Remove stubborn stain without using harmful chemical cleaners
By using all-natural substances to clean your home you can have a healther home and a healthier family and many of the natural home cleaning methods mentioned here are significantly cheaper than manufactured cleaners, saving you money as well.
Cleaning silverware
Nothing can add an elegant atmosphere to your dining table like silverware, but these items can also be very frustrating to maintain. Unlike stainless steel, silver tarnishes very quickly and easily, even with just exposure to the air, and maintaining its natural shine and sparkle can be a difficult task. But there are few tips you can use to make this a bit easier:
- Put dry baking soda on a damp cloth, rub the silverware with the cloth, rinse and dry.
- It might seem impossible, but toothpaste can actually be a helpful method to clean silverware.
- Try washing all the silverware with soap and water to remove any accumulated dirt and grease. Be careful about immersing any silver pieces with wood or ivory attachments as the water can harm these materials.
Cleaning copper or brass
Copper is valued for strength, malleability, ductility, and ability to conduct electricity and heat. It is also a very difficult material to maintain. Decorative items should be kept clean and dusted. Copper is sensitive to air, and oxidizes faster in moist air. Here are a few tips to help you keep those copper and brass pieces in your home shiny:
- Add one teaspoon of salt to one cup of vinegar to make brass, copper and pewter objects shine.
- Rub copper pots with lemon halves (dipped in salt) to remove dirt.
- Wash tarnished copper utensils with soap and warm water and polish with a cleaner of equal parts of salt, vinegar and flour.
- If copper is tarnished, boil article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry.
- Make your own copper polish at home by moistening salt with vinegar or lemon juice to make a paste for a bright finish or a paste of rotten-stone and olive oil for a dull finish. After polishing decorative items, spray with lacquer to preserve color if desired.
- Clean old copper pennies and money by leaving them in Coke for a few days. The high acid levels will loosen the dirt.
Cleaning jewellery
Are you always afraid that you might damage your jewellery and do not know how to keep them clean? Try one of these two tips the next time your jewellery gets dirty:
- Dunk golden jewellery into beer, then buff with a soft cloth to clean.
- Place jewellery into small pot, add Sunlight liquid and a little bit of water and bring to boil. Take the pot off the stove and wait for water to cool down. Gently brush each item with a toothbrush, rinse and towel dry.
Cleaning glass, windows and mirrors
Glass, windows and mirrors are essential items in any home and sometimes hard to maintain as it tends to leave marks and streaks. Here are a few homemade remedies and tips:
* Add 3 spoons baking soda to water and spray it on your mirror and gently dry it off for a clean and clear effect.
* Clean china and glasses by adding one cup vinegar to your dishwashing water.
* To remove dirt and grime from the bottom of your favorite glass vase, pour a little vinegar in the bottom of the vase and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then add some uncooked rice and shake to help scour the grime out of the bottom. Rinse well.
* To clean and remove stains from your glass tabletop, rub the tabletop with lemon juice. If this does not help, then rub the marks with toothpaste before cleaning it.
Windows
- Do not clean windows in direct sunlight as the cleaning solution can dry before you can get the window clean. This could leave streaks on your windows.
- Use glass cleaner and paper towels to clean the windows. Be sure to change out towels as they get dirty to prevent streaking of the windows. You can also use coffee filters or newspapers to wipe windows clean.
- Rubbing alcohol can help to remove greasy dirt from you window.
Tip: Clean your car windows inside a garage or other area to get the best results. This will allow you to clean the windows without worrying that the cleaning solution will dry before you have finished wiping the windows clean.
Cleaning Stainless steel
Stainless steel resists stains but occasionally dulls or will show oily finger prints. Here’s what you can do to keep your utensils clean:
- Use baby oil on cotton wool or a soft cloth for cleaning stainless steel.
- Rub olive oil along the grain of your stainless steel surface to remove streaks and grime.
- To clean and polish stainless steel, moisten a cloth with vinegar and wipe the object clean. This is also the ideal way to remove heat stains from stainless steel cutlery.
- Clean small stainless steel items by soaking them in warm water and then rub with lemon juice or vinegar before rinsing thoroughly.
Get more natural home cleaning tips on www.eHow.com
homemakers online
