microwave for 2 mins, and then wipe.
- To get your microwave sparkling, heat a cup of water with a teaspoon of vanilla essence until boiling, then clean after building a good steam.
- To make glass oven-doors shine like new, drench a VIVA Paper Towel with brown vinegar and leave on the glass for an hour, then wipe dry.
- To remove the stains from your stovetop, use white vinegar and baking soda. No scrubbing needed.
- To rid your cutting board of onion, fish or garlic smells, cut a lemon or lime in two and rub the surface with the fruit.
- Use baking soda and salt when scrubbing pots and pans or cleaning the oven.
- Use eucalyptus oil to clean your kitchen benches and get rid of bad odours.
Bathroom Cleaning
No matter what size your family is, the bathroom is always bound to be busy. Dust, soap scum, and even mould can quickly accumulate if surfaces aren’t cleaned regularly.
To manage bathroom cleaning, it helps to do small, regular cleans by wiping down all surfaces using a spray-on cleaner or VIVA Shower Fast Wipes . These wipes are specially designed to remove soap scum from shower screens, tiles and taps quickly and easily. You can then give your mirrors a quick clean with VIVA Glass and Mirror Wipes to leave them sparkling and streak-free.
For more thorough bathroom cleaning, give everything a good scrub down with bicarb and vinegar in hot water – make sure you do the bath, shower, basin, toilet and floor. Use clove oil or white vinegar to clean away mould and use an old toothbrush to get to any hard-to-reach corners. If your taps are looking dirty, clean them using toothpaste to leave them nice and shiny.
Top tips for a clean bathroom
- A capful of sugar soap in a spray bottle of water will remove soap scum from anything; spray, rinse and wipe dry with a VIVA Paper Towel .
- A lemon cut in half rubbed on glass shower doors cuts through the dirt scum.
- After cleaning the toilet bowl, put several drops of peppermint essence in the water. It coats the bowl, keeping it cleaner for longer and smelling great!
- After everyone has had a shower, grab a towel and wipe all the excess water off the shower screen. This will remove soap scum and stop the shower from getting mouldy too quickly.
- Bicarb and vinegar I can’t go past it for the shower. Healthy for my family, healthy for the planet.
- Clean your shower glass with car polish and soapy water. It will not cling but beads off!
- Use clove oil for mould. It’s non toxic and continues to eat away the mould once wiped on.
- A mixture of half sugar soap and half water sprayed in the shower cleans the glass and walls quickly. Wipe off with a VIVA Paper Towel and water.
- If your shower is clogged, pour a cap of bleach down the drain and leave it for an hour. Then, voila! Your shower is unblocked.
- Mirrors won’t fog if you rub a little liquid soap onto the surface and buff.
- Mix salt and turpentine and rub onto porcelain to brighten.
- Pour coke into your toilet and bath – the acid removes all stains. Wait one hour and then flush or rinse.
- To remove any corrosion on a shower head, soak it in vinegar overnight. Rub shower recess down with a damp cloth and bicarb of soda.
- Use a little bit of Vodka and warm water to leave your taps and shower rose are sparkling clean.
- Use bicarb soda mixed with lavender oil to make a cleaning paste that smells nice. This can be used to clean tiles, baths and sinks.
- Try using baby wipes on delicate surfaces – they won’t damage or destroy anything, but will leave the bathroom sparkling clean!
- Using toothpaste on the silver taps makes them nice and shiny.
- I use washing powder on the bathtub to get off tough dirt stains in warm water. It works wonders!
- White vinegar is excellent for killing and removing mould.
- Wipe your toilet over with methylated spirits for a sparkling clean toilet that looks brand new.
Lounge Room Cleaning
Lounge room cleaning is often top of mind, since this area of the home is used regularly to entertain guests. It’s also a place for the family to unwind and relax, without worrying about mess!
