Flags and Banners
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You've probably seen as flag patriotically displayed alongside the words "These colors don't run." It is ringing endorsement of bravery but an unreliable guarantee of laundry performance. Most flags have colors that, if each were the color of an individual item in your laundry hamper, you'd separate and wash in different loads. Banners, often with appliqued designs and depicting seasonal or whimsical themes, also often use contrasting colors.
To keep the colors pure, first check the box or bag that your flag or banner came in--if you still have it--to see whether it has directions for cleaning. If directions aren't available, try to determine what kind of fabric the flag or banner is made of. Those of recent vintage are usually cotton, nylon, or polyester.
Washing a nylon or polyester flag or banner is usually safe. Put in a washing machine on a gentle cycle in warm water with a mild laundry detergent. You can hang it out to dry on a clothesline or dry it on a low setting in the dryer.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Keep It Flying Proudly >
To extend a flag's life, take it down, when it rains, snows, or is very windy. If a flag does become wet, let it dry thoroughly before you fold or roll it. Otherwise, you're inviting mildew to take up residence.
WATCH OUT
Old flags with historical value should be treated with great care. Consult a professional conservator at a local museum.
Dry cleaning a cotton flag or banner is usually necessary--especially if you value it highly--because it is likely to bleed if washed. A wool flag or banner should always be dry-cleaned. Some dry cleaners will clean flags free of charge, especially around patriotic holidays. If you want to take a chance, especially around patriotic holidays. If you want to take a chance, go ahead and launder a cotton flag or banner. If the colors run, you may be able to undo the damage with synthrapol, a special soap
made for removing excess dye, or Carbona Color Run Remover, whose name is pretty self-explanatory. Look for them at mass merchandisers, fabric stores, and arts and crafts supply stores.
Flatware
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Your flatware should be so shiny that dinner guests could use a knife blade like a mirror to see themselves. They probably shouldn't but they should be able to.
Rinse your flatware under running water immediately after eating. You may not want to actually wash the dishes. If, say, you're entertaining, but rinsing will remove food that might cause pitting or staining. Be especially diligent about eggs, fruit juices, tomatoey foods, lemon, vinegar, salty foods (including butter), mustard, and salad dressings. Silver is most vulnerable, but stainless steel, despite its name, isn't completely immune to the threat of corrosion. You can also soak flatware in warm water in a sink or dishpan, but don't soak hollow-handled ware for long, lest it loosen the soldering.
Wash stainless steel flatware in the dishwasher normally, along with your dishes, but don't spill detergent directly on the pieces, because it could pit or spot them. However, your flatware will be shinier and more lustrous if you dry it by hand with a soft dishcloth.
Wash silver flatware, both plate and sterling, by hand. Use dishwashing liquid in hot water. Rinse with clear hot water and dry immediately with a soft dishcloth. Don't use abrasive cleaners or scrubbers, such as steel wool. They will dull the finish.
The sulfur in egg and egg products (such as mayonnaise) will cause silver to tarnish--instantly. so do pollutants in the air, but they work more slowly. Tarnish is not removed by regular washing. You'll have to use a silver polish on that.
Clean pewter flatware with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth. Then follow up with the hot, soapy water treatment.
For how to polish silver, see Silver Jewelry and Silver serving Pieces. Also see Pewter.
simple SOLUTIONS
Silver Lining >
To get the most out of your good silver, take it out of hiding now and buffing will enhance the patina and will give pleasure to you and its other users. Store it in a clean, dry drawer. If you store your silver for long, use either flannel flabware rolls or a wooden, felt-lined chest to deter tarnish. You can also prevent tarnish by storing silver pieces in plastic wrap, making sure to remove as much air as possible.
Floors
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Not all floors are created equal. Even among general categories such as wood, stone or tile, there are vast differences between specific examples. Maple isn't pine, marble isn't granite, and quarry tile isn't glazed.
Still, all floors are subjected to dirt and wear, basic cleaning techniques apply universally. Check the Floor Cleaning Pyramid box on next for general floor cleaning methods, and when you've exhausted those, try the recommendations under the following headings for specific floor types.
To clean wood floors, the bad news is that you really should get down on your hands and knees. That's right. And you can't swab water all over the floor--it must be used sparingly. So get ready to play Cinderella.
When damp mopping won't do, try one of these general-purpose cleaners:
Dip a soft cloth or sponge in the solution, wring it out, and wipe the floor. Buff with a soft, dry cloth.
