Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Deep Cleaning.





Aside from the many renovation type works going on in our school this summer, I'm doing a deep cleaning of the environment. There are some magical tips out there that I found extremely useful in the process. Old timey cleaning tips are priceless!

CRAYON ON WALLS: Damp rag dipped in baking soda. It is really miraculous. :)

SILVERWARE: Immerse the silverware in water with 2 tablets of Alka Selzer. Let it sit there for a couple of minutes.

PEACE FLOWER (fake flower): put it in a bag with salt and shake it. The salt will absorb the dirt (really.)

WAX IN CANDLE HOLDERS: Freeze the candle holder. The wax will shrink and then you can tip it out.

NEW MATERIALS: To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.

SPONGES AND RAGS: Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

TILES: Mix up an inexpensive tile cleaner by adding 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup ammonia to a gallon of warm water.

TOILETS: Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing. To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

FLOORS: For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dish washing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

SCISSORS: Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

SINKS: To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

KITCHEN COUNTERS: Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

DRAINS: Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.

SHELVES: Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

WINDOWS: To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

BRASS OBJECTS: To clean tarnished brass, copper, and pewter, use a paste with equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and table salt.

BELLS: Make a metal cleanser by adding enough white distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to make a paste. Rub it on and let it dry on the surface. Wash it off and dry with a soft cloth.

7 comments:

P.S. Montessori said...

Man, the power of distilled white vinegar! I've tried cleaning things with vinegar (clearly the wrong kind) and it didn't work. I'm definitely going to try these tips. Thanks!

abby said...

Do you have any suggestion to clean glass beads. I have acquired a full bead chain set, which was in someone's attic. They need a cleaning and I am not sure how to go about cleaning them.
any comments would be appreciated.
thanks

Susanne said...

Hello Abby!

My trainer mentioned that when she was a teacher, they used to clean the beads with just soap and water. Because of rust issues here in Aruba, we only dust them. No washing.

Best wishes,

Susanne

Anonymous said...

Contact Connie at the Montessori Institute of Atlanta - she knows exactly how to clean those beads and make the copper wires sparkle!!!

N. Jones said...

Use baking soda to clean oil and grease stains in garages: Simply sprinkle the affected area with a generous amount of baking soda and scrub with a wet brush. Rinse the area to clean thoroughly.

Wendy Glades said...

The tip about scissors is my favourite. Thank you for sharing!

Petya KLEINE said...

Thanks for sharing these amazing cleaning tips!