Kitchen Cabinets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You may not have a secretary of state or defense, but your kitchen cabinets contain many of the essentials of your household administration. So they should be handsome and clean.
To routinely clean the cabinet exteriors, dust with a clean cloth regularly and wipe with a damp cloth periodically will depend on your specific cabinets and frequency of use of the cabinets.). Never use abrasive cleaners or scourers on kitchen cabinets. Also avoid using your dishcloth, because it may contain grease or detergents that can add streaks and smears.
To wipe away the stains around handles on cabinet doors and drawers, bring on the heavy artillery, because those stains will probably be the most troublesome, being mixture of skin oils, food smears, and softened finish. On cabinets made of plastic laminate, metal, or glass, try a strong all-purpose household cleaner, such as those you find in supermarkets. spray it onto a cloth or sponge and apply to the dirty areas.Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes and then wipe it off with a rinsed-out cloth or sponge. Wipe with a dry cloth.
To clean wood cabinets, first try a little dishwashing detergent applied directly to a cloth or sponge. Rub into the dirty areas around the hardware. Then wash the entire cabinet with an oil soap solution. Use 1/4 cup of oil soap (such as Murphy Oil Soap) to 1 gallon of water. Apply with a cloth dipped in the solution and wrung out. Then go over the cabinets with a cloth dampened in plain water, followed by a dry cloth.
To protect the surface of the cabinets, apply a wax suitable for your cabinet's material. Car wax or other paste waxes work well on wood. Once a year, apply thinly to a clean surface with a clean cloth and then buff.
To clean cabinets that have windows, wash the glass with a cloth or paper towel sprayed with a little glass cleaner. Don't spray cleaner or even plain water, directly onto the glass--it can drop down and damage the surrounding wood.
To clean the shelves, use the same methods as for the exterior surfaces. Shelves need cleaning only once or twice a year--assuming you clean up any spills as soon as they happen. To remove an old spill, sprinkle with baking soda and wipe with a damp cloth.
Knickknacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dust more, wash less. Or dust less, wash more. Take your pick. If you swoosh away the dust from your glass menagerie or curios often, it won't have a chance to turn to greasy grime that will require a more intrusive cleaning job
To dust a whole rack of knicknacks, use a hair dryer or feather duster every couple of days--if you're of the swooshing school. Or wipe them, one at a time, with a clean microfiber cloth once a week.
Either way, you'll probably rarely need to wash them.
To wash your knicknacks, mix a little dishwashing liquid in warm water in a plastic bowl and immerse the knickknacks, assuming they're made of china, glass, plastic, or metal. Use a clean, thick cotton sock, worn over your hand,as a cleaning mitt. That will get into most crevices. Use an old toothbrush on places that your hand can't get to. Rinse the items well with fresh water and dry
with a clean cloth.
For an even speedier wash, run your knickknacks through the dishwasher on the gentlest setting.
To clean cloth items, try the vacuum cleaner first, using the brush or crevice attachment. If that isn't enough, put the articles in a paper bag, add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, shake, and then shake some more. Remove the items from the bag and brush or vacuum off the baking soda.
WATCH OUT
Don't use soap and water--and especially not the dishwasher--to clean hand-painted or antique knickknacks. If a prized piece needs cleaning, as opposed to just dusting, wipe it lightly with a damp cloth. The same gentle touch applies for wooden knicknacks.
Knives
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you want a bright and shiny knife at all times? That would be stainless steel. The downside is that when it loses its edge, it doesn't take well to sharpening. Or would you prefer a really sharp knife, one that you can easily sharpen? That would be carbon steel. The downside is that it's difficult to keep bright and shiny.
To clean knives of either type, wash immediately after use in a little dishwashing soap and hot water with a cloth or sponge. Rinse with hot water and wipe with a dry cloth.
To remove stains from a carbon steel blade, try a paste made of salt and vinegar. Rub it on the blade with a cloth. Or dip a slice of lemon into salt and rub that on the blade. Some stains will respond to a nylon scrubber or steel wool.
To shine the blade, use silver polish, or even better, Simichrome, a German all-metal polish available at some auto supply stres. Or find it on the internet by using a search engine and entering the name Simichrome in the search window.
To protect the edges of knives, store them in a rack or, if in a drawer, cover the blades with cardboard sleeves. You can make a sleeve by cutting a piece of cardboard (from a cereal box, for example) the length of the blade and twice as wide. Fold the cardboard in half lengthwise. Use tape to seal the side and one end. Insert the knife in the open end.
