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Post by MsHavisham on Jun 22, 2008 14:40:49 GMT -5
I thought maybe in this thread we could all list the things that have worked on the really evil, didn't want to budge stuff - like a cleaning wiki. Bye-bye, nasty grime!  Dried goo (syrup? melted candy?) on carpet - Soak a towel and partially wring it out (drippy but not sopping), then microwave it. Pick up super-hot towel with tongs and place on spot. Steam softens the gunk and capillary action pulls it into the towel. May need to do this 2 or 3 times if it's deep into the pile. Thick brown gunk on hard surfaces] - Easyoff BAM! Squirt on full strength, swish around and leave it an hour. Gunk started to liquify and run and wiped up easily. Be careful though - this actually removed some paint off of steel (although that paint was probably already etched by the gunk sitting on it). Bathtub, sinks, outside of toilet, chrome - Dow Scrubbing Bubbles - spray on foam, leave it, wipe away. Repeat. This cleared lots of soap scum. Also some spray paint off porcelain. (Don't ask!) Cast iron - Depends on severity of problem. [glow=red,2,300]Lots of rust?[/glow] Take a blowtorch to it or have it sandblasted. Scrub all that rust out - might want to use a brush attachment on an electric drill. Re-season with crisco or lard in a warm oven. [glow=red,2,300]Icky mess but no rust?[/glow] Scrape or soak off the worst of it if necessary (but try to avoid soaking - you'll have to do more intensive re-seasoning) Avoid detergents. After that, heat Crisco in the pan on low until you have 1/8 to 1/4 melted (but not spattering hot!) shortening. Dump in plenty of kosher salt. Scrub the salt around with a scrub brush. Salt isn't oil soluble so you'll be left with a pile of hot dirty looking salt and carbon flakes. Dump into a can to cool - it will be too hot to put in the trash. Wipe clean cast iron down with more shortening and put in a warm oven to re-season if necessary. (And if not "necessary", it can't hurt.) |
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Post by mouse on Jun 22, 2008 14:47:43 GMT -5
Ooh, I like this!
Here's one from me:
Scungy Microwave
Put a wedge of lemon into a bowl of water, and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Repeat as necessary. This will effectively "steam" all the gunk that's caked onto the inside of the microwave and let you wipe it off easily.
Microwaving your sponges/j-cloths is also a good way to temporarily disinfect them (make sure they're damp first!).
~Mouse
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Post by Minnibella on Jun 22, 2008 17:19:19 GMT -5
I like these ideas...
Mouse, I hope that really works with the microwave...Mine REALLY needs it!
Blessings
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Post by eaglesflight on Jun 22, 2008 23:17:30 GMT -5
I had always heard to microwave a bowl of vinegar, and while I can attest that it works, it sure does stink. The lemon method sounds much more pleasant.
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Post by mouse on Jun 23, 2008 7:22:52 GMT -5
Mouse, I hope that really works with the microwave...Mine REALLY needs it! It worked with mine, although I don't use my microwave that often, so it wasn't as bad as, say, my stove can get. It was very effective, and smelled very nice! ~Mouse |
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overcome
New Member
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Post by overcome on Jun 24, 2008 6:03:18 GMT -5
I have used lemon water, plain water, and vinegar to 'steam clean' my microwave--- the moist heat is the trick. The lemon helps to make clear unpleasant odors (like burned microwave popcorn), vinegar the same reason (and some people like the sort of medicinal ugly smell of the vinegar-- says this has been cleaned smell).
I wish I could put my whole house in a baggie and steam it this way.
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Post by ramatama on Jun 24, 2008 7:38:07 GMT -5
When I worked at a motel one summer, they told us to take a rag, dunk it in vinegar water, squish it out, and swirl it around the room like a ventilator to get the bad smell of stale tobacco and other smells  out. Then leave a bucket of vinegar water standing in the middle of the room for a few hours if possible. It worked. |
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Post by dragonchilde on Jun 24, 2008 11:14:16 GMT -5
I'm about to try the lemon thing right now... my husband went and got me a lemon just for this. I'll let you know how it goes! (And i'll take pictures.)