Maintenance is key to lounge room cleaning, and with regular dusting, vacuuming and wiping, you can keep your lounge room looking clean and neat on a day to day basis. Start by removing any clutter from the room, and then use a damp cloth to wipe over tabletops, shelves, picture frames, lamps, and knickknacks. Vacuum carpets and rugs thoroughly, and use VIVA Glass and Mirror Wipes to clean any mirrors or windows.
The lounge itself is the centre piece of your lounge room, so it’s important to take care to keep it clean. Different fabrics have different care requirements, and cleaning methods vary, so it’s a good idea to always read the manufacturer’s instructions. You might even like to consult a professional cleaner as they will know exactly what products to use to restore your lounge’s condition.
If you have young children who are prone to spilling drinks, dropping snacks or getting creative with their craft supplies, your safest bet is to protect your lounge by placing a cover over it. That way, you can easily remove the cover and run it through the wash if any accidents occur.
Always treat new lounges with a stain-protector such as Scotch guard, as this will minimise potential damage later on. If spills occur, you can often simply wipe up the spill with a damp cloth or a VIVA paper towel. If you are using a cleaning agent, first do a spot-test on an inconspicuous part of the lounge to ensure the product you are using is safe for the fabric.
Top tips for a clean lounge room
- Bicarb soda works wonders removing scuff marks from walls. Simply sprinkle bicarb soda on a damp cloth and wipe away.
- Wipe lavender or your favourite essential oil around windows and doors when airing out the house.
- Dampen a VIVA Paper Towel with eucalyptus oil and dust off bedroom furniture, shining, disinfecting and helping to keep sinuses clear during the cold and flu season
- Leaving dried lavender flowers in the drawers stops silverfish and cockroaches from getting in and leaves a great smell.
- Try using eucalyptus oil in boiled water to mop floors. It lifts dirt and grease, and leaves the house smelling great
- Mix bicarb soda with a few drops of essential oil, sprinkle on carpets, leave for 20 minutes and vacuum up for an easy carpet freshener.
- Mix one part olive oil with one part lemon juice to polish wood.
- Place a few drops of essential oil onto cold light bulbs – when they are turned on and heat up, you can enjoy the fresh scent.
- Place smelly musty books in a brown paper bag, add bicarb soda and leave in dry place for a week. Then shake and the smell will be gone.
- Pour cornflour anywhere you find ants around the home. They eat it, take it back to their home, cannot digest it and die. Perfectly safe!
- Put a few drops of essential oil into water when mopping floorboards. The oil helps to make the floor shine and also smells great.
- Put a little lemon in your mopping water to make your house feel cleaner and fresher.
- Put lemon oil on a duster and wipe over light fittings to stop spiders making webs on them or dust clinging to the webs.
- Soak a cotton ball with lavender oil and pop it in your vacuum bag. It will leave your home smelling fresh when you vacuum.
- Tip icy cold water on red wine spills on carpet – this will bring the stain to the surface and you can then soak it up with a VIVA Paper Towel.
- To remove sticky labels from CDs and DVDs, use lemon essence or the juice of a lemon!
- Use a tiny bit of vinegar with hot water to get chewing gum off a tiled floor.
- When cleaning wooden floors, add a tea bag to hot water before you mop. For a lovely scent, add a tea like earl grey.
Outdoor Cleaning
Maintaining the outdoor areas of your home can require a bit of planning and a healthy dose of elbow grease. Sun exposure, wet weather and cold temperatures all take their toll on your outdoor furniture and tiles and make outdoor cleaning a necessity for most homes. Not to mention the cobwebs, dirt, and grease that can find their way onto your BBQ, wooden decking or patio.
Storing outdoor furniture indoors or under cover during winter can provide protect from the weather and preserve the lifespan of each piece. Bring your setting back outside when summer comes and give it a quick clean so you’re ready to enjoy the warmer months. When cleaning outdoor furniture, wipe each piece down with warm soapy water and VIVA Xtra Tough Towels , then leave them in the sun to dry. You can also use baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice to clean outdoor pieces.
