Anyone can clean a drinking glass. But to get rid of streaks, spots,and unappetizing rim stains--to make your stemware and highball glasses really sparkle--you've got to know how to dry them properly.
Clean glassware first When you're washing dishes by hand, since glass are usually less dirty than pots, pans, plates, and utensils. (If you don't clean the glasses first, then change the dishwater before you get to them. Otherwise, you'll get the glasses dirtier than they were when you started.)
Use dishwashing liquid mixed with hot water. Wash with a soft, clean sponge or dishrag. Don't reach for the abrasive pot scrubber. That can scratch glass. Rinse with even hotter water--as hot as you can safely stand. Hot water not only helps cut grease, but it also beads up and steams off (the first step toward good drying). Avoid excessive suds, which make glasses harder to rinse and slippery to handle, increasing the chances of their breaking or chipping.
No matter how well you've cleaned glassware, if there is slow-drying water left on your glasses, chances are it will leave streaks or spots. Fogging causes some of the worst spotting. To avoid the "greenhouse effect"--when glasses placed upside down on their rims fog up inside-- dry glasses upside down on a drying rack. If you don't have a rack, put them upright on a towel and make sure air can circulate inside the glass for rapid drying.
To remove the time buildup on glassware that occurs when you wash it in the dishwasher, use a commercial rinse agent (such as Jet-Dry) during the washing cycles. This helps water sheet off while the gas is drying inside the foggy washer. Or fill a large plastic bowl with white vinegar and give each glass a 15-minute bath. Then rinse with running water and air-dry.
To remove food-coloring stains left in glassware by the dyes in powdered soft drink mixes and other beverages, fill the glass with a solution of 2 tablespoons of household ammonia in 1 quart of hot water. Let it stand for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with clean , cool water
Hand-washing is best for fine glassware (even if you'd prefer to use your dishwasher). To avoid scratching the glasses, remove your rings, watches, and bracelets, especially those with diamonds. swing the faucet head out of the way, so there will be no chance that you'll accidentally smack your great-grandmother's goblet against it. Using both hands, clean one piece at a time in hot, soapy water.
Gently wash with a soft cotton cloth or clean sponge. For stubborn dirt, scrub gently with a soft toothbrush. Rinse twice, first in a sink or dishpan full of tepid water with a capful of vinegar mixed in and next under a gentle shower of tepid water from the tap or side sprayer.
To clean really fine glassware, here's a conservator's formula: Mix equal parts ethanol (ethyl alcohol, or grain alcohol) and water and then add a few drops of ammonia. Water and the ammonia do the cleaning, while the ethanol aids evaporation. Apply the solution with cosmetic pads, cotton pads, or the lint-free pads used for cleaning fix machines. Don't use this technique on glass with decorative gift.
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RULES OF THE GAME
Glassware Hand Care >
wash them while they are on your hands, instead of awkwardly trying to flatten them out to scrub the palms and then clean in between each flaccid finger. This way you can position each glove exactly as you'd like it, while scrubbing with the other hand (Even better: Have your mate clean the gloves that you're wearing. and vice versa. Whatever else you wear is up to you.)
First, in addition to stains and soil on the outside of gloves, you have to remove the dirt and oils left by your own skin on the inside of gloves. Second, gloves are complicated, full of cracks and crevices designed to conform to the shape of our hands.
Mix up a mild, sudsy solution of
There is a trick, though, that almost makes cleaning gloves fun, assuming that they are washable.
The whole point of gold is to shine. while it does not tarnish like silver, gold will over time develop a dingy, oily film from lotions, powders, soaps, and the oils secreted by your skin. And gold that has been alloyed with other metals-- copper, silver, or nickel--can tarnish and smudge. To revive your gold jewelry's luster, clean it regularly.
Here's the mildest method of cleaning gold--and also the easiest and most economical: Mix a bowl of suds using warm water and a little dishwashing liquid. soak the gold jewelry briefly and then gently scrub crevices and design details using a soft toothbrush or eyebrow brush. Place the jewelry in a wire strainer and rinse under warm running water. pat it dry with a chamois cloth. (Any clean, white, soft cotton cloth will do in a pinch.)
For a stronger cleaning solution, mix equal parts cold water and ammonia (and save the money you would have spent on a commercial jewelry cleaner.) Soak the jewelry in the solution for 30 minutes. Again, gently scrub with the toothbrush or eyebrow brush. Rinse with water. Let the jewelry dry on a soft towel.
WATCH OUT
Rather, white gold is gold (naturally yellowish in color) allowed with silvery metals, such as nickel, and usually plated with rhodium to brighten it even more. You probably won't see any worn plating on earrings and necklaces, but on white gold jewelry that gets physical abuse, such as rings and bracelets, you might notice yellow blotches on the surface. (Our gold-cleaning techniques will not remove the plating.) If so, simply have your jeweler replate the jewelry with rhodium.
