Abrasives:
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Using abrasive cleaners is a mechanical process. Abrasive cleaners are made of particles, usually minerals, that scratch off the offending grime with friction created when you rub. /The finer the particle, the less abrasive the cleaner; the coarser the particle, the more abrasive the cleaner. Many abrasive cleaners, which come in powdered and liquid forms, also contain cleaning chemicals such as detergent or bleach.
USE A FULL-STRENGTH ABRASIVE CLEANER---a scouring powder, such a Ajax or Comet--to wear off dirt, stains, tarnish, and hard-water deposits. Rub across the surface of the item with a sponge or brush and then rinse.
USE A MILD ABRASIVE CLEANER,
such as Soft Scrub, for cleaning sinks, tiles, showers, tubs, toilets, and countertops. Follow the package instructions. Be careful not to rub too hard. Even mildLy abrasive cleaners can scratch and damage hard, smooth surfaces, making them rough and difficult to clean in the future.
A PUMICE STONE, the same kind of abrasive block you use to file away corns on your feet, will help remove a particularly stubborn toilet bowl stain.
SCRUBBING PADS, ranging from nylon mesh to steel wool soap pads, also work by abrasion.
SOME COMMON HOUSEHOLD COMPOUNDS can be used instead of commercially prepared abrasives:
ABRASIVES CAN BE FOUND in supermarkets, home improvement stores, and hardware stores.
They include all common scouring powders.
Absorbents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absorbents do their cleaning by sucking up liquids or gases. They're particularly handy for wet, messy situations such as food spills, oil spills, per accidents, vomit, and blood. Absorbents include such household products as baking soda, baby powder, cornstarch, kitty litter, and table salt as
well as commercial products. Not all absorbent products are granular, pour-on materials, of
course. Paper towels and cloths do their mess-fixing magic by absorption, too.
Common absorbents and their uses include these:
PAPER TOWELS are the old standby for removing spills, especially from the floor.
WASHABLE COTTON CLOTHS (old cotton T-shirts and diapers, for example) are also great
for spills and are more economical.
MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS, which can absorb several times their own weight, are great for general cleaning.
\
BAKING SODA, in the box , tucked in a corner of your refrigerator, is a good absorber of food odors. Out of the box, baking soda is good for absorbing grease around a stove or spills in an oven--
even for cleaning vomit. Just add soda until the liquid solidifies. Then scrape off.
DON'T OVERLOOK THESE HANDY ABSORBENTS:
COMMERCIAL GRANULAR ABSORBENT PRODUCTS, such as Super-Sorb, D-Vour, and ZGoop, are the favorite solution of school janitors when breakfast or lunch fails to stay in a student's tummy.
ABSORBENT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE at supermarkets, home improvement stores, drugstores, and janitorial supply outlets.
ACIDIC Cleaners
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acid is the opposite of alkali (or basic) on the pH scale, with 0 indicating extreme acidity, 7 neutrality and 14 extreme alkalinity. Each point that you move away from neutral pH 7 is ten times more alkaline or acidic. So you don't need to go far from pH 7 to get a strong cleaner. Some common acids include lemon juice (citric acid), vinegar (acetic acid), hydrochloric acid, and phosphoric acid.
COMMON USES FOR ACIDIC CLEANERS include removing rust stains, mineral deposits, stains on concrete, and stains on grout, as well as unclogging pipes. Read product labels and use extreme
caution when using acidic cleaners. Otherwise, you risk damaging finishes and injuring yourself.
A rundown of acidic cleaners at various pH levels follows:
HYDROCHLORIC ACID (pH 0) is the strongest acid and is used in extreme cases of hard-water
deposits, lime, and rust, most often in the toilet bowl. A cleaner with 9 percent hydrochloric acid
has a significant amount of acid in it and could etch surfaces and burn skin. 'wear gloves and eye
protection and follow directions. If the label says the product merely "contains" hydrochloric acid,
it's likely to be fairly diluted and mild.
PHOSPHORIC ACID (pH 2 to 4) is milder than hydrochloric and can be used on bathtubs, sinks,
and tile to dissolve mineral deposits, rust stains, and mildew.. Cleaning agents with phosphoric acid are fairly gentle on metal trims of shower door and on faucets if you rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
Be aware that phosphoric acid doesn't really "clean." It etches surfaces, and if you use it the too frequently, you could dissolve the grout around your tile.
VINEGAR AND CITRIC ACID
(pH 2 to 4) and other acids in this category work well for frequent cleaning. /They're commonly used
on glassware, coffeepots, and other common kitchen items.
For washing clothes, add 1 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse to eliminate soap residue. Vinegar
breaks down uric acid, so it's especially good for babies' clothes. To get wool and cotton blankets
fluffy, add 2 cups of white vinegar to the rinse.
