Handbags
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Through the eons, pouches for fire-striking flint and trading shells evolved into handbags for car key and ATM cards. Nowadays, a bag is an essential for many women and a few men. (oh, sure, call it a European organizer.) So how do you keep your handbag from looking like that original cave dweller's pouch?
The general approach to cleaning a handbag is to first empty the bag of its contents. Brush away loose dirt--inside and outside the bag--with a soft white cloth, or vacuum it using an upholstery attachment. Next (with the exception of suede), wet a soft cloth in a cleaning solution appropriate for your bag's material. (See below.) Wring the cloth nearly dry and rub the bag inside and out, taking care to avoid dampening it any more than it takes to clean it.
Beyond visible dirt, you'll wipe away skin oils, hand lotion, makeup, and perspiration. A bag's handle, clasp and straps are typically high-grime spots on the exterior. Inside, wipe the liner--especially the bottom--and interior hardware, such as zippers.
To clean a leather bag use saddle soap or a cream leather cleaner/conditioner, available at shoe repair shops. Follow the label instructions. Always follow saddle soap with a solvent-free leather conditioner, such as Lexol, to avoid drying out the leather. Then buff with a soft cloth.
To clean a fabric bag, use 1/2 teaspoon of a gentle fabric wash, such as Woolite, in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water for all-over cleaning of sturdier fabrics. Use it full strength for spots. For more delicate fabrics, use barely damp baby wipes.
To clean patient leather, use a cream cleaner/conditioner if it's real patient leather. Be gentle-patent leather scratches easily. If it is imitation patient leather, use mild dishwashing detergent or a car interiro vinyl and plastic cleaner, such as Meguiar's available at auto supply stores.
OOPS!
Dye-Hard Duo >
Never stack a leather handbag on top of or directly under a plastic one. 1The dye from the leather bag will leach and be absorbed by the plastic. Then you'll be holding a bag of a different color!
To clean plastic, vinyl, or polyurethane, try a plastic cleaner, such as Novus (sold at marine and auto supply stores, as well as by suppliers of restoration products), if the handbag is made of a hard plastic such as Lucite. Wipe softer synthetics with the solution of dishwashing detergent or gentle fabric wash and water. Alternatives: Use baby wipes or a car interior vinyl and plastic cleaner. To restore the shine to shiny plastics, spritz them with silicone wax spraying after cleaning. Then buff.
To clean a straw bag, use 1 part liquid hand soap to 3 parts water.
To clean a suede bag, brush the nap with a natural-bristle shoe brush, which will remove surface dirt. Otherwise, have it professionally dry-cleaned. Use protectant sprays sparingly on suede, since some attract dirt.
Hard-Water Deposits
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If you're in a hard-water area, you'll know it: Surfaces that get wet frequently will have colorful stains, whitish spots, or crusty deposits. The dreaded blighter lime scale may build up enough to interfere with the function of fixtures like showerheads and faucets. Soaps will seem to leave a residue, and it will take more detergent to get things clean than it has in other places you've lived. The effects of hard water
include dull, sticky hair, dingy, scratchy clothes; and spotted dishes.
The culprits? Minerals in your water, mostly calcium and magnesium. For you chemistry majors, moderately hard water has concentrations of at least 61 milligrams of these minerals per liter, or 3.5 grains per gallon, and really hard water has double that amount.
To prevent mineral deposits, keep hard water away from the surfaces that it typically damages. Hard water does its mischief by evaporating and leaving behind mineral deposits. So to beat it, keep wet surfaces from air-drying in the following ways:
Simple SOLUTIONS
Give Your Showerhead a Bath >
Is your showerhead clogged with lime scale? If possible, unscrew the showerhead and soak it overnight in a bowl of white vinegar. In the morning, remove the deposits with a brush with moderately stiff bristles.
If you can't unscrew the showerhead, don't worry. Just pour the vinegar into a plastic bag and pull the bag up around the showerhead (see showers).