When you’re outdoor cleaning, it’s important not to forget your floor surfaces. If you have outdoor tiles that are looking grimy, pour boiling water over them to dislodge any grease or dirt, and then go over the area with a mop. Use Jiff with VIVA Xtra Tough Towels to remove any black marks. If your wooden deck or patio has grease stains on it, sprinkle baking soda onto the surface, let it sit an hour and then sweep away.
Scraping down your BBQ after each use is the best way to keep it clean, hygienic and ready to cook your snags. For any stubborn stains or charred bits, scrub with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, then rinse. You can also try pouring a can of Coca Cola over a particularly dirty BBQ and wiping it off after ten minutes using a VIVA Xtra Tough Towels .
Top tips for outdoor
- A little bit of eucalyptus oil in the wash when washing bedding or linen will help sanitise them without using chemicals.
- Biro comes out by dipping the stained part of the clothing into a glass of milk.
- If whites turn pink in the wash, add a cup of vinegar and rewash. This has the same effect as bleach without the environmental consequences.
- If you get food or wine on your clothes, just squirt some soda water on a napkin and squash it into the stain. It should come right out.
- To remove ink stains, take a clean, white cloth soaked in milk and rub the ink stain from the outer sides inward.
- Mix bicarb soda, lemon juice and water to make a paste to remove bad stains on shirt underarms.
- Mulberry stains on clothes and children’s hands and faces are magically removed by rubbing green mulberries over the top, squeezing the juice as you go.
- Orange oil spray on white gym shoes makes them look brand new again.
- Place a bit of eucalyptus oil on a VIVA Paper Towel, then rub gently on stains on fabric to watch them lift away.
- Rubbing a lemon onto a stubborn stain on a white shirt and then leaving it in the sunlight for a while will remove the stain.
- Sponge out perspiration stains with equal amounts vinegar and water, or full strength vinegar or lemon juice. Then launder in hot, soapy water.
- To clean the base of your iron, wipe it with a VIVA Paper Towel soaked in cold tea. Stains will vanish!
- To get brown stains out of white socks, soak them in salted water before washing them.
- To remove blood or red wine from a white shirt, rinse immediately in cold water overnight.
- To remove lipstick on clothes, sponge with metho, then dishwashing liquid, then put in the wash.
- To whiten your whites, soak the fabrics in lemon juice for 15 minutes, then wash as usual.
- Use eucalyptus oil in the wash with bed linen to kill bed bugs, deodorise and lift any oil from sheets, towels and clothing.
- Use the inside of a banana skin to polish up black shoes, then wipe off excess with a VIVA Paper Towel. They’ll come up like new.
- Use white vinegar in the rinse cycle in your machine – it makes clothes soft and cleans your machine at the same time.
Garage Cleaning
Even though your garage might be used for storage, car parking, handiwork and other naturally messy situations, there are several things you can do to help keep things tidy and stay on top of garage cleaning.
De-cluttering your garage is a great way to maintain organisation and minimise the amount of mess that occurs from day to day. When you’re garage cleaning, store nuts, bolts and nails in separate labelled jars and hang brooms, spades, and rakes on the walls. Throw away old unused or broken items and consider holding a garage sale if you have a lot of unwanted things that are in a reasonable condition.
Keep your work bench clear and clean it regularly by wiping it down with warm soapy water and VIVA Xtra Tough Towels. Place old paint trays underneath your cars to catch any oil drips. To clean stains off your garage floor, sprinkle kitty litter on top to absorb the oil, leave for 12 hours, then sweep away. For stubborn stains, pour coke over them and then scrub with a VIVA Xtra Tough Towels.
Top tips for a clean garage
- White vinegar can be used as a cheap and safe alternative to weed killer.
- Going on a long drive? Wash your car, then smear a thin film of baby oil on the bumper. The dead bugs just hose off.
