Frequently Asked Questions
How to remove hard-water stains?
Upholstered Items: If the fabric is non-washable, lightly scrape off the stain (made up of mineral deposits) with your fingernail. If the spot has not been removed, hold the spot over a steaming teapot until damp. As it begins to dry, rub the spot, working from the outside toward the center of the spot.
Bottles/Glasses: Rub them with steel wool pads that have been soaked in vinegar.
Fixtures: Cover the spot with a paste made of baking soda and vinegar. Drape a terry cloth towel on top of the spot and let stand for about an hour. Wipe off, rinse, and dry.
How to remove scuff/heel marks?
Add 3 tablespoons of trisodium phosphate (TSP) to a gallon of water. This will remove scuff marks or crayon marks from walls. TSP can be found in the paint aisle of a hardware store. Make sure to wear gloves while working with TSP. Do not use TSP on semi-gloss, gloss paint, or on wood surfaces.
How to remove blood spots?
Fabric: If you should get blood on fabric, quickly wet a white cotton threaded towel with saliva and place it across the spot. The threads will absorb the blood.
Fresh spots: Make a paste of water and cornstarch, cornmeal, or talcum powder, Apply to spot. Let it dry, then brush off. You can also use the cornstarch to remove blood stains by rinsing the stain in cold water, then rub it into the spot and place it in the sun.
You may also try: Covering with meat tenderizer for fresh or dried spots, wait 15 to 30 minutes and sponge off with cool water.
How to remove candle wax?
On carpeting and upholstery: Place a paper bag over the wax and use a hot iron on it. The bag absorbs the wax.
On wood floors: You can remove the wax from wood floors by making the wax soft with a hair dryer, then wipe it away with paper towels. Wash the spot where the wax was, with a combination of vinegar and water.
On walls: Set a facial tissue over the wax and gently iron. When the wax seeps through or the tissue begins to brown, apply a new tissue.
How to remove pencil and crayon marks from walls?
Painted walls: Scrub the wall with toothpaste or a cloth soaked with ammonia to remove pencil or crayon marks. Rinse and dry the wall.
Wallpaper: To remove crayon marks, grease spots, or food stains, apply a paste made of cleaning liquid and cornstarch. You may also remove pencil marks and other non-grease spots from non-washable papers with an art-gum eraser or a fresh slice of rye bread.Let dry and brush off. Repeat the treatment until the spot is gone.
How to clean chrome?
Club soda or Seltzer water is a great cleaning agent for chrome.
How to remove hair spray from mirrors?
Rubbing alcohol with a soft cloth will remove hair spray easily from mirrors.
How to remove gum?
Ice will harden the gum, then scrape off with a dull knife.
How to remove magic marker ink?
Hair spray will remove magic marker ink from most surfaces. Spray onto surface and hair spray will most likely evaporate and not leave behind the marker stain.
What is a quick way to empty ashtrays?
Spray furniture polish on hard-to-clean ashtrays. The ashes will release from the ashtrays easily without sticking.
How to get rid of odors?
Remove the source of the odor first, clean entire area and disinfect. Most household odors are caused by germs. The quicker you try to remove the odor, the more effective removing the odor will be.
