You may be able to make the scratches and nicks less visible by getting the dirt out of them. A cloth or sponge won’t do–you need a brush. Use a Cleaning Toothbrush, a Tile Brush, or other handheld brush, with some Red Juice (or other heavy-duty liquid cleaner). You’ll be amazed how much better your countertop will look–scratches, nicks and all!
Ceramic tile floors should be vacuumed or swept regularly. Be especially careful to remove dirt from grout lines. You may need to clean the grout lines with a brush on occasion, especially if the grout is light-colored.
For wet mopping, use a no-rinse cleaner such as Clear Ammonia or Sh-Clean – along with a Sh-Mop, which will allow you to get the job over with more quickly.
If you choose to use a Clear Ammonia solution, start with 2 or 3 tablespoons of ammonia in a gallon
of water. Increase the ratio of ammonia as you need more cleaning power.
Sh-Clean, our gentle, pH neutral floor cleaner, cleans as well as our other
favorite, Clear Ammonia, but without the fumes. Mix a small amount with
water, wash, and you’re done. It leaves a bright sparkling-clean floor
without time consuming rinsing. Add a little more to the water and you’re
ready to tackle heavier-duty cleaning.
Q: We have a large RV with a carpeted ceiling. Condensation around the a/c outlets has discolored the carpet. I have tried MANY cleaners to no avail.
TIP: Our guess is that long-term dampness has faded the carpet and the discoloration is permanent. If the stain is darker than the rest of the carpet, though, it might be mildew. Mildew’s easy to remove with bleach, but bleach may “bleach” the carpet. You can also try using hydrogen peroxide, but test first to see the effect on the carpet.
It’s possible to restore the carpet’s color with marking pens. There are hundreds of color choices in good art supply stores.
Q: We moved into a home that has very old wood floors that have lost their finish. What can we do to make them look better?
TIP: Unfinished wood is what’s called “non-maintainable” in the cleaning profession. Most finishes, such as old-fashioned paste wax or more modern acrylic wax, will look good for 15 minutes and then soak into the wood and disappear. Some of these finishes also make refinishing more difficult because you have to sand deeper into the wood to remove them. Our advice is to vacuum as often as necessary to prevent further damage until you can coat your wood floors with a polyurethane or other plastic-like finish.
Q: I have a small octagonal aquarium with what must be hard water stains. How do I remove them?
Tip: First, dump the gravel into a bucket and rinse well. Then, fill the aquarium to a level above the hard water stains with a mixture of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar. Leave this mixture in the aquarium for a day ; or longer, until the hard water stains can be scrubbed away with a sponge or a White Pad. Test to be sure the white pad doesn’t scratch the glass or Plexiglas. Then wash with soap and water, and rinse several times with hot water. Put the gravel back in, add water, and you’re ready for fish.
They say March comes in like a lamb and out like a lion. Those springtime breezes bring in more than just the blooming crocuses; they blow in countless reminders that it’s time for spring cleaning.
If spring cleaning is your thing, go for it! But if you never quite get that urge to scrub your home from top to bottom in one go, you can take solace in this article: A case against spring cleaning.
Historically, spring cleaning was a necessary response to being literally shut in for the winter. Coal and wood burning furnaces sprayed soot and ash all over your home, making a thorough scrub-down imperative once the weather warmed up. Today’s forced air furnaces and better filtration systems all but eliminate the winter build-up.
So without the soot to contend with, is spring cleaning still necessary? The answer is probably no. Which is fortunate, since goodness knows that with today’s busy lives, most of us would probably never find the time. Instead of setting aside two weeks out of our schedules to spring clean, what we we really need to do is:
(1) Devise (and stick to) a good, regular cleaning schedule, and
(2) Create a plan for tackling the heavy-duty house cleaning tasks
If you are feeling overwhelmed about the cleaning schedule, check out last month’s newsletter, in which we covered the basics of Speed Cleaning. Once you realize that your basic weekly housecleaning can take half the amount of time — or less — than you currently spend, it suddenly won’t seem so overwhelming.
