Cleaning Around The House


Coffee Spills & Stains on Carpets


Act as quickly as possible. Blot up all the spill that you can and immediately apply club soda, really pour it on and then blot it up with an old towel. Stand on it to remove as much club soda and coffee as possible. Keep pouring on the club soda until no more brown liquid is coming up on your rag and remember to change your rag often. Next, apply Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover, following the directions. If you have an old coffee stain, first try applying the Spot Shot as directed. If staining still remains, you can attempt to remove, or at least lighten the stain, with 3% hydrogen peroxide. First, try it in an inconspicuous area of the carpet and wait 1 hour to test the effect on the carpet. If no problems occur, then apply to the stain, wait 30 minutes and blot. Reapply as neccessary.

Yellow Mustard


This is very hard to remove and sometimes impossible. The faster you react to the spill the better. Never use ammonia or heat on a mustard spill, as they will set the stain. Try these methods on clothes with mustard spills too. Always scrape up as much of the spill as possible with the dull edge of a knife before you try to clean the spot.
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Flex the carpet fibers to break up and loosen as much mustard as possible. Apply glycerin to the spill and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. Blot with paper towels, removing all the mustard you can. Then, treat the spot with Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover, following the directions.
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You can also try wetting a bar of Fels Naptha Soap and rubbing it into the mustard spot. Work it in using your fingers, then pour on club soda to rinse. Continue to rinse and blot until the soap residue and mustard is gone. Follow up with with the Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover.
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If stubborn staining remains, apply hydrogen peroxide (drugstore variety) to the stain and allow it to bleach the yellow color out.

Nail Polish


Blot up as much as possible with a tissue or anything handy. Then, test the effect of the nail polish remover on an inconspicuous part of the carpet. If there are no ill effects to the carpet pile, apply the nail polish remover with an eye dropper or non-silver spoon, blotting immediately after each application. Always use non-oily polish remover. If regular nail polish remover doesn't work, buy straight acetone at a beauty supply house, pre-test again and apply as directed above. Once you have removed as much as possible, follow with Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover applied according to the directions. If color staining still remains, apply hydrogen peroxide to bleach or lighten the stain.

Red Dirt & Mud


This is especially difficult to remove. Allow the mud to dry and then vacum thoroughly using the attachment hose to concentrate the suction on the mud. Use Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover and follw the directions. For stubborn problems, use a rust remover, such as Whink or Rust Magic.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Cutlery


Mix 1/4 cup chlorine bleach, 1/4 cup Calgon Residue Remover and one gallon of very HOT water in a plastic container or kitchen sink. Use a non-aluminum container. Immerse stainless steel cutlery in the solution for 30 minutes and wash as usual. NOT for use on real silver.

Removing Stubborn Spots From Stainless Steel


Put a little non-gel toothpaste on a soft cloth and rub the spot. Wash, rinse well and dry.

Cleaning Silver Cutlery


Wash silver cutlery as soon as possible after using. This prevents tarnish-causing stains. To clean alot of silver cutlery quickly, put strips of aluminum foil in a large bowl. Place the silver cutlery on top. Cover the cutlery with boiling water. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Soak for 10 minutes, then rinse and dry.

Make Your Own Silver Cleaning Clothes


Saturate cotton squares in a solution of 2 parts ammonia, 1 part silver polish, and 10 parts cold water. Let clothes drip dry and use as silver polish clothes.

Eliminate the Smell of Burned Foods

Boil a few slices of lemon in a saucepan to clear the air of burned on foods.

Elinimate the Smell of Fried Foods


Place a small bowl of white vinegar next to your stove whenever you are frying foods. This helps prevent unpleasant smells from fats.

Remove Odors From the Fridge


To deoderize refrigerators, leave a bowl filled with clean clay cat litter or charcoal to absorb ordors. This is particularly helpful in refrigerators that are going to be shut off for a move. Be sure you also secure the door so it is partially open to allow for air circulation. For strong smells in a running refrigerator put fresh, dry coffee grounds in a bowl and leave in the refrigerator.

