| aluminum: |
1.
To remove the dark rings inside saucepans left after boiling
eggs, boil water with a piece of lemon added in the
saucepan. |
|
2.
Boiling vinegar, apples or onions in water in the pan also
cleans aluminum pans.
|
| Brass: |
Polish
with a paste of vinegar and salt. Rinse well with water and
buff with soft cloth.
|
| Chrome: |
1.
Polish with cider vinegar, then wipe off with a damp cloth. |
|
2.
Gently wipe over with Jif on a damp cloth. |
|
3.
Rub over with plain flour and polish off with a soft cloth |
|
4.
Alternatively, try a damp cloth and ammonia.
|
| Copper: |
Rub
over with vinegar on a cloth, rinse off, then buff with a
clean, soft cloth.
|
| Crystal
Glassware: |
1.
Wash in one part vinegar to three parts water for gleaming
results. |
|
2.
To clean the inside of crystal vases, pour in water, add a
squirt of Domestos or a denture cleaning tablet and leave
for a few hours. Rinse well. |
|
3.
To clean the inside of a crystal decanter, half fill with
hot water, add some raw rice and a few drops of dishwashing
detergent, then shake vigorously. Rinse well.
|
| Electric
Frypan: |
To
clean the outside of the pan heat for a few minutes, unplug,
then turn pan upside down on newspaper and then spray the
base with a commercial brand of oven cleaner (in a
well-ventilated area). Rub with steel wool and wipe over
with a damp sponge.
|
| Iron: |
Remove
stickiness from the base of the iron by applying rubbing
alcohol to a cloth, then wipe over the base of the iron.
|
| Linoleum
and Vinyl Floors: |
1.
Use half a cup of Handy Andy diluted in a bucket of hot
water. |
|
2.
A cup of ammonia in a bucket of warm water will remove
grease from floors.
|
| Oven: |
1.
Clean glass oven doors with a damp cloth dipped in
bicarbonate of soda. |
|
2.
If something spills in the oven pour salt over it. When oven
cools brush salt away. |
|
3.
To clean inside walls of oven, make a paste of bicarbonate
of soda and water. Apply to walls and leave overnight. Next
day remove paste with a stiff brush, then wash out oven with
warm, soapy water.
|
| Pewter: |
Polish
with the outer leaves of a cabbage and then buff with a soft
cloth.
|
| Pots
and Pans: |
1.
To remove burnt-on food, fill pan with water, add a
dessertspoonful of bicarbonate of soda and boil. Allow to
cool, then clean off with a scourer. |
|
2.
For severe cases, pour olive oil over the burn marks and
leave overnight, then scrub with a scourer in hot, soapy
water. |
|
3.
If the pan is left out in the sun for a couple of days, the
charred areas will curl off.
|
| Refrigerator: |
1.
Jif Once Over will clean the outside without scratching.
|
|
2.
A weak solution of bicarbonate of soda and warm water can be
used to clean metallic shelving. |
|
3.
White vinegar wiped over the inside will prevent mould
growing. |
|
4.
Wash the interior of a refrigerator with a warm solution of
dishwashing detergent, to which a few drops of vanilla
essence have been added to mask unpleasant odours. |
|
5.
Half a dessert bowl filled with bicarbonate of soda and left
in the fridge will absorb odours. |
|
6.
Clean the refrigerator seals with a damp cloth dipped in
methylated spirits.
|
| Rust: |
To
remove rust from a stainless steel sink, soak overnight in a
paste of cream of tartar and water.
|
| Silver: |
1.
Add washing soda to water boiling in an aluminum saucepan
(the proportions should be around 20 parts water to one part
washing soda). Take the water of the boil and carefully dip
the silver in the solution. Rinse in clean water in dry with
a soft cloth. If you don’t have a large aluminum pan,
place a sheet of aluminum foil in the sink, boil up water
and washing soda a pour it over the aluminum foil. When
dipping silver, ensure silver article touches the foil. |
|
2.
To remove stains from the inside of a silver teapot, put a
teaspoon of borax in the empty pot and add a couple of cups
of boiling water. Leave to stand for several hours. Pour out
liquid, wash out the teapot with warm, soapy, water and a
sponge, then rinse well. |
|
3.
To remove egg stains from silver, gently rub over mark with
salt on a damp cloth, then wash and dry.
|
| Stainless
Steel: |
Wipe
over with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Don’t leave on for
long. Rinse off and dry.
|
| Tea
and Coffee stains: |
1.
Remove these from inside cups by rubbing with either salt or
bicarbonate of soda on a damp cloth. Rinse cloth. |
|
2.
Fill cup or mug with water to which a small squirt of
Domestos has been added. Leave overnight then wash and rinse
well.
|
| Teapots: |
1.
For silver teapots, see under silver. |
|
2.
To clean the inside of a china teapot, fill with hot water
and add two teaspoons of borax. Let stand for several hours
and wash well with hot, soapy water. |
|
*For
tips on cleaning the rest of the house, please click
here |