Faucet bases
Fiberglass
Glass (Windows and Shower doors)
Glassware (permanent etching or iridescent discoloration is not removable)
Plastic laminate (such as Formica)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Through the eons, pouches for fire-striking flint and trading shells evolved into handbags for car key and ATM cards. Nowadays, a bag is an essential for many women and a few men. (oh, sure, call it a European organizer.) So how do you keep your handbag from looking like that original cave dweller's pouch?
The general approach to cleaning a handbag is to first empty the bag of its contents. Brush away loose dirt--inside and outside the bag--with a soft white cloth, or vacuum it using an upholstery attachment. Next (with the exception of suede), wet a soft cloth in a cleaning solution appropriate for your bag's material. (See below.) Wring the cloth nearly dry and rub the bag inside and out, taking care to avoid dampening it any more than it takes to clean it.
Beyond visible dirt, you'll wipe away skin oils, hand lotion, makeup, and perspiration. A bag's handle, clasp and straps are typically high-grime spots on the exterior. Inside, wipe the liner--especially the bottom--and interior hardware, such as zippers.
To clean a leather bag use saddle soap or a cream leather cleaner/conditioner, available at shoe repair shops. Follow the label instructions. Always follow saddle soap with a solvent-free leather conditioner, such as Lexol, to avoid drying out the leather. Then buff with a soft cloth.
To clean a fabric bag, use 1/2 teaspoon of a gentle fabric wash, such as Woolite, in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water for all-over cleaning of sturdier fabrics. Use it full strength for spots. For more delicate fabrics, use barely damp baby wipes.
To clean patient leather, use a cream cleaner/conditioner if it's real patient leather. Be gentle-patent leather scratches easily. If it is imitation patient leather, use mild dishwashing detergent or a car interiro vinyl and plastic cleaner, such as Meguiar's available at auto supply stores.
OOPS!
Dye-Hard Duo >
Never stack a leather handbag on top of or directly under a plastic one. 1The dye from the leather bag will leach and be absorbed by the plastic. Then you'll be holding a bag of a different color!
To clean plastic, vinyl, or polyurethane, try a plastic cleaner, such as Novus (sold at marine and auto supply stores, as well as by suppliers of restoration products), if the handbag is made of a hard plastic such as Lucite. Wipe softer synthetics with the solution of dishwashing detergent or gentle fabric wash and water. Alternatives: Use baby wipes or a car interior vinyl and plastic cleaner. To restore the shine to shiny plastics, spritz them with silicone wax spraying after cleaning. Then buff.
To clean a straw bag, use 1 part liquid hand soap to 3 parts water.
To clean a suede bag, brush the nap with a natural-bristle shoe brush, which will remove surface dirt. Otherwise, have it professionally dry-cleaned. Use protectant sprays sparingly on suede, since some attract dirt.
Hard-Water Deposits
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're in a hard-water area, you'll know it: Surfaces that get wet frequently will have colorful stains, whitish spots, or crusty deposits. The dreaded blighter lime scale may build up enough to interfere with the function of fixtures like showerheads and faucets. Soaps will seem to leave a residue, and it will take more detergent to get things clean than it has in other places you've lived. The effects of hard water
include dull, sticky hair, dingy, scratchy clothes; and spotted dishes.
The culprits? Minerals in your water, mostly calcium and magnesium. For you chemistry majors, moderately hard water has concentrations of at least 61 milligrams of these minerals per liter, or 3.5 grains per gallon, and really hard water has double that amount.
To prevent mineral deposits, keep hard water away from the surfaces that it typically damages. Hard water does its mischief by evaporating and leaving behind mineral deposits. So to beat it, keep wet surfaces from air-drying in the following ways:
- Dab faucets dry.
- Keep lawn sprinklers away from windows
- Fix leaks and drips
- Rinse sinks, tubs, and shower stalls after use and then wipe or squeegee them dry.
It also helps to keep on hand a spray solution containing a non-precipitating water conditioner. (Calgon, White Rain, Blue Raindrops, and Spring Rain are examples.) Mix 1/2 teaspoon of water conditioner in 1 quart of water in a spray bottle and spray it on wet surfaces to capture the mineral particles along with the water as you wipe things dry.