Today, Gore-Tex is a household word. But this brand-name membrane, found in rain jackets and other outerwear, is just as miraculous as ever for its ability to be simultaneously water proof and breathable. You'll improve both functions by keeping your Gore-Tex fabric clean. Gore-Tex is both washable and dry-cleanable, make cleaning it a snap (another reason to love the stuff).
To clean a Gore-Tex garment, follow the cleaning instructions on the label in that garment. Typically, the instructions will be to put the garment in a washing machine with warm water and a standard laundry detergent, but no fabric softener or bleach, and then tumble in a dryer. If the garment calls for dry-cleaning, tell the cleaner you want a clear, distilled solvent rinse.
To preserve a shell's water resistance, you need to reapply a water-resistant coating occasionally, because multiple washings (or a single trip to the dry cleaner) will remove the shell's fine water-resistant layer. (when water no longer beads up on your garment's outer shell, that's a sign that's sign that you've lost it.) The actual Gore-Tex layer will be OK, but the outer shell will need a new application of its coating, called durable water repellent (DWR). Gore-Tex sells an easy-to-use spray-on durable water repellent called Revivex. Look for it at camping stores, hunting stores, or high-performance bicycle shops.
Clean glassware first When you're washing dishes by hand, since glass are usually less dirty than pots, pans, plates, and utensils. (If you don't clean the glasses first, then change the dishwater before you get to them. Otherwise, you'll get the glasses dirtier than they were when you started.)
Use dishwashing liquid mixed with hot water. Wash with a soft, clean sponge or dishrag. Don't reach for the abrasive pot scrubber. That can scratch glass. Rinse with even hotter water--as hot as you can safely stand. Hot water not only helps cut grease, but it also beads up and steams off (the first step toward good drying). Avoid excessive suds, which make glasses harder to rinse and slippery to handle, increasing the chances of their breaking or chipping.
No matter how well you've cleaned glassware, if there is slow-drying water left on your glasses, chances are it will leave streaks or spots. Fogging causes some of the worst spotting. To avoid the "greenhouse effect"--when glasses placed upside down on their rims fog up inside-- dry glasses upside down on a drying rack. If you don't have a rack, put them upright on a towel and make sure air can circulate inside the glass for rapid drying.
To remove the time buildup on glassware that occurs when you wash it in the dishwasher, use a commercial rinse agent (such as Jet-Dry) during the washing cycles. This helps water sheet off while the gas is drying inside the foggy washer. Or fill a large plastic bowl with white vinegar and give each glass a 15-minute bath. Then rinse with running water and air-dry.
To remove food-coloring stains left in glassware by the dyes in powdered soft drink mixes and other beverages, fill the glass with a solution of 2 tablespoons of household ammonia in 1 quart of hot water. Let it stand for 30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with clean , cool water
Hand-washing is best for fine glassware (even if you'd prefer to use your dishwasher). To avoid scratching the glasses, remove your rings, watches, and bracelets, especially those with diamonds. swing the faucet head out of the way, so there will be no chance that you'll accidentally smack your great-grandmother's goblet against it. Using both hands, clean one piece at a time in hot, soapy water.
Gently wash with a soft cotton cloth or clean sponge. For stubborn dirt, scrub gently with a soft toothbrush. Rinse twice, first in a sink or dishpan full of tepid water with a capful of vinegar mixed in and next under a gentle shower of tepid water from the tap or side sprayer.
To clean really fine glassware, here's a conservator's formula: Mix equal parts ethanol (ethyl alcohol, or grain alcohol) and water and then add a few drops of ammonia. Water and the ammonia do the cleaning, while the ethanol aids evaporation. Apply the solution with cosmetic pads, cotton pads, or the lint-free pads used for cleaning fix machines. Don't use this technique on glass with decorative gift.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RULES OF THE GAME
Glassware Hand Care >
- Put a rubber pad or heavy folded towel in your sink (or use a plastic dishpan). In a divided sink, also put a towel over the ridge.
- Wash in hot water and mild dishwashing liquid. Avoid too many suds. Rub stuck-on food gently with baking soda but never anything more abrasive.
- Handle stemware by the bowl, not the stem.
- Rinse glasses in a sink or pan of hot water.
- Air-dry upside down on a dish rack. Or arrange the glasses upright on a towel. Never stand them upside down on a flat surface. This leads to fogging and spotting.
- For that special dinner party, buff your dried glasses with a soft, white, lint-free cloth
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Gloves
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Cleaning gloves can be tricky for a couple of reasons.
