Sealants:
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WOOD SEALANTS also protect against scratching and water damage. They come in the following varieties:
GROUT SEALANTS combat what has traditionally been one of the toughest things in the house to clean. This sealant, available at home and hardware stores and easily applied with a sponge paintbrush, prevents oil, dirt and mildew from staining grout lines.
YOU CAN PURCHASE fabric sealants at supermarkets, discount stores, and stores that sell carpets and upholstered furniture, as well as through professional cleaning companies. Sealants for hard surfaces typically are available at hardware, paint and home improvement stores.
Soap
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Apart from plain water, soap may be Homo sapiens' oldest cleaner. During the excavation of ancient Babylon, archaeologists found a soap like material in clay cylinders dating back to 2900 B.C. According to ancient Roman legend, soap got its name from Mount Sapo, a place of animal sacrifice. Rain mixed the melted animal fat with wood ashes and washed it down to the clay soil along the
Tiber River, where women washed clothes. The women found that the mixture removed the soil from clothes far better and more easily than plain water.
HOW SOAP IS MADE has not changed: Animal or vegetable fats are still treated with a strong alkali, such as sodium or potassium. Soap differs from detergent, which is a synthetic product first made in Germany in 1916 in response to a shortage of soap-making fats. Both contain "surface-active" agents, or surfactants, which reduce the surface tension of water and soil, in effect loosening the soil, dispersing it in water, and holding in it suspension until it can be rinsed away.
SOAP IS USED these days almost solely for personal skin and body care. In most other cleaning endeavors, synthetic detergents have almost completely re-placed natural soaps, especially for machine-washing dishes and clothes. In hard water, soap is not as effective as detergent, and it forms a curd or soap scum that can ruin clothes and stain tubs and sinks.
DON'T USE SOAP IN TANNIN STAINS, such as ones produced by coffee, fruit, or jelly if you can avoid it. Soap makes the stain harder to remove.
SOAP IS WIDELY AVAILABLE in supermarkets, drugstores, departmetn stores, and discount stores.
Solvents
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Water is the universal solvent, since it can be used to dissolve many different substances, from dirt to blood to certain paints. In cleaning terminology, however, solvent refers to liquids other than water
that are used to dissolve things water can't dissolve. Water can't dissolve grease, for instance. Working on the principle that "like dissolves like," you'd need a non-water-based solvent, such as mineral spirits, to dissolve grease.
COMMON CLEANING SOLVENTS include acetone (found in many nail polish removers), denatured alcohol, and turpentine, as well as petroleum-based chemicals, such as mineral spirits, naptha, kerosene, and dry-cleaning fluids.
CLEANING USES FOR SOLVENTS typically include removing greasy or oily substances, cleaning materials that can be harmed by water (for instance, spot-cleaning dry-clean-only fabrics), and removing decals, wood finishes, oil-based paint, and waxes.
SOLVENTS ARE A LAST RESORT, to be used for the few things that water and detergent won't clean. Solvents tend to be strong, aggressive cleaners. Although they can be dangerous to breathe and
dangerous when they contact your skin and eyes, they vary in their degree of toxicity.
ALWAY'S TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS when using solvents.
SOLVENTS ARE TYPICALLY AVAILABLE in hardware and home improvement stores.
Sponges
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household cleaning sponges, typically made of cellulose, are great at absorbing liquids, and they hold lots of cleaning solution. For that reason, sponges are fast and efficient cleaning tools. But they are
also a breeding ground for bacteria. The key to using sponges is to understand their limitations and,
specifically, to avoid cross-contimination.
PLAIN CELLULOSE SPONGES
are well suited to bathrooms, where being able to wipe moisture off walls, countertops, sinks, tubs, and showers is handy. But keep them in the bathroom. Don't use the bathroom sponge in the kitchen, where germs can spread. Don't use a toilet sponge on the countertop where you store your toothbrush.
Let a sponge dry between each use. Throw sponges away after a few weeks.
ABRASIVE KITCHEN SPONGES are designed for dish-washing. These might be wrapped in a lightly abrasive mesh or backed by more heavily abrasive scrubbing pads. Use common sense when cleaning with sponge abrasives. /They will scratch Teflon-coated pots and pans, stainless steel sinks, countertops, and the like. And kitchen sponges are just as apt to grow bacteria. keep them as clean as possible and throw them out after a few weeks of use. Even if you don't use sponges on a regular basis. keep them around for spills.
NATURAL SPONGES--the brown, irregularly round ones--have been used for thousands of years
for bathing and household cleaning. Although synthetic sponges, introduced in the 1940s, now have the lion's share of the market, natural sponges are still used for bathing, cleaning, and a number of industrial applications ranging from printing to surgery.