Next up is creating a plan for the heavy-duty tasks. With regular cleaning, many of these tasks will be eliminated, or at the very least minimized. There are still some jobs, though, that need to be tackled more often than, say, never!
But instead of saving up all these jobs for the spring, we suggest tackling them on a semi-annual basis, as they require attention. You can accomplish this in one of two ways. Those of you who thrive on formal routines can set up a semi-annual schedule, in which you integrate the seasonal chores into your weekly cleaning routine.
Those free-spirits out there, however, might find this formal plan a little too restrictive (and besides, you probably don’t have a weekly cleaning routine to begin with.) If sticking to a schedule makes you sick, just remember this simple mantra: Do it when it needs doing.
If your windows are caked with dirt, it’s (probably past) time to clean them. If your air conditioner is not cooling as fast as it used to, it’s time to clean the filters. Some chores may lag a bit this way, but rest assured: With a little mindful attention to your home, they will all get done. Even without sacrificing two weeks of your springtime.
To help you get on track, whichever plan of attack you choose, here is a look at the Clean Team’s top ten recommendations for do them when necessary cleaning chores. For a more detailed explanation of these chores, be sure to check out Jeff’s book, Spring Cleaning. (Just don’t be confused by the title; we figured it was catchier than “The Heavy-Duty Seasonal Tasks That Can Be Accomplished Simply By Doing Them When They Need Doing.”)
Win the war with the shower stall.
Weary of soap scum and hard-water stains on the bathroom tub, shower, and tile? Send them down the drain with Tile Juice, our bathroom tile cleaner. Soap scum and mineral deposits make a home for unsightly mold, mildew and bacteria. Tile Juice melts away these deposits without back-breaking scrubbing. It’s a powerful, fast-acting liquid cleaner that leaves a fresh, clean fragrance behind. Contains no abrasives that might scratch tile. Tile Juice has a reliable, well-tested formula for moderate scale and hard water. Scum Bum is new-age technology for severe mineral/scale problems found in many parts of the country. We use Tile Juice in San Francisco, where the water is not particularly hard. You may need Scum Bum, it can be used exactly like Tile Juice, so there is no conflict with instructions in our books.
(Not recommended for use on marble, granite or stone surfaces.)
Learn more or place an order on SpeedCleaning.com
Back by popular demand…The Clean Team’s Stain Assassin.
A powerful way to eliminate common household stains.
Don’t stand still for embarrassing stains and spots on carpets, upholstery, fabrics, laundry, and most hard surfaces. Stain Assassin is a powerful way to rub them out. Blast away kitchen grime, most food stains, lipstick, makeup, crayon, fruit juice, latex paint, and more. Ideal for tackling a broad range of jobs ordinary cleaners can’t seem to budge.
The James Bond of stain removers.
Learn more or place an order at SpeedCleaning.com
Q: After painting my bathroom, I neglected to remove the masking tape. It’s been several weeks, and now the tape is stuck to wood and tile surfaces.
Tip: Yes, tape can be difficult to remove, especially if it has been in the sun. Pull off all the tape you can. Use a Heavy-Duty Scraper, if needed. Then use a solvent to dissolve the remaining glue. Our Stain Assassin is a good solvent. Solvents you may have at home include lighter fluid, turpentine, and acetone. One or more of these should work, depending on the chemical formula of the tape adhesive. Make sure to test each solvent first in an inconspicuous spot.
Q: We’ve been painting the interior of the house and have several paint boo-boos on the molding, etc. I want to remove the paint but not the finish.
Tip: First try soap, water, and a Plastic Scraper, butter knife, White Pad, or even a fingernail. If that doesn’t do it, most stain removers do a good job of removing latex paint from most surfaces. Make sure to test first in an inconspicuous spot.
Q: What is the best cleaner for brass with water spots? The brass isn’t lacquered.