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Post by neveropentheclosets on Jun 24, 2008 12:45:33 GMT -5
What a great thread! I have no hints, but just wanted to say thanks for the ones here!
notc
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hopehope
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,815 
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Post by hopehope on Jun 24, 2008 12:53:21 GMT -5
well, this is kind of extreme, if a bit weird.
How To Get A Pigeon Out of Your Apartment.
Use a towel. Get it over its head, and kind of whump it up in there. Then, holding your towel bag/net, just take it outside. And put it down.
(This took me three days to find out.)
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hopehope
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,815
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Post by hopehope on Jun 24, 2008 12:56:32 GMT -5
oh, yeah: waterbugs.
Used to skeave the --- out of me.
Same principle: get it in some kind of container. With a cover. i.e., plastic container. One you're not attached to.
Because, of course, the best thing is just to throw the whole thing out. (For those who missed it, there's an interim step --- put the cover ON.)
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Post by minball on Jun 24, 2008 17:31:17 GMT -5
Ooh! I have one!
A way to deal with pet vomit, hairballs or poo:
(If you're dealing with a Level 4 situation, this works for that kind of mess as well. And yes, that's personal experience talking...)
0. Put on a face mask or tie a kerchief over your nose and mouth to minimize the grossness. Gloves are great, too. (Isn't it weird how a nasty mess that you live with and walk around every day becomes one million times more revolting when you go to clean it up? Or maybe that's just me.)
1. Use a putty knife or retired kitchen spatula to scoop or scrape up as much as you can.
2. If the mess was old and dry, run the vacuum over the spot to pick up any dust or little pieces that would otherwise be smushed into the carpet. If the mess was fresh, cover it with salt and let it sit until it is completely dry - if it's humid out, this might take a day or so. Once it's dry, step on the salty spot to sort of grind it and break it apart, then vacuum it up.
3. Using hot soapy water and your scrubbing implement of choice, work at the remaining stain from the outside towards the center, to avoid smearing it around. Regular dish detergent works just fine. Then blot with clear water and see if the stain is gone. If it's still there, repeat the process until the mark disappears or fades to a level you can live with.
4. Blot the wet spot with dry rags or paper towels, and follow up with an enzyme treatment like Natures Miracle.
Ta-da! Your home is now a nicer place!
I love this thread!
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Post by messymimi on Jun 24, 2008 19:08:47 GMT -5
Great thread idea.
Anything dried on to a hard, water resistant surface is easier to clean when wrapped or draped in wet paper towels for ten minutes. Any less time and you might not get the water down far enough into the stuff to get to the surface of what you are cleaning. Any more and the whole mass begins to dry out and you get to re-wet it and start over. This works great on my linoleum when foster kittens get under or behind the furniture to do their business, and it dries before I can find it.
messymimi
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Post by crazycatlady on Jun 26, 2008 9:00:25 GMT -5
well, this is kind of extreme, if a bit weird. How To Get A Pigeon Out of Your Apartment. Use a towel. Get it over its head, and kind of whump it up in there. Then, holding your towel bag/net, just take it outside. And put it down. (This took me three days to find out.) |
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Post by reesa on Jun 27, 2008 2:49:30 GMT -5
ancient urine stains in carpeting
If the carpet is cotton or matural fibers (i.e., if you are rich) use oxyclean for pets, soak the area well. then dye your carpet a darker warmer color.
if it's poly blend carpet- use scrubbing bubbles (like for the bathtub, that stuff) and a scrub brush. spray the stain and soak it with the scrubbing bubbles. wait until it bubbles up and then recedes. scrub down into carpet witj the brush. Use a towl to scrub it back up/wipe up all the foam. let it dry.
this worked on my light-beige carpet that had years-old urine stains on it.
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