A natural sponge is actually the skeleton of a sea animal. There are more than 2,000 species of sponge in the ocean, but these three are mainly used commercially;
Natural sponges are considered a renewable resource. They can regenerate themselves from fragements. /when divers harvest them off the seafloor, they're careful to leave the root so they will regrow.
DISINFECTING YOUR KITCHEN SPONGES regularly is important. Moist sponges are notorious for harboring bacteria. You may think you're cleaning, but you're really slathering a layer of germs all over your sink, countertops, appliances, and kitchen table with that infected sponges. Here are three ways to disinfect those squishy wiper-uppers. First, rinse your sponges completely to remove any
food particles. Then do one of the following;
SPONGES ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE at supermarkets, discount stores, and home improvement stores, and home improvement stores--the cellulose variety, that is. /For natural sponges, try at paint
, hardware, home improvement, and bath and beauty stores.
Spot Removers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The grocery shelves are lined with spot and stain removers. While the number of different ingredients in spot removers is mind-blogging, these products do fall into two main categories--wet and dry.
WET SPOT REMOVERS, such as Spray 'n Wash, are water soluble. These typically contain a concentrated laundry detergent and work best on food stains, such as drink spills and ketchup. But
some wet spot removers also contain secondary solvents, such as alcohol and mineral spirits, to boost
their stain-removal power and make them more effective on greasy stains.
DRY SPOT REMOVERS, such as K2r, contain chemical solvents, including some that dry cleaners use. (Liquid is still involved. The "dry' means water isn't used.) These are best for dry-clean-only fabrics as well as greasy or oily stains.
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WOOD SEALANTS also protect against scratching and water damage. They come in the following varieties:
- Penetrating sealers seep into the grain of the wood and keep dust and dirt from doing the same.
- Surface coating sealers--polyurethane, shellacs, and varnishes--form a protective layer over the wood surface. The most popular surface sealant is polyurethane , which is durable and relatively easy to use. Polyurethane, which is durable and relatively easy to use. Polyurethane sealers are either oil- or water-based, and they come in a variety of finishes, from matte to high gloss.
GROUT SEALANTS combat what has traditionally been one of the toughest things in the house to clean. This sealant, available at home and hardware stores and easily applied with a sponge paintbrush, prevents oil, dirt and mildew from staining grout lines.
YOU CAN PURCHASE fabric sealants at supermarkets, discount stores, and stores that sell carpets and upholstered furniture, as well as through professional cleaning companies. Sealants for hard surfaces typically are available at hardware, paint and home improvement stores.
Soap
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apart from plain water, soap may be Homo sapiens' oldest cleaner. During the excavation of ancient Babylon, archaeologists found a soap like material in clay cylinders dating back to 2900 B.C. According to ancient Roman legend, soap got its name from Mount Sapo, a place of animal sacrifice. Rain mixed the melted animal fat with wood ashes and washed it down to the clay soil along the
Tiber River, where women washed clothes. The women found that the mixture removed the soil from clothes far better and more easily than plain water.
HOW SOAP IS MADE has not changed: Animal or vegetable fats are still treated with a strong alkali, such as sodium or potassium. Soap differs from detergent, which is a synthetic product first made in Germany in 1916 in response to a shortage of soap-making fats. Both contain "surface-active" agents, or surfactants, which reduce the surface tension of water and soil, in effect loosening the soil, dispersing it in water, and holding in it suspension until it can be rinsed away.
SOAP IS USED these days almost solely for personal skin and body care. In most other cleaning endeavors, synthetic detergents have almost completely re-placed natural soaps, especially for machine-washing dishes and clothes. In hard water, soap is not as effective as detergent, and it forms a curd or soap scum that can ruin clothes and stain tubs and sinks.
DON'T USE SOAP IN TANNIN STAINS, such as ones produced by coffee, fruit, or jelly if you can avoid it. Soap makes the stain harder to remove.
SOAP IS WIDELY AVAILABLE in supermarkets, drugstores, departmetn stores, and discount stores.
Solvents
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water is the universal solvent, since it can be used to dissolve many different substances, from dirt to blood to certain paints. In cleaning terminology, however, solvent refers to liquids other than water
that are used to dissolve things water can't dissolve. Water can't dissolve grease, for instance. Working on the principle that "like dissolves like," you'd need a non-water-based solvent, such as mineral spirits, to dissolve grease.