To clean a pocketknife, open all the blades--and in a Swiss Army-type Knife, all those other gizmos, too. Wash them in hot,soapy water. Remove dirt from the little slots with a toothbrush. Rinse in hot water, dry with a clean cloth, and leave the knife open for a while to allow the slots to dry thoroughly. Lubricate the hinges periodically with a little gun oil or sewing machine oil, available at gun shops or fabric stores respectively.
To clean a hunting knife, use the same method as for a pocket knife. After using your knife in the field, rinse it off in a stream, if possible, or wipe it clean with leaves or grass.
Life on the edge
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A sharp carbon steel knife edge has lots of practically invisible "teeth", which get bent out of line during use. Keep them as straight as possible by using a honing steel before each use.
Lace
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What does a prizewinning sheep have in common with lace? They both like to be washed with the same soap, one developed by procter & gamble for use on animals but now also used on delicate textiles.
Some precautions first. Lace is delicate material, so you shouldn't be surprised that there's a list of don't about cleaning it:
To clean lace, place a clean white towel in the bottom of the sink or bathtub you'll be using. Lay the lace cloth on the towel. Mix 1teaspoon fo Orvus WA Paste per 1 gallon of warm water. (Orvus, the animal-cleaning soap mentioned above, is available at quilt shops, museum shops, tack shops, and farm supply stores and from that friendly sheep next door.) Make enough of the solution to cover the cloth. Soak for 15 minutes and then agitate by gently lifting and lowering the towel.
To rinse lace, use room-temperature distilled water. Keep changing the water until it is totally clear. Drain. Use the towel as a sling to lift the lace.
To dry lace, first blot up as much water as possible with dry towels and then lay the lace on a clean, dry towel to dry completely.
To restore the shape of lace that has to fit a dress collar, for example trace its shape on a piece of paper before washing it. Place the tracing on a corkboard and put a sheet of clear plastic over it. After washing the lace, place it over the plastic and gently shape it to fit the tracing. Then use stainless pins to hold the lace in place while it dries
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You may not have a secretary of state or defense, but your kitchen cabinets contain many of the essentials of your household administration. So they should be handsome and clean.
To routinely clean the cabinet exteriors, dust with a clean cloth regularly and wipe with a damp cloth periodically will depend on your specific cabinets and frequency of use of the cabinets.). Never use abrasive cleaners or scourers on kitchen cabinets. Also avoid using your dishcloth, because it may contain grease or detergents that can add streaks and smears.
To wipe away the stains around handles on cabinet doors and drawers, bring on the heavy artillery, because those stains will probably be the most troublesome, being mixture of skin oils, food smears, and softened finish. On cabinets made of plastic laminate, metal, or glass, try a strong all-purpose household cleaner, such as those you find in supermarkets. spray it onto a cloth or sponge and apply to the dirty areas.Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes and then wipe it off with a rinsed-out cloth or sponge. Wipe with a dry cloth.
To clean wood cabinets, first try a little dishwashing detergent applied directly to a cloth or sponge. Rub into the dirty areas around the hardware. Then wash the entire cabinet with an oil soap solution. Use 1/4 cup of oil soap (such as Murphy Oil Soap) to 1 gallon of water. Apply with a cloth dipped in the solution and wrung out. Then go over the cabinets with a cloth dampened in plain water, followed by a dry cloth.
To protect the surface of the cabinets, apply a wax suitable for your cabinet's material. Car wax or other paste waxes work well on wood. Once a year, apply thinly to a clean surface with a clean cloth and then buff.
To clean cabinets that have windows, wash the glass with a cloth or paper towel sprayed with a little glass cleaner. Don't spray cleaner or even plain water, directly onto the glass--it can drop down and damage the surrounding wood.
To clean the shelves, use the same methods as for the exterior surfaces. Shelves need cleaning only once or twice a year--assuming you clean up any spills as soon as they happen. To remove an old spill, sprinkle with baking soda and wipe with a damp cloth.
Knickknacks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dust more, wash less. Or dust less, wash more. Take your pick. If you swoosh away the dust from your glass menagerie or curios often, it won't have a chance to turn to greasy grime that will require a more intrusive cleaning job
To dust a whole rack of knicknacks, use a hair dryer or feather duster every couple of days--if you're of the swooshing school. Or wipe them, one at a time, with a clean microfiber cloth once a week.
Either way, you'll probably rarely need to wash them.
To wash your knicknacks, mix a little dishwashing liquid in warm water in a plastic bowl and immerse the knickknacks, assuming they're made of china, glass, plastic, or metal. Use a clean, thick cotton sock, worn over your hand,as a cleaning mitt. That will get into most crevices. Use an old toothbrush on places that your hand can't get to. Rinse the items well with fresh water and dry
with a clean cloth.