- If using a hot plate in the kitchen or BBQ, rub it with 1/2 lemon and use grease proof paper to cook on. If you have dirty concrete pavers, use Napisan and water as a low toxic alternative cleaner.
- If your sunglasses get smeared with suntan lotion or sweat, they can be cleaned with a VIVA Paper Towel and ginger ale!
- Kerosene sprinkled on driveways & paths will kill weeds or moss, saving you hours of weeding.
- Pour a can of coke over your dirty BBQ and leave for about 10 minutes, then wipe off. Works like a charm.
- Pour coke on oil stains on your driveway.
- Stop a freezer in the garage from becoming rusty by spraying it with furniture polish.
- To clean grime and road tar from your car, add half a cup of kerosene to a bucket of water, then wash the car.
- To clean insects off the front of your car, wet the area, then sprinkle bicarb soda on a wet sponge, rub it over the insects and wash off.
- To clean sandstone paths or pavers, use household bleach. It is more effective than a water pressure gun, saves water and is less harsh.
- To get oil off your garage floor, cover it with kitty litter. Leave for 12 hours and sweep off. It works on grease and oil.
- To polish your car after washing, spray with Mr Sheen and then wipe over with a paper towel.
- To remove small spots of tar from my velour carseat covers, I put a few drops of eucalyptus oil on a VIVA Paper Towel and wipe.
- Use a 2 stroke blower to clean the gutters. Whilst still hot, clean a BBQ down with white vinegar. Let it evaporate and when slightly cool, wipe down the surface with a VIVA Paper Towel.
Home Cleaning
No matter how much time we spend cleaning our homes, there’s simply no way to avoid a bit of mess around the house. Kids, husbands, pets, school projects and dinner parties will always leave a trail of spills, stains and streaks around the place, but it’s the chaos of entertaining family and friends that makes life richer and more worthwhile. After all, what’s better than a kitchen humming with dinner preparations and homework helpers, a bathroom that welcomes a long soak in the tub, a lounge where you can snuggle with the kids, or an outdoor setting sparkling and readyfor sunset BBQs?
These are the things that make a house a home. And unless you’re able to regularly splurge on professional home cleaning services, you need to find the fastest and most convenient ways to keep your house clean, so that mess doesn’t get in the way of family life. Running an entire household is a constant juggling act, and mums are rarely able to put their feet up when they’re balancing the cooking, cleaning, washing, carpools, sick kids and all the other little daily challenges of motherhood.
Sometimes, we simply don’t have the time to get stuck into cleaning the house. However, there are some tried and tested tips for quickly cleaning your home and keeping it neat. We’ve sourced the best cleaning tips and provided a handy guide that breaks down your home cleaning needs room-by-room. With a combination of wiping, scrubbing, dusting and general tidying, home cleaning doesn’t have to be a full-time job. From small cleans to big cleans, and maintenance cleaning in between, VIVA has your cleaning covered.
For a more detailed look at home cleaning, visit the Cleaning Surfaces and Cleaning Appliances sections.
Cleaning Surfaces
Our homes are filled with all kinds of surfaces – bench tops, kitchen sinks, windows, mirrors, glass tables, picture frames, book shelves and many more. It’s no secret that these surfaces can quickly accumulate a collection of dirt, streaks, and grime if they are not cleaned regularly. There’s grease in the kitchen, dust in the living area, and soap scum in the bathroom. Not to mention the barrage of spills, stains, fingermarks and crumbs that family life tends to bring about on a daily basis! It can be easy to overlook surfaces when we’re cleaning the house, but cleaning surfaces should be a regular part of the home-cleaning routine.