Lemon juice is a good acid for removing stains in clothing, such as berry stains. It acts like bleach, which also makes it good for cleaning cutting boards and countertops. To remove a stain on a counter,
squeeze on fresh lemon juice, let it sit for 45 minutes, sprinkle on baking soda, and rub with a sponge or soft cloth. Then rinse out the sponge or cloth and wipe again.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS when using acidic cleaners:
BUY ACIDIC CLEANERS at local supermarkets, home improvement stores, and janitorial supply outlets.
Air cleaners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The air in a home can be improved in a number of ways, but all approaches to doing it fall into these
two broad categories:
DISINFECTING CLEANERS don't clean the air directly, but they do eliminate the source of odors.
To destroy mold or bacteria that generate a bad odor, just spray the surface wher the offending microbes are growing with a traditional disinfecting cleaner such as Lysol. New sprays that have
recently hit the market (Oust, for instance) claim to kill odor-causing bacteria acutally in the air and to neutralize other malodorous particles.
AIR FRESHENERS don't really eliminate odors--they just cover up the smell. They come in spray and time-release forms.
A spray, such as Glade, can mask an unpleasant odor by simply using it in the area with the offending odor. A time-release air freshner--a wick, solid cake, or saturated wood block--has a longer\freshening effect. Air fresheners of either kind are commonly used in restrooms and kitchens.
THE FURNACE FILTER that's part of the typical forced-air heating and cooling system does the crucial job of removing irritants from the air in your home. Everyday filters should be changed once a month during prime heating and cooling seasons. These disposable filters, which cost $2 to $3, remove less than 10 percent of the particles in the air. If you upgrade, a medium--efficiency filter for
your forced-air system will run you $5 to $20 and will snag 20 to 50 percent of the particles in the air.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Using abrasive cleaners is a mechanical process. Abrasive cleaners are made of particles, usually minerals, that scratch off the offending grime with friction created when you rub. /The finer the particle, the less abrasive the cleaner; the coarser the particle, the more abrasive the cleaner. Many abrasive cleaners, which come in powdered and liquid forms, also contain cleaning chemicals such as detergent or bleach.
USE A FULL-STRENGTH ABRASIVE CLEANER---a scouring powder, such a Ajax or Comet--to wear off dirt, stains, tarnish, and hard-water deposits. Rub across the surface of the item with a sponge or brush and then rinse.
USE A MILD ABRASIVE CLEANER,
such as Soft Scrub, for cleaning sinks, tiles, showers, tubs, toilets, and countertops. Follow the package instructions. Be careful not to rub too hard. Even mildLy abrasive cleaners can scratch and damage hard, smooth surfaces, making them rough and difficult to clean in the future.
A PUMICE STONE, the same kind of abrasive block you use to file away corns on your feet, will help remove a particularly stubborn toilet bowl stain.
SCRUBBING PADS, ranging from nylon mesh to steel wool soap pads, also work by abrasion.
SOME COMMON HOUSEHOLD COMPOUNDS can be used instead of commercially prepared abrasives:
- Baking soda is a mild abrasive. Sprinkle it on the item to be cleaned on make a paste by adding water to baking soda until it's a little thicker than tooth-paste. Baking soda can be used to scour pots and pans, ovens, and drip pans.
- Tooth paste can remove water marks in sinks and clean tarnish on silver. Coat the silver with toothpaste, run it under warm water, work it into a foam, and rinse it off.
- Salt is abrasive. Reach for the saltshaker if you have a spill in your oven. With the oven still warm, wet the spill lightly and sprinkle on salt. When the oven cools, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean.
ABRASIVES CAN BE FOUND in supermarkets, home improvement stores, and hardware stores.
They include all common scouring powders.
Absorbents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absorbents do their cleaning by sucking up liquids or gases. They're particularly handy for wet, messy situations such as food spills, oil spills, per accidents, vomit, and blood. Absorbents include such household products as baking soda, baby powder, cornstarch, kitty litter, and table salt as
well as commercial products. Not all absorbent products are granular, pour-on materials, of
course. Paper towels and cloths do their mess-fixing magic by absorption, too.
Common absorbents and their uses include these:
PAPER TOWELS are the old standby for removing spills, especially from the floor.
WASHABLE COTTON CLOTHS (old cotton T-shirts and diapers, for example) are also great
for spills and are more economical.
MICROFIBER CLEANING CLOTHS, which can absorb several times their own weight, are great for general cleaning.
\
BAKING SODA, in the box , tucked in a corner of your refrigerator, is a good absorber of food odors. Out of the box, baking soda is good for absorbing grease around a stove or spills in an oven--
even for cleaning vomit. Just add soda until the liquid solidifies. Then scrape off.
DON'T OVERLOOK THESE HANDY ABSORBENTS:
- Salt absorbs grease spots on carpet. Immediately pour salt on the grease to absorb it and prevent staining. Vacuum off.