Tip: As long as the brass doesn’t have a coat of lacquer, the water spots can usually be polished off with a Brass & Copper Polish. This is a difficult and time-consuming job, and the water spots tend to reappear almost immediately. A good preventative measure is to dry the brass whenever it gets wet.
Q: Ever since we had the hurricane, we’ve had mold in the toilet. It cleans out, but then returns with a vengeance. The tub and the shower curtain have a red slimy mold that is disgusting…same thing.
Tip: Gee, all we have here are earthquakes. However, here is our advice.
Throw away the shower curtain. You can get a white shower liner (for $6-7) until you find a new shower curtain you like.
If you prefer to keep the shower curtain you have, wash it with a couple of towels in hot water and some bleach (as long as the towels can stand the bleach). Remove before the “spin” cycle. Rehang. Any wrinkles still in the curtain from washing will disappear within a few days. Clean the toilet and shower (one more time!). Spray the shower with bleach. Then pour a couple quarts of bleach into the toilet and spray the upper parts of the toilet with more bleach. Hold your breath and leave the room so you can breath. After ten minutes, go back in the bathroom, rinse the shower thoroughly, and flush the toilet.
If the carpeting in the room got wet during the hurricane, it should probably be replaced. Bleach will make white spots on the carpet, so if you’re not tossing it, don’t allow bleach to drip or be sprayed on it.
Q: What do you think of the product “Clean Shower”?
Tip: Jeff Campbell says, “I don’t like breathing chemicals instead of good old air–but some folks I’ve talked with really like to use Clean Shower. I still like using a Shower Wiper because it works without chemicals.”
Q: After a mini-flood, clothes were unknowingly stored while still damp. How do I get out the mildew stains?
Tip: Here are two ways to remove mildew from clothing:
(1) Wash them ASAP in hot water with a full dose of bleach–or as much as you dare use, depending on colorfastness and type of fabric. This will remove most mildew stains. If bleach isn’t an option, use a sanitizer, such as a pine oil cleaner.
(2) Squeeze lemon juice onto the mildew stain and then sprinkle salt on it. Leave the article in the sun to dry, and afterward wash as usual. It’s a good idea to test first in an inconspicuous spot, such as a seam.
NOTE: Some organic fabrics, such as wool and silk, may be permanently damaged.
Q: What’s the best way to keep the garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh?
Tip: On a regular basis, make sure to let the water run for several seconds after you turn off the disposal. This will help to avoid a buildup of odor-causing material.
When you want to do a special cleaning of your garbage disposal, turn it off and tape the switch to the off position for safety. Use a Garbage Disposal Brush and soap to clean the underside of the rubber baffle and as much of the interior as possible.
Put the stopper in the disposal. Fill the sink with a few inches of water and add a generous amount of baking soda. Mix the water and baking soda with a wooden spoon and then remove the stopper. Don’t turn on the disposal until you need to use it again.
After cleaning the garbage disposal, keep it clean by having it grind up a handful of ice cubes every month or so.
Q: I have off-white upholstered furniture and a dog that loves to rub against the lower portion of the couches. How do I best remove the shadow of dirt?
Tip: Use the “bonnet” method, which is usually used on carpets. Spray the dirty area with a heavy mist of Red Juice, or another heavy duty cleaner, and then rub it off with a Cleaning Cloth, or Microfiber Cloth. The Red Juice puts the dirt into suspension and the cloth soaks the suspended dirt out of the fabric.
Q: I use the recommended floor cleaner for my Armstrong off-white square tile. Sometimes it still looks dirty even after I clean it.
Tip: Try a different cleaner. Clear Ammonia or our Sh-Clean are our favorites. The floor tiles are yours now, and good quality floor finish will not damage them.
Q. When I vacuum, the paint from the base boards comes off on the vacuum power head. The paint is then transfered to my furniture, refrigerator, etc.
Tip: Something’s wrong. The paint isn’t adhering properly to the base boards, or you are hitting the painted surfaces too hard and need to slow down a bit. Remove the paint from the unwanted surfaces with Red Juice, or other heavy duty cleaner, and a Cleaning Toothbrush .
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