The object of caring diligently for wood floors--aside from keeping them looking good--is to avoid having to do a sanding job. It's a lot of work if you do it yourself. It's a lot of money if you hire it done. It's messy. And it removes from your floor not just the old finish but a layer of wood. Each time you sand, you're working your way toward the basement.
The Lowdown on Wax Buildup
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Guess what? High-traffic areas will wear out their wax sooner than low-traffic areas. This means the road less traveled can get a nasty wax buildup. A telltale sign is a yellowed or discolored floor. Removing all the wax requires harsher cleaner than usual and should be done only
when necessary and no more often than once a year.
Here are two recipes for a wax stripper:
Work on a small area at a time and mop up the solution after the wax has been softened. Repeat the process in other areas until the entire floor is stripped of wax. Rinse thoroughly with a solution of a gallon of water and a cup of vinegar. After drying completely, apply new wax.
Determining a wood floor's finish will help you determine how to care for it. If the floor was installed or last refinished before the mid 1960s, the finish is probably varnish or shellac. These finishes rest on top of the wood, are often waxed, and require a whole-floor sanding before a new finish can be applied. Later finishes may be polyurethane, which penerates the wood, should not be waxed, and can be touched up by new urethane applied to just the worn places.
You can tell one from the other by scratching the surface with a coin in an inconspicuous place. If the finish flakes, it is probably shellac or varnish. If the finish does not flake, it is probably a polyurethane finish.
To check for wax, put a couple of drops of water on the floor. Wait 10 minutes and check to see whether white spots have appeared under the water. White spots mean the floor has been waxed. If there are no white spots, it hasn't.
The Floor Cleaning Pyramid
Remember the famous Food Guide Pyramid? You're supposed to choose a lot of the foods depicted at the bottom of the pyramid (fruits, vegetables and grains) and eat the stuff at the top sparingly (sweets and oils). On the floor Cleaning Pyramid, the broad bottom includes the cleaning methods that apply to all type of floors and that should be used most frequently. Frequency of use declines as you go up the pyramid, and the top is reserved for specialized cleaners, for different flooring materials.
Here are other general guidelines for floor cleaning:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You've probably seen as flag patriotically displayed alongside the words "These colors don't run." It is ringing endorsement of bravery but an unreliable guarantee of laundry performance. Most flags have colors that, if each were the color of an individual item in your laundry hamper, you'd separate and wash in different loads. Banners, often with appliqued designs and depicting seasonal or whimsical themes, also often use contrasting colors.
To keep the colors pure, first check the box or bag that your flag or banner came in--if you still have it--to see whether it has directions for cleaning. If directions aren't available, try to determine what kind of fabric the flag or banner is made of. Those of recent vintage are usually cotton, nylon, or polyester.
Washing a nylon or polyester flag or banner is usually safe. Put in a washing machine on a gentle cycle in warm water with a mild laundry detergent. You can hang it out to dry on a clothesline or dry it on a low setting in the dryer.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Keep It Flying Proudly >
To extend a flag's life, take it down, when it rains, snows, or is very windy. If a flag does become wet, let it dry thoroughly before you fold or roll it. Otherwise, you're inviting mildew to take up residence.
WATCH OUT
Old flags with historical value should be treated with great care. Consult a professional conservator at a local museum.
Dry cleaning a cotton flag or banner is usually necessary--especially if you value it highly--because it is likely to bleed if washed. A wool flag or banner should always be dry-cleaned. Some dry cleaners will clean flags free of charge, especially around patriotic holidays. If you want to take a chance, especially around patriotic holidays. If you want to take a chance, go ahead and launder a cotton flag or banner. If the colors run, you may be able to undo the damage with synthrapol, a special soap
made for removing excess dye, or Carbona Color Run Remover, whose name is pretty self-explanatory. Look for them at mass merchandisers, fabric stores, and arts and crafts supply stores.
Flatware
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your flatware should be so shiny that dinner guests could use a knife blade like a mirror to see themselves. They probably shouldn't but they should be able to.
Rinse your flatware under running water immediately after eating. You may not want to actually wash the dishes. If, say, you're entertaining, but rinsing will remove food that might cause pitting or staining. Be especially diligent about eggs, fruit juices, tomatoey foods, lemon, vinegar, salty foods (including butter), mustard, and salad dressings. Silver is most vulnerable, but stainless steel, despite its name, isn't completely immune to the threat of corrosion. You can also soak flatware in warm water in a sink or dishpan, but don't soak hollow-handled ware for long, lest it loosen the soldering.
