Cooking
odor
permeating
the house
Open the window and turn on a fan to get fresh air circulating. Next, wipe surfaces with a degreaser,
such as Simple Green, to remove the particles and grease deposited by the smoke. Clean walls and other surfaces close to the stove. Because heat rises and is drawn to cool areas, concentrate on wiping windows and window trim, light fixtures, and upper cabinets.
A quick fix for cutting cooking odors: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar in 1 quart water and boil on the stove. The rising warm air will carry the odor-neutralizing vinegar particles to the surfaces on which the smoke and grease settled.
Cooking oil
splatters
on stove,
counters or
clothes
First, the stove and counters: Wipe oil from counters and the stove with paper towels. Then wipe surfaces with a moist sponge and a solution of dish-washing liquid and warm water or a 50-50 solution of vinegar and warm water. Check beneath the cook-top (if it's not sealed-follow owner's
manual instructions) and wipe up oil there to prevent a cooking fire.
For all on clothes you must dry-clean, blot the grease with a paper towel dampened with acetone-based nail polish remover. (Do not use it on acetate, however-acetone will dissolve the fabric.) For washable clothes, use a commercial pre-wash stain remover or a liquid laundry detergent.work the detergent in to the stain. Immediately after pre-treatment, launder the item in hot water (if that is safe for the fabric and colors).
Felt-tip
marker
on fridge
counter, or
furniture
First, try wiping the marks off with a paper towel or dry cloth. Depending on the surface and whether
the market ink is still wet, you may be able to remove the mark. If not, you can try wiping a clean cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol. If that doesn't work, try mineral spirits or kerosene. But be careful: The solvents are all flammable. Test them first in an inconspicuous corner of the material.
Fleas
in carpeting
Vacuum the carpeting, concentrating on areas frequented by your pet and under seats and sofas. Also vacuum upholstered furniture in the vicinity. Wash any removable throw rugs or pet bedding. Using a spray bottle, apply an insect growth regulator, which is nontoxic to humans but stops fleas from reproducing. Once the carpet has dried, vacuum again. Vacuum often for the next two weeks. Don't leave the vacuum bag in the machine when you've finished. Remove it and tie it up tightly in a plastic bag, so that the fleas will not spread.
Furnace
malfunction
spreading
soot'
Turn the furnace off or cut powder. If you need to keep the system running, remove the register
and return covers, lay two layers of cheese cloth, sprayed lightly with WD-40, over the vents, and
loosely screw the cover back on. /Turn off computers, stereos, and any other electronics, because the soot can be sucked in by motor fans and can damage the circuitry. Soot is oily and acidic, and the
particles are extremely fine. Vacuum only if you have a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter (with a minimum of 2 micron entrapment); use brush attachments so that you won't grind soot into materials. /Don't touch anything: Oils from your skin can set soot stains on surfaces. Wipe metals--doorknobs, hinges, faucets---with an alkaline degreaser, such as Simple Green. If the problem is severe, hire a professional restoration company that is familiar with furnace soot. Otherwise, you risk making the soot stains worse.
Garbage
bag spill
on carpeting
Quickly pick up large solids and put them in a new bag or garbage can. Clean up any small solids,
\such as coffee grounds or dirt, with a vacuum. Blot up liquids with paper towels. If there are stains
remaining, figure out what they are and address each using the appropriate stain-removal technique. (
(See Stains on previous) For big spills, work from the outer edge of the spill to the center to contain the spill.
odor
permeating
the house
Open the window and turn on a fan to get fresh air circulating. Next, wipe surfaces with a degreaser,
such as Simple Green, to remove the particles and grease deposited by the smoke. Clean walls and other surfaces close to the stove. Because heat rises and is drawn to cool areas, concentrate on wiping windows and window trim, light fixtures, and upper cabinets.
A quick fix for cutting cooking odors: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar in 1 quart water and boil on the stove. The rising warm air will carry the odor-neutralizing vinegar particles to the surfaces on which the smoke and grease settled.
Cooking oil
splatters
on stove,
counters or
clothes
First, the stove and counters: Wipe oil from counters and the stove with paper towels. Then wipe surfaces with a moist sponge and a solution of dish-washing liquid and warm water or a 50-50 solution of vinegar and warm water. Check beneath the cook-top (if it's not sealed-follow owner's
manual instructions) and wipe up oil there to prevent a cooking fire.
For all on clothes you must dry-clean, blot the grease with a paper towel dampened with acetone-based nail polish remover. (Do not use it on acetate, however-acetone will dissolve the fabric.) For washable clothes, use a commercial pre-wash stain remover or a liquid laundry detergent.work the detergent in to the stain. Immediately after pre-treatment, launder the item in hot water (if that is safe for the fabric and colors).
Felt-tip
marker
on fridge
counter, or
furniture
First, try wiping the marks off with a paper towel or dry cloth. Depending on the surface and whether
the market ink is still wet, you may be able to remove the mark. If not, you can try wiping a clean cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol. If that doesn't work, try mineral spirits or kerosene. But be careful: The solvents are all flammable. Test them first in an inconspicuous corner of the material.
Fleas
in carpeting
Vacuum the carpeting, concentrating on areas frequented by your pet and under seats and sofas. Also vacuum upholstered furniture in the vicinity. Wash any removable throw rugs or pet bedding. Using a spray bottle, apply an insect growth regulator, which is nontoxic to humans but stops fleas from reproducing. Once the carpet has dried, vacuum again. Vacuum often for the next two weeks. Don't leave the vacuum bag in the machine when you've finished. Remove it and tie it up tightly in a plastic bag, so that the fleas will not spread.
Furnace
malfunction
spreading
soot'
Turn the furnace off or cut powder. If you need to keep the system running, remove the register
and return covers, lay two layers of cheese cloth, sprayed lightly with WD-40, over the vents, and
loosely screw the cover back on. /Turn off computers, stereos, and any other electronics, because the soot can be sucked in by motor fans and can damage the circuitry. Soot is oily and acidic, and the
particles are extremely fine. Vacuum only if you have a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter (with a minimum of 2 micron entrapment); use brush attachments so that you won't grind soot into materials. /Don't touch anything: Oils from your skin can set soot stains on surfaces. Wipe metals--doorknobs, hinges, faucets---with an alkaline degreaser, such as Simple Green. If the problem is severe, hire a professional restoration company that is familiar with furnace soot. Otherwise, you risk making the soot stains worse.
Garbage
bag spill
on carpeting
Quickly pick up large solids and put them in a new bag or garbage can. Clean up any small solids,
\such as coffee grounds or dirt, with a vacuum. Blot up liquids with paper towels. If there are stains
remaining, figure out what they are and address each using the appropriate stain-removal technique. (
(See Stains on previous) For big spills, work from the outer edge of the spill to the center to contain the spill.
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