Remove Smoke Odors in Cars


If you smoke in the car, put a layer of baking soda in the bottom of the ash tray to absorb smoke odor. Empty it frequently. Dryer fabric softener sheets placed under the seats also help to keep the smoke smell under control.

Mildew Odors in Trunks, Dressers, & Chests


Often, old trunks or dressers have a stale mildew odor. To eliminate this, take a slice of white bread and put it in a bowl and cover it with white vinegar. Leave enclosed in trunk or drawers for 24 hours. If ordor remains, repeat the process.

Eliminating Odors in the Home


Wintergreen oil is a wonderful deodorant. Apply some to a few cotton balls and tuck into areas around the home. Places such as flower arrangements, decorative pieces, etc., make great places to hide them.

Cleaning the Outside of your Grill


Simply rub Go-Jo Hand Cleaner on the outside of the cool grill with an old rag. Work it into the metal. Then just take a paper towel and buff it. Use a little extra elbow grease and Go-Jo to remove grease and barbecue sauce. It will leave it clean and shiny.

Glass Grill Window


You can spray the inside of the glass with oven cleaner. Wait a few minutes and then scrub well and rinse. On the outside of the glass, use Go-Jo Hand Cleaner and buff it well. Follow up with window cleaner if you'd like.

Cleaning the Grill Rack


The easiest way to clean the grill rack is to place it in a garbage bag and lay paper towels under and over it and saturate them with a 2/3 ammonia and 1/3 water mixture. Close the bag tightly and leave overnight. Open the bag keeping your face back as the fumes are strong. Scrub the grill with ammonia-soaked paper towels and a soap filled steel wool pad if neccessary. Rinse well with the garden hose. Put back on the grill and heat for 5 minutes to remove odor and chemicals.

Cleaning the Grill after Cooking


Use a balled up piece of aluminum foil to clean the grill after cooking. Use this method while the grill is warm, NOT hot.

For Cleanup Ease


Spray the grill with nonstick cooking spray before you light the grill. This will keep foods from sticking and make the cleanup much easier.

Keeping Pan Bottoms Clean


Before placing a cooking pan on the grill, coat the bottom with bar soap and you won't have a problem getting the black film off.

Removing Rust from Cement


Wet the cement and sprinkle with Tang Breakfast Drink or Kool-Aid. Cover with plastic and allow to soak about one hour. Remove plastic, scrub with a brush and rinse well.
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Apply ZUD Heavy Duty Cleanser. This can be purchased at the store in the cleanser section. Make a paste with warm water and work in well with a brush. Let soak for 30 minutes and then scrub with additional hot water and rinse well.
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If the rust stain is really bad, you will have to use a solution of 10 parts water to one part muriatic acid. Let this sit 2 to 3 hours and then scrub and rinse with a stiff-bristled, non-metallic brush. Use extreme caution if you use this method. Wear goggles, gloves and old clothes and rinse, rinse, rinse. Keep children and pets away from the area while you are using this acid.

Removing Oil & Grease from Cement


For fresh oil stains on cement garage floors, sprinkle clay kitty litter on the spot and grind it into the oil with your foot. Grinding it in is the secret to success. Let it sit and absorb all the oil it can and the reapply if neccessary. Follow with one of the cleaning methods.

Old Stains on Cement


Apply a spray-and-wash product and leave on for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with laundry deteregent and scrub with a stiff brush or broom and then rinse.
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Another good method is to make a paste of hot water and automatic dishwasher detergent. Scrub it into the spot and let it soak for at least 1 hour or even over night. Add additional water and srcub and rinse.

Removing the Toughest Stains


Use oven cleaner. Let it stand for 15 minutes and then hose off. Repeat if neccessary. Keep children and pets away while working and rinse well.


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