To clean gloves, warm water and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. When you're finished washing, remove the gloves and rinse them in a sink full of clean water, emptying the sink and repeating until there is no more soap residue.
To dry gloves, roll them up in a dry towel. After unrolling them blow them back into shape and lay them out flat on the towel at room temperature. Never squeeze or wring gloves and don't try them using a heat source, such as radiator or hair dryer. If you have to iron them, lay them between the folds of a clean towel and pass the hot iron over the top layer of the towel.
See Leather or Suede if your gloves are made from either of those materials. To clean a baseball glove, see Sports Equipment.
Cleaning gloves can be tricky for a couple of reasons.
To clean gloves, warm water and a drop or two of dishwashing liquid. When you're finished washing, remove the gloves and rinse them in a sink full of clean water, emptying the sink and repeating until there is no more soap residue.
To dry gloves, roll them up in a dry towel. After unrolling them blow them back into shape and lay them out flat on the towel at room temperature. Never squeeze or wring gloves and don't try them using a heat source, such as radiator or hair dryer. If you have to iron them, lay them between the folds of a clean towel and pass the hot iron over the top layer of the towel.
See Leather or Suede if your gloves are made from either of those materials. To clean a baseball glove, see Sports Equipment.
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Gold Jewelry
Gold Jewelry
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The whole point of gold is to shine. while it does not tarnish like silver, gold will over time develop a dingy, oily film from lotions, powders, soaps, and the oils secreted by your skin. And gold that has been alloyed with other metals-- copper, silver, or nickel--can tarnish and smudge. To revive your gold jewelry's luster, clean it regularly.
Here's the mildest method of cleaning gold--and also the easiest and most economical: Mix a bowl of suds using warm water and a little dishwashing liquid. soak the gold jewelry briefly and then gently scrub crevices and design details using a soft toothbrush or eyebrow brush. Place the jewelry in a wire strainer and rinse under warm running water. pat it dry with a chamois cloth. (Any clean, white, soft cotton cloth will do in a pinch.)
For a stronger cleaning solution, mix equal parts cold water and ammonia (and save the money you would have spent on a commercial jewelry cleaner.) Soak the jewelry in the solution for 30 minutes. Again, gently scrub with the toothbrush or eyebrow brush. Rinse with water. Let the jewelry dry on a soft towel.
WATCH OUT
- Avoid getting chlorine on gold at all costs. It will cause the gold to deteriorate over time. Remove gold jewelry when cleaning with chlornie bleach and even before entering chlorinated pools and hot tubs.
- Don't clean gold with toothpaste, even though some jewelers recommend it. Some toothpastes contain harsh abrasives, such as silica (found in quartz), which can dull a glossy gold finish.
Having gold professionally cleaned is the safest and most effective--if also the most expensive--method. Take your jewelry to a jeweler and have it cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaning machine. They dip your jewelry in a container of liquid, send high-frequency vibrations through the liquid, and--voila!--the dirt and grime drop off. Have several things cleaned at once, and you will save money on each piece. Or, if it's the same jeweler you bought the piece from, he or she might do it free of charge.
White Gold's Shiny Little Secret
White Gold's Shiny Little Secret
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If your white gold is beginning to yellow, that probably means it was rhodium-plated. Most white gold is.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no such metal as white gold.
If your white gold is beginning to yellow, that probably means it was rhodium-plated. Most white gold is.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no such metal as white gold.
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Gore-Tex Fabric
Gore-Tex Fabric
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Today, Gore-Tex is a household word. But this brand-name membrane, found in rain jackets and other outerwear, is just as miraculous as ever for its ability to be simultaneously water proof and breathable. You'll improve both functions by keeping your Gore-Tex fabric clean. Gore-Tex is both washable and dry-cleanable, make cleaning it a snap (another reason to love the stuff).
To clean a Gore-Tex garment, follow the cleaning instructions on the label in that garment. Typically, the instructions will be to put the garment in a washing machine with warm water and a standard laundry detergent, but no fabric softener or bleach, and then tumble in a dryer. If the garment calls for dry-cleaning, tell the cleaner you want a clear, distilled solvent rinse.
To preserve a shell's water resistance, you need to reapply a water-resistant coating occasionally, because multiple washings (or a single trip to the dry cleaner) will remove the shell's fine water-resistant layer. (when water no longer beads up on your garment's outer shell, that's a sign that's sign that you've lost it.) The actual Gore-Tex layer will be OK, but the outer shell will need a new application of its coating, called durable water repellent (DWR). Gore-Tex sells an easy-to-use spray-on durable water repellent called Revivex. Look for it at camping stores, hunting stores, or high-performance bicycle shops.
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