The importance of keeping surfaces clean
Cleaning surfaces not only makes your home look sparkling and welcoming – it also ensures proper hygiene and plays an important role in protecting your family’s health. Kids touch an incredible number of surfaces throughout the day and can pick up germs or bacteria quite easily if the areas they play in are not cleaned regularly. If your home is particularly dusty, family members who are prone to allergies or asthma might find their symptoms become aggravated if surface-cleaning is not carried out regularly. All your kitchen surfaces can also affect your family’s health, as food preparation areas must be cleaned daily to ensure a build-up of grime or caked-on food doesn’t occur. Keeping all household surfaces clean can help protect your family’s wellbeing by making sure dirt and germs don’t accidentally wind up in a playpen or on a dinner plate.
VIVA can help keep your home’s surfaces clean
Since dirt, dust and grease tend to build up over time, it’s important to clean your home’s surfaces carefully and regularly. Doing quick spot-cleaning will save you a lot of time (and elbow grease!) further down the track, as well as ensuring that your home’s surfaces are cleaner and more hygienic on a day-to-day basis. Cleaning surfaces that are used most often, such as your kitchen bench tops, fridge door, bathroom sink and shower screen, can be done quite easily and conveniently with a few clever tips and cleaning ideas. This is where VIVA comes in – we’ve created a range of smart cleaning products to do the bulk of the work for you. From Stainless Steel Wipes to VIVA Paper Towels, there’s a quick and easy way to clean all kinds of surfaces. So now you can keep your home’s surfaces clean, dry and neat, without wasting your energy or missing out on family life.
How to clean different surfaces in your home
Click on a section below for our top tips on cleaning particular surfaces around your home. We’ve VIVA has you covered when it comes to advice on cleaning Stainless Steel Surfaces, cleaning Windows and Glass Surfaces, and cleaning Mirrors.
Cleaning Stainless Steel Surfaces
Stainless steel is known for its beautiful, shining appearance and its resistance to corrosion and rust. However, it can be difficult to keep your stainless steel surfaces looking terrific when every streak, smear and fingerprint seems to show up. Maintaining that original flawless condition takes regular care and cleaning, whether your stainless steel piece is a large double-door fridge, or a smaller appliance such as a kettle or microwave. On top of regularly and properly cleaning stainless steel, it’s also important to protect the surface as it is sensitive and can be prone to scratching.
For a quicker, more convenient way to clean stainless steel, and to restore its appearance to showroom condition at the same time, look for VIVA Stainless Steel Wipes . Using a specialist product to clean stainless steel means you can be sure that it won’t scratch or damage the surface. VIVA Stainless Steel Wipes can be used on refrigerators, rangehoods, BBQs, dishwashers and all other stainless steel surfaces, no matter how delicate. With unique MarkGuard Technology, these wipes will remove stains and grease without harsh scrubbing, leaving a thin invisible layer to repel fingerprints, smears and dust. They’re also non-toxic and safe to use around kids or food preparation areas, so you can be confident in using them on all surfaces.
Cleaning Windows and Glass Surfaces
Having gleaming, spotless windows greatly enhances the overall appearance of your home. After all, it’s much nicer to gaze out at the morning sun as you enjoy a cuppa, rather than noticing dirty marks and streaks on your kitchen windows! Aim to clean your windows at least every six months, both inside and out. And if you do a great cleaning job on them, they should keep their sparkle for much longer.
To begin cleaning windows, first dust or wipe down the edges of the window. Remove any flyscreens and hose them down to remove dirt and dust that might have built up. Use a broom or an old towel to remove any cobwebs, dead bugs or leaves, and wipe down the window frame with warm soapy water. Then you’re ready to begin cleaning the actual window. Use a bucket of warm water with vinegar and sponge the window from top to bottom, then dry the window using a squeegee, newspaper or a dry cloth after each stroke.