To remove mineral deposits, a number of cleaners attack hard-water deposits with special chemicals. These compounds include
To remove mineral deposits, a number of cleaners attack hard-water deposits with special chemicals. These compounds include
- sequestrants, which capture (or sequester) minerals so they don't leave a deposit (the phosphates in automatic dishwasher detergent are sequestrants);
Simple SOLUTIONS
Give Your Showerhead a Bath >
Is your showerhead clogged with lime scale? If possible, unscrew the showerhead and soak it overnight in a bowl of white vinegar. In the morning, remove the deposits with a brush with moderately stiff bristles.
If you can't unscrew the showerhead, don't worry. Just pour the vinegar into a plastic bag and pull the bag up around the showerhead (see showers).
- surfactants (short for surface acting agents). Which loosen soil by reducing surface tension, allowing the water to wet things faster (the main ingredient in laundry detergent is a surfactant);
- acids, which help break down mineral deposits;
- alkalis (present in some cleaners), which help suspend soil so it can be rinsed away.
Consult the chart below to select the best cleaner for curing your hard-water blues.
Navigating Hard Water
Navigating Hard Water
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Those pesky hard-water deposits can collect on a bewildering array of surfaces in your home. Here is a primer on which cleaners to use where. Read product labels to make sure you've got the right kind of cleaner, and test surfaces before doing an all-out cleanup. A word to the wise: Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia-based or acidic products
Brass (unlacquered)
Those pesky hard-water deposits can collect on a bewildering array of surfaces in your home. Here is a primer on which cleaners to use where. Read product labels to make sure you've got the right kind of cleaner, and test surfaces before doing an all-out cleanup. A word to the wise: Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia-based or acidic products
Brass (unlacquered)
- Mildy abrasive brass cleaner, such as Brasso.
Ceramic tile
- Acid-based kitchen-bathroom cleaner formulated for mineral deposits and soap scum, such as Scrub Free soap Scum Remover. Avoid bleach.
- Nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner, such as Formula 409.
- 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water
- Lime-scale remover, such as CLR Calicum Lime Rust Remover.
Chrome
- Nonabrasive ammonia-based chrome cleaner, such as Windex.
- Kitchen-bathroom cleaner labeled suitable for chrome, such as CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner.
Faucet bases
- Paste of nonprecipitating water conditioner, such as Calgon, and water on a damp sponge.
Fiberglass
- 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water.
- Nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner, such as Formula 409.
- Acid-based kitchen-bathroom cleaner labeled safe for fiberglass, such as Scrub Free Soap Scum Remover.
- Spray solution of 1/2 teaspoon nonprecipitating water conditioner, such as Calgon, per 1 quart of water.
Glass (Windows and Shower doors)
- Extra dishwasher detergent. Use up to double for tough hard-water film.
- Kitchen-bathroom cleaner formulated for mineral deposits and soap scum, such as CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner.
Glassware (permanent etching or iridescent discoloration is not removable)
- Undiluted white vinegar, Soak for 15 minutes, rinse, and dry
- Dishwashing rinsing agent, such as Jet-Dry. Add to dishwasher.
Plastic laminate (such as Formica)
- Baking soda. Dip rag into bowl of warm water, then into bowl of baking soda, and rub. Wipe clean with a dry cloth.
Porcelain enamel
- Kitchen-bathroom cleaner formulated for mineral deposits and soap scum, such as CLR Bathroom & kitchen Cleaner, Some toilet-bowl cleaners contain stronger
- acids-don't leave on surface long.
- Nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner, such as Formula 409.
- Lime-scale remover, such as CLR Calicum Lime Rust Remover.
- Rust Remover, such as CLR.
Stainless steel
- Nonabrasive all-purpose cleaner, such as Formula 409.
- Spray solution of 1/2 teaspoon nonprecipitating water conditioner, such as Calgon, per 1 quart of water.
- Lime-Scale remover labeled suitable for stainless steel, such as CLR Bathroom & Kitchen Cleaner. Rinse well.
Vitreous china fixtures
- Lime-Scale remover, such as CLR Calcium Lime Rust Remover.
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