- kitty litter works well on outdoor oil spills. In addition, it can be used to solidify very small quantities of paint and other liquids.
- Sand or soil also works well for oil spills outside or in a garage.
COMMERCIAL GRANULAR ABSORBENT PRODUCTS, such as Super-Sorb, D-Vour, and ZGoop, are the favorite solution of school janitors when breakfast or lunch fails to stay in a student's tummy.
ABSORBENT PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE at supermarkets, home improvement stores, drugstores, and janitorial supply outlets.
ACIDIC Cleaners
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acid is the opposite of alkali (or basic) on the pH scale, with 0 indicating extreme acidity, 7 neutrality and 14 extreme alkalinity. Each point that you move away from neutral pH 7 is ten times more alkaline or acidic. So you don't need to go far from pH 7 to get a strong cleaner. Some common acids include lemon juice (citric acid), vinegar (acetic acid), hydrochloric acid, and phosphoric acid.
COMMON USES FOR ACIDIC CLEANERS include removing rust stains, mineral deposits, stains on concrete, and stains on grout, as well as unclogging pipes. Read product labels and use extreme
caution when using acidic cleaners. Otherwise, you risk damaging finishes and injuring yourself.
A rundown of acidic cleaners at various pH levels follows:
HYDROCHLORIC ACID (pH 0) is the strongest acid and is used in extreme cases of hard-water
deposits, lime, and rust, most often in the toilet bowl. A cleaner with 9 percent hydrochloric acid
has a significant amount of acid in it and could etch surfaces and burn skin. 'wear gloves and eye
protection and follow directions. If the label says the product merely "contains" hydrochloric acid,
it's likely to be fairly diluted and mild.
PHOSPHORIC ACID (pH 2 to 4) is milder than hydrochloric and can be used on bathtubs, sinks,
and tile to dissolve mineral deposits, rust stains, and mildew.. Cleaning agents with phosphoric acid are fairly gentle on metal trims of shower door and on faucets if you rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
Be aware that phosphoric acid doesn't really "clean." It etches surfaces, and if you use it the too frequently, you could dissolve the grout around your tile.
VINEGAR AND CITRIC ACID
(pH 2 to 4) and other acids in this category work well for frequent cleaning. /They're commonly used
on glassware, coffeepots, and other common kitchen items.
For washing clothes, add 1 cup of white vinegar to the final rinse to eliminate soap residue. Vinegar
breaks down uric acid, so it's especially good for babies' clothes. To get wool and cotton blankets
fluffy, add 2 cups of white vinegar to the rinse.
Lemon juice is a good acid for removing stains in clothing, such as berry stains. It acts like bleach, which also makes it good for cleaning cutting boards and countertops. To remove a stain on a counter,
squeeze on fresh lemon juice, let it sit for 45 minutes, sprinkle on baking soda, and rub with a sponge or soft cloth. Then rinse out the sponge or cloth and wipe again.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS when using acidic cleaners:
- Don't use vinegar if you add chlorine bleach to your rinse water. The mixture will produce harmful vapors.
- Don't use vinegar on wooden floors.
- Don't let acidic cleaners sit too long on metal fixtures, or they'll damage the chrome.
- Don't use acid on stone (including granite and marble) or concrete--both materials are alkaline and will dissolve with acid.
BUY ACIDIC CLEANERS at local supermarkets, home improvement stores, and janitorial supply outlets.
Air cleaners
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The air in a home can be improved in a number of ways, but all approaches to doing it fall into these
two broad categories:
- Chemical products that attack the sources of odors or mask odors
- Air-cleaning devices and filters that pull irritants out of the air
DISINFECTING CLEANERS don't clean the air directly, but they do eliminate the source of odors.
To destroy mold or bacteria that generate a bad odor, just spray the surface wher the offending microbes are growing with a traditional disinfecting cleaner such as Lysol. New sprays that have
recently hit the market (Oust, for instance) claim to kill odor-causing bacteria acutally in the air and to neutralize other malodorous particles.
AIR FRESHENERS don't really eliminate odors--they just cover up the smell. They come in spray and time-release forms.
A spray, such as Glade, can mask an unpleasant odor by simply using it in the area with the offending odor. A time-release air freshner--a wick, solid cake, or saturated wood block--has a longer\freshening effect. Air fresheners of either kind are commonly used in restrooms and kitchens.
THE FURNACE FILTER that's part of the typical forced-air heating and cooling system does the crucial job of removing irritants from the air in your home. Everyday filters should be changed once a month during prime heating and cooling seasons. These disposable filters, which cost $2 to $3, remove less than 10 percent of the particles in the air. If you upgrade, a medium--efficiency filter for
your forced-air system will run you $5 to $20 and will snag 20 to 50 percent of the particles in the air.
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