If you’re pushed for time or looking for an easier method for cleaning windows, try VIVA Glass and Mirror Wipes . These are designed to clean and shine all glass and window surfaces, and will leave them sparkling in minutes. Now you can make streaks a thing of the past, with VIVA’s clever 2-step process for cleaning glass: simply dampen the blue wipe to clean the window, and then use the white wipe to buff, dry and shine. The unique “woven web” design attracts oily residue and marks, leaving a streak-free and lint-free finish when you’re cleaning glass. Both wipes can be used again after a quick rinse in warm soapy water, so you can be confident that you’re doing good things for the environment by avoiding chemical sprays and re-using the wipes in your cleaning.
Mirror Cleaning
As well as being functional, mirrors can be used for decorative purposes as they will look great in your home and add light to any room. However, it’s often difficult to get your mirrors looking sparkling and shiny, especially when they can still show streaks, lint, specks or fog, even after cleaning!
Bathroom mirrors will require cleaning most often, as they are subjected to daily splashes of water, splotches of toothpaste and smudges from soap or make up. Kitchen mirrors can be frustrating to clean as they often collect a build-up of grease through the air, so the more often you clean these, the better. Cleaning mirrors in bedrooms and living areas can be done less often, but will usually accumulate a lot of dust in between cleans, so you might like to go over these weekly with a static cloth to minimise the visible dust.
For a proper surface clean, you’ll need to wipe over your mirrors twice – once to remove any specks, dust and dirt, and then again to polish and shine. You’ll also need to make sure you get the surface completely dry after cleaning mirrors, otherwise you may end up with drip marks. Using a paper towel when you’re cleaning mirrors can often leave behind a trail of lint.
To save time and get your mirrors truly sparkling, try VIVA Glass and Mirror Wipes . These large, thick, re-usable cloth wipes are safe to use on all mirror surfaces and utilise woven web technology to deliver streak and lint free cleaning, using only water. Simply dampen the blue wipe to clean the mirror, and then use the white wipe to dry and buff. In just a few minutes, you can get all the mirrors in your home clean, lint free, streak free, and looking fantastic without the need for chemical sprays.
1) Brush the excess stain off
the surface of the fabric.
2) Rinse in cold water to dilute the stain.
3) Using a PLASTIC bucket, create a soak solution by adding 1/2 use (approx.
25 mls) Tide® Liquid. per
gallon of cold water. Allow the garment to soak for up to 30 minutes, weighting
the item with a WHITE towel to keep it totally submerged.
4) Wash in cold
water with 1 use of Tide® Coldwater.
5) If stain remains, repeat steps before drying.
Stains and Stain Removal: Find the solution for your Stain Problem here
Caution: Cleaning materials, in particular some solvents are very toxic, Carbon tetrachloride and trichlorethylene should not be used in the home.
Getting Stains out of T-shirt Underarms. Buy a product called Iron Out or something similar and follow directions. This is a popular product in northern Wisconsin and Michigan because of the iron content in the water. I used it to protect the whites when we bought a cabin in that area – and l and behold, it took cleaned those t-shirts right up. -- Bill Bradford.