COMMON CLEANING SOLVENTS include acetone (found in many nail polish removers), denatured alcohol, and turpentine, as well as petroleum-based chemicals, such as mineral spirits, naptha, kerosene, and dry-cleaning fluids.
CLEANING USES FOR SOLVENTS typically include removing greasy or oily substances, cleaning materials that can be harmed by water (for instance, spot-cleaning dry-clean-only fabrics), and removing decals, wood finishes, oil-based paint, and waxes.
SOLVENTS ARE A LAST RESORT, to be used for the few things that water and detergent won't clean. Solvents tend to be strong, aggressive cleaners. Although they can be dangerous to breathe and
dangerous when they contact your skin and eyes, they vary in their degree of toxicity.
ALWAY'S TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS when using solvents.
- Solvents are highly inflammable. Never use them near open flames, including pilot lights and sparks.
- Always ventilate the area in which you are working.
- Wear the proper gear, including chemical-resistant gloves, long-sleeved shirts and long pants, protective eyewear, and, depending on the solvent, a ventilator.
SOLVENTS ARE TYPICALLY AVAILABLE in hardware and home improvement stores.
Sponges
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household cleaning sponges, typically made of cellulose, are great at absorbing liquids, and they hold lots of cleaning solution. For that reason, sponges are fast and efficient cleaning tools. But they are
also a breeding ground for bacteria. The key to using sponges is to understand their limitations and,
specifically, to avoid cross-contimination.
PLAIN CELLULOSE SPONGES
are well suited to bathrooms, where being able to wipe moisture off walls, countertops, sinks, tubs, and showers is handy. But keep them in the bathroom. Don't use the bathroom sponge in the kitchen, where germs can spread. Don't use a toilet sponge on the countertop where you store your toothbrush.
Let a sponge dry between each use. Throw sponges away after a few weeks.
ABRASIVE KITCHEN SPONGES are designed for dish-washing. These might be wrapped in a lightly abrasive mesh or backed by more heavily abrasive scrubbing pads. Use common sense when cleaning with sponge abrasives. /They will scratch Teflon-coated pots and pans, stainless steel sinks, countertops, and the like. And kitchen sponges are just as apt to grow bacteria. keep them as clean as possible and throw them out after a few weeks of use. Even if you don't use sponges on a regular basis. keep them around for spills.
NATURAL SPONGES--the brown, irregularly round ones--have been used for thousands of years
for bathing and household cleaning. Although synthetic sponges, introduced in the 1940s, now have the lion's share of the market, natural sponges are still used for bathing, cleaning, and a number of industrial applications ranging from printing to surgery.
A natural sponge is actually the skeleton of a sea animal. There are more than 2,000 species of sponge in the ocean, but these three are mainly used commercially;
- Sheepswool or sea wool sponge: the softest longest lasting, and most absorbent
- Yellow sponge: a slightly stiffer variety.
- Grass sponge: finer pores and more delicate
Natural sponges are considered a renewable resource. They can regenerate themselves from fragements. /when divers harvest them off the seafloor, they're careful to leave the root so they will regrow.
DISINFECTING YOUR KITCHEN SPONGES regularly is important. Moist sponges are notorious for harboring bacteria. You may think you're cleaning, but you're really slathering a layer of germs all over your sink, countertops, appliances, and kitchen table with that infected sponges. Here are three ways to disinfect those squishy wiper-uppers. First, rinse your sponges completely to remove any
food particles. Then do one of the following;
- Toss them into the top rack of your dishwasher.
- Put them in a microwave oven for 30 seconds. (Careful--they get hot.)
- Pour 1 gallon of water into the kitchen sink, add 3/4 cup of chlorine bleach, and soak your sponges for ten minutes.
SPONGES ARE WIDELY AVAILABLE at supermarkets, discount stores, and home improvement stores, and home improvement stores--the cellulose variety, that is. /For natural sponges, try at paint
, hardware, home improvement, and bath and beauty stores.
Spot Removers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The grocery shelves are lined with spot and stain removers. While the number of different ingredients in spot removers is mind-blogging, these products do fall into two main categories--wet and dry.
WET SPOT REMOVERS, such as Spray 'n Wash, are water soluble. These typically contain a concentrated laundry detergent and work best on food stains, such as drink spills and ketchup. But
some wet spot removers also contain secondary solvents, such as alcohol and mineral spirits, to boost
their stain-removal power and make them more effective on greasy stains.
DRY SPOT REMOVERS, such as K2r, contain chemical solvents, including some that dry cleaners use. (Liquid is still involved. The "dry' means water isn't used.) These are best for dry-clean-only fabrics as well as greasy or oily stains.
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