Wash stainless steel flatware in the dishwasher normally, along with your dishes, but don't spill detergent directly on the pieces, because it could pit or spot them. However, your flatware will be shinier and more lustrous if you dry it by hand with a soft dishcloth.
Wash silver flatware, both plate and sterling, by hand. Use dishwashing liquid in hot water. Rinse with clear hot water and dry immediately with a soft dishcloth. Don't use abrasive cleaners or scrubbers, such as steel wool. They will dull the finish.
The sulfur in egg and egg products (such as mayonnaise) will cause silver to tarnish--instantly. so do pollutants in the air, but they work more slowly. Tarnish is not removed by regular washing. You'll have to use a silver polish on that.
Clean pewter flatware with rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth. Then follow up with the hot, soapy water treatment.
For how to polish silver, see Silver Jewelry and Silver serving Pieces. Also see Pewter.
simple SOLUTIONS
Silver Lining >
Floors
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not all floors are created equal. Even among general categories such as wood, stone or tile, there are vast differences between specific examples. Maple isn't pine, marble isn't granite, and quarry tile isn't glazed.
Still, all floors are subjected to dirt and wear, basic cleaning techniques apply universally. Check the Floor Cleaning Pyramid box on next for general floor cleaning methods, and when you've exhausted those, try the recommendations under the following headings for specific floor types.
To clean wood floors, the bad news is that you really should get down on your hands and knees. That's right. And you can't swab water all over the floor--it must be used sparingly. So get ready to play Cinderella.
When damp mopping won't do, try one of these general-purpose cleaners:
- Mix 1/2 cup of cider vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water.
- Brew some tea using 2 tea bags per 1 quart of water. Don't use instant tea.
Dip a soft cloth or sponge in the solution, wring it out, and wipe the floor. Buff with a soft, dry cloth.
The object of caring diligently for wood floors--aside from keeping them looking good--is to avoid having to do a sanding job. It's a lot of work if you do it yourself. It's a lot of money if you hire it done. It's messy. And it removes from your floor not just the old finish but a layer of wood. Each time you sand, you're working your way toward the basement.
The Lowdown on Wax Buildup
Guess what? High-traffic areas will wear out their wax sooner than low-traffic areas. This means the road less traveled can get a nasty wax buildup. A telltale sign is a yellowed or discolored floor. Removing all the wax requires harsher cleaner than usual and should be done only
Here are two recipes for a wax stripper:
- 1/2 cup of ammonia and 1 cup of laundry detergent in 1 gallon of warm water.
- 1/2 cup of washing soda (available at supermarkets in the detergent section) in 1 gallon of warm water.
Work on a small area at a time and mop up the solution after the wax has been softened. Repeat the process in other areas until the entire floor is stripped of wax. Rinse thoroughly with a solution of a gallon of water and a cup of vinegar. After drying completely, apply new wax.
Determining a wood floor's finish will help you determine how to care for it. If the floor was installed or last refinished before the mid 1960s, the finish is probably varnish or shellac. These finishes rest on top of the wood, are often waxed, and require a whole-floor sanding before a new finish can be applied. Later finishes may be polyurethane, which penerates the wood, should not be waxed, and can be touched up by new urethane applied to just the worn places.
You can tell one from the other by scratching the surface with a coin in an inconspicuous place. If the finish flakes, it is probably shellac or varnish. If the finish does not flake, it is probably a polyurethane finish.
To check for wax, put a couple of drops of water on the floor. Wait 10 minutes and check to see whether white spots have appeared under the water. White spots mean the floor has been waxed. If there are no white spots, it hasn't.
The Floor Cleaning Pyramid
Remember the famous Food Guide Pyramid? You're supposed to choose a lot of the foods depicted at the bottom of the pyramid (fruits, vegetables and grains) and eat the stuff at the top sparingly (sweets and oils). On the floor Cleaning Pyramid, the broad bottom includes the cleaning methods that apply to all type of floors and that should be used most frequently. Frequency of use declines as you go up the pyramid, and the top is reserved for specialized cleaners, for different flooring materials.
Here are other general guidelines for floor cleaning:
- Vacuum or sweep up loose dirt frequently.
- Change dust bunnies with a dust mop.
- Wipe up any spills immediately.
- Clean with a damp mop or cloth (using plain water) weekly or more often. change the water as soon as it gets cloudy.
- Go to stronger cleaners only when a damp mop doesn't do the job.
- Rinse thoroughly after using any kind of cleaner.
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