Yellow Stain. I can't tell you how to get rid of existing yellow but I can tell you how not to get yellow again on new items...I believe in cheap and environmentally safe...go buy a box of Borax...it is a powder and costs about 3 dollars...put a sprinkle of that in every load of light colored laundry along with whatever laundry soap you use and you shouldn't have anymore problems with yellowing...One more of many other uses for borax is it will shine you bathroom porcelain right up and great for cleaning toilets, plus many other things....It will save you money and cut the cost of your cleaning products in half. Good luck. -- CHRIS and Angie FORD
Underarm Stains. You know what else works to remove underarm stains? Baking soda mixed with water to make a paste. Pre-treat then wash as usual. -- Karyn Hudson
No more yellow in the wash To get out the yellow stains from bleach or from iron and rust use "Whink (brand) No More Yellow!" It is fantastic. I had stains on my white jeans and didn't read the label first where it said not to use chlorine bleach. Well, as you can imagine, my white pants were now yellow and nothing seemed to work until I tried the product by Whink. I found it by the Ritt dyes in my supermarket and I loved it! It worked so easily and has a detergent built into it. It is wonderful! -- Leslie- NJ Leslie Coolong
Nicotine and Tar Stains on hands and skin from smoking. Use this great new product I found: Nico-Wipe Hand Cleaner for Smokers. Available at www.nicowipe.com and on Ebay. -- James Schwartz. Sep 28 2007
Removing Rust Stains on Clothing. Hey, I just found a great new stain remover...ZAP (tile/grout restorer). I tried to get a rust stain off of a white fairly new/expensive dress shirt of Jamie's (cotton/poly). I tried bleach, dishwasher detergent, lemon juice/salt, the usual...but NOTHING would budge that stain. ZAP claims to remove rust stains from showers so I thought what did I have to lose? I was going to toss the shirt anyway so if it ate a hole or stained it more it wouldn't matter. I sprayed some on, worked it into the stain, waited about 30 secs and then rinsed. Whah-lah...no more stain and no hole! -- Jamie and Wendy Reynolds - Granite Bay, California USA
Tomato based stain - How do you remove stains from plastic containers used to reheat foods (like tomato sauce) in the microwave? These stains are permanent. Nothing will remove them, as they are now part of the plastic, which has been modified on a molecular level. This change is caused by the high temperatures experienced in isolated areas on the perimeters of containers used to heat or re-heat food in a microwave oven. The worst part is not the tomato sauce becoming part of the container, but the plastic container becoming part of the food! There are ongoing studies on the effects of chemicals that mimic oestrogen, which are found in most plastic packaging and plastic containers. Researchers are currently trying to draw the link between this, increased in infertility in men, and increased breast cancer in women, caused by these xenoestrogens. Yikes! Not to fear monger, but it might be best to err on the side of caution by toss! ing those plastic containers and only use glass or ceramic dishes in the microwave. -- James Sayer
If A equals success, then the formula is: A= X + Y + Z X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut. - Albert Einstein 27 Nov 2002
Tomato Stains in Plastic Containers: Try rubbing the container with Baking Soda on a sponge, rinse well and dry. To avoid getting stains, always rinse the container with cold water (not Hot Water) before washing the container out. Found at www.epinions.com/hmgd-review-2E90-A2BE45D-38AB4734-prod2 -- 27 Nov 2002
Ferric Chloride Stains. If you use ferric chloride and are concerned about skin stains, fear not, lemon juice will make it disappear -- Like magic!! -- Adam Waldron 14th April 2007
Cleaning Carpet with Shaving Foam. A dirty patch on your carpet will come off with the application of a dollop of shaving foam and a little time. Leave the foam for half an hour or so then, using a damp (preferrably cotton cloth wipe the spot. It will be necessary to clean the cloth out and repeat the process. Finish off with drying thoroughly with a dry cloth. Davina Martin January 2007
Tea Stains. Tea stains on the inside of cups can best be dealt with by using a paste made with Baking Soda -- Davina Martin. 18th January 2007
The Absolute Best All Purpose Cleaner. Try Engine Degreaser. It comes in a huge 5 gallon bottle that can be purchased at Wal-Mart , K-mart, Target, or automotive part store for about $5.