For an even speedier wash, run your knickknacks through the dishwasher on the gentlest setting.
To clean cloth items, try the vacuum cleaner first, using the brush or crevice attachment. If that isn't enough, put the articles in a paper bag, add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda, shake, and then shake some more. Remove the items from the bag and brush or vacuum off the baking soda.
WATCH OUT
Don't use soap and water--and especially not the dishwasher--to clean hand-painted or antique knickknacks. If a prized piece needs cleaning, as opposed to just dusting, wipe it lightly with a damp cloth. The same gentle touch applies for wooden knicknacks.
Knives
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you want a bright and shiny knife at all times? That would be stainless steel. The downside is that when it loses its edge, it doesn't take well to sharpening. Or would you prefer a really sharp knife, one that you can easily sharpen? That would be carbon steel. The downside is that it's difficult to keep bright and shiny.
To clean knives of either type, wash immediately after use in a little dishwashing soap and hot water with a cloth or sponge. Rinse with hot water and wipe with a dry cloth.
To remove stains from a carbon steel blade, try a paste made of salt and vinegar. Rub it on the blade with a cloth. Or dip a slice of lemon into salt and rub that on the blade. Some stains will respond to a nylon scrubber or steel wool.
To shine the blade, use silver polish, or even better, Simichrome, a German all-metal polish available at some auto supply stres. Or find it on the internet by using a search engine and entering the name Simichrome in the search window.
To protect the edges of knives, store them in a rack or, if in a drawer, cover the blades with cardboard sleeves. You can make a sleeve by cutting a piece of cardboard (from a cereal box, for example) the length of the blade and twice as wide. Fold the cardboard in half lengthwise. Use tape to seal the side and one end. Insert the knife in the open end.
To clean a pocketknife, open all the blades--and in a Swiss Army-type Knife, all those other gizmos, too. Wash them in hot,soapy water. Remove dirt from the little slots with a toothbrush. Rinse in hot water, dry with a clean cloth, and leave the knife open for a while to allow the slots to dry thoroughly. Lubricate the hinges periodically with a little gun oil or sewing machine oil, available at gun shops or fabric stores respectively.
To clean a hunting knife, use the same method as for a pocket knife. After using your knife in the field, rinse it off in a stream, if possible, or wipe it clean with leaves or grass.
Life on the edge
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A sharp carbon steel knife edge has lots of practically invisible "teeth", which get bent out of line during use. Keep them as straight as possible by using a honing steel before each use.
- Hold the steel in your left hand (if you're right handed)
- Place the knife against the steel at a 20- to 25- degree angle.
- Draw the knife across, heel to tip, so that the entire blade passes over the top of the steel.
- Repeat with the other side of the knife on the bottom of the steel. Continue for about a dozen strokes.
Lace
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What does a prizewinning sheep have in common with lace? They both like to be washed with the same soap, one developed by procter & gamble for use on animals but now also used on delicate textiles.
Some precautions first. Lace is delicate material, so you shouldn't be surprised that there's a list of don't about cleaning it:
- Don't use the washing machine, dryer your usual detergents or soaps, chlorine bleach, lemon juice, or salt.
- Don't rub lace or lift it by itself while it's wet.
- Don't send it to a dry cleaner, except for recently made lace that specifies dry cleaning on the care label.
- Don't clean fragile, old or valuable lace yourself. Turn the job over to professional conservator. You should wash only sturdy lace--for example, a tablecloth of no great value.
To clean lace, place a clean white towel in the bottom of the sink or bathtub you'll be using. Lay the lace cloth on the towel. Mix 1teaspoon fo Orvus WA Paste per 1 gallon of warm water. (Orvus, the animal-cleaning soap mentioned above, is available at quilt shops, museum shops, tack shops, and farm supply stores and from that friendly sheep next door.) Make enough of the solution to cover the cloth. Soak for 15 minutes and then agitate by gently lifting and lowering the towel.
To rinse lace, use room-temperature distilled water. Keep changing the water until it is totally clear. Drain. Use the towel as a sling to lift the lace.
To dry lace, first blot up as much water as possible with dry towels and then lay the lace on a clean, dry towel to dry completely.
To restore the shape of lace that has to fit a dress collar, for example trace its shape on a piece of paper before washing it. Place the tracing on a corkboard and put a sheet of clear plastic over it. After washing the lace, place it over the plastic and gently shape it to fit the tracing. Then use stainless pins to hold the lace in place while it dries
No comments:
Post a Comment