It removes adhesives, cleans carpets, furniture, clothing, walls, bathrooms...EVERYTHING. It sounds like it would be a very harsh astringent, but it actually isn't. I use it all the time and have for years. -- "Joey" Observe instructions on such productsYellow Bleach Stains I had a problem with staining on my white canvas tennis shoes by trying to bleach them to remove dirt. I was able to remove the yellow bleach stains by soaking the shoes in a solution of 1/2 cup cream of tartar (I bought it from a store that sells bulk spices) and 1 quart of hot (almost boiling) water. The tip I read said to soak for 30 minutes, but it took 1-1/2 hours for my shoes. -- TD Pitts
Tree Sap Stains. My vocation exposes my clothes to resins and tree saps. We deal with with it by using alcohol and sometimes acetone, Hardened resin can be broken up and the powder brushed off but it can take a while to solidify. The remaining stain from some trees can be removed with oxy bleach. We get acetone from a supply house but I believe nail varnish remover is a form of the solvent -- Darren Denniard
Ink Pen Stain: To get an ink stain out, spray ultra-hold hairspray on the stain, let it dry, then wash like normal. ( Don't be afraid of putting too much hairspray on the stain.) -Polli
Stains on Clothing
I have found that most types of baby wipes work great on removing a stain from your clothing. Anyone with babies always have baby wipes handy. Try it some time it works. I always use them when my 2 year old gets something on her and it works great for taking ink from your skin. -- Bradley E Baker --Attack the stain straight away. If you are going to use water make sure that it is as cold as possible -- Jean Smith Kirkcaldy Scotland
Do not use salt on Red wine stains. - - Vanessa Echols
Use white wine on red wine stains. - - Vanessa Echols
Vanessa, are we to assume that considerable amounts of wine are consumed (and spilled) in your household?? -- Ed
If the stain is extreme and your garment is cotton or similar try disguising the stain by tie-dying it -- Dave Ed
Embarrassing Stains: I know people don't like to discuss (stains in underwear) but they are there. I discovered the other day when I was washing my sons that this worked. I used half a cup of dish washer detergent. I couldn't believe how white they became. No stains. I believe the dish washing detergent is the trick. SUE
Vicky Lansky in her book "It worked for me" suggests using dishwasher products for removing stubborn stains in clothing.
To remove Toilet Stains, use a pumice stone and rub hard, It will not scratch and works well- did on my toilet bowl after 20 years of build-up -- James A Boyle
Nicotine Stains. Remove them from your fingers with lemon juice, and scrubbing with pumice stone. Then add hand cream. - Jacob Thorne, Bristol
Melted Wax: To remove melted wax from clothing '... you will lay a brown paper bag over the garment before you iron over it then keep moving the bag around it will absorb the wax -- Magnand
Age Stains: I have heard a mixture of fresh lemon juice and salt rubbed on spots and placed in sun will bleach out yellow in old stains. This information from my wise Aunt Sue. I would try it first on just one small area and see how it does. -- Good Luck, Patti Seizetheday
Chocolate Stains. First blot or scrape off any excess chocolate. Add a solution of biological washing powder, and then blot with clean towels. If the stain remains soak the fabric in biological detergent. White fabrics can be dabbed with bleach. - Anna, Canada
Rubbing a Brazil nut on a scratch can disguise some surface damage in wooden furniture -- Veronica
Chewing gum: To remove chewing gum from clothes freeze, or cover the gum with ice, then crack and scrape off. – Marjory Simpson.
Ink Stains. If the ink is still wet put baking powder on the stain, and then brush it off after a few minutes when it has soaked up some of the ink. You may need to repeat this a few times. Clean wet ink off carpet with soda water, then blot it off with paper towels. Then clean with a detergent. - Ruth Knowles
If you find that you can't remove a stain from your shirt...then give it to your Mum -- Daniel Anderson -- Milton Keynes England <;o)
Dave, some ideas:- Lipstick - try Vaseline. Soda water or club soda for wine and tea, salt and lemon juice for rust stains, someone suggested salt for ink stains but haven't tried it yet -- Sally Ed. (careful with salt as it can fix some types of stain -- Ed)
Coffee Stains: -Glycerine is useful for coffee and some other types of stains. Davio
Useful links:
Bloodstainswww.forceoutproducts.com - The following links are to ForceOutProducts stain removal products:
Car Odors - Musty Odors - Smoke Odors - Cat Urine Odors - Dog Odors - Carpet Stains - Pet Stains - General Stain Removal
Another site devoted to stain removal - www.stainexpert.co.uk
明 安 - 慧 芸