Smoke:
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"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" sounds almost benign, even romantic, in the famous song. But in reality, there's nothing appealing about the stale smell of smoke in your house or on your clothes.
To remove smoke odor from clothing, whether it's from a fire or cigarettes, hang the clothes outside in the sun. Sunlight breaks down smoke molecules, and fresh air is great for the fabric. You may want to attach a fan to an extension card and allow the fan to force air cross the clothes. Check the clothing every two hours and leave it outside until the smell dissipates. You'll have more effective results in the wash--your next step.
To launder smoky clothes, first presoak the garment in a sink filled with 3/4 cup of baking soda and 5 gallons of water. Then the place the garment directly into the washing machine, using a detergent with oxygen bleach, such as Surf or Tide. These detergents remove the odor, not merely mask it with a perfume. wash contaminated clothing separately from your general family laundry.
After washing, hang the clothes to dry. Using a dryer is not recommended, because the heat can set the smoke odor into any fabric from which it hasn't been completeley removed. Neutralize say residual smoke odor with a deodorizer such as Febreze.
If the clothing label, says "Dry clean only," that's what you should do--and be sure the dry cleaner specializes in smoke removal. Don't forget to air the clothing first. Your dry cleaner will appreciate the gesture.
Removing protein-generated smoke--from cooking ham or chicken, for instance--can be more difficult because these items produce heavy, greasy smoke that fabric readily absorbs. (Wood smoke tends to be flaky and easier to clean.) Air clothing, affected by protein smoke on a hanger. Then, before washing, you'll probably need to treat the clothing with a "thermo fog" machine (the Thermo-Gen Fogger, for instance), which puffs out a cloud of odor-destroying particles. You can rent such machines from a commercial cleaning supply house.
To remove just a little smoke from a small area in your home, such as a chest of drawers, use baking soda, cedar blocks or even a bowl of sliced apples to absorb the odor. Close up or seal off the area first.
If smoke has penetrated a large part of your home, understand that you have an extensive cleanup job on your hands involving a variety of materials that require different cleaning techniques. Your safest bet is to contact your insurance company and professional cleaners.
To clean smoke from walls and ceilings, first vacuum up any visible residue. Wipe down the walls with a chemical sponge (available at drugstores, janitoral supply stores, conservation suppliers, and online). Then dilute a special smoke-removal cleaner such as Smoke-Solv Liquid Wall Wash (available at janitorial supply stores and conservation suppliers) according to the package directions. Fill a spray bottle with the cleaner. Spray and wipe one section of the wall or ceiling at a time, using a clean cloth. For walls, start from the bottom and work your way up to avoid streaking. You may have to repeat the process several times. Oil-based paint will hold up well to washing. Latex paint can wear off if you scrub aggressively or wash too many times.
See also Soot.
expert advice
Clearing the Air >
Nothing clears the smoky smell from rooms as well as ozone machine. so if you have bought a house and the previous owners smoked for years, these devices are your best shot at freshening the air. They work by oxidizing smoke odor particles, eliminating them from cracks and other hard-to-get-to places, says Forrest L. Farmer, owner of clean-Pro Industries in Portland, Oregon. You can rent a machine for roughly $60 a day and half the price for successive days. You'll need to vacate any room the machine is working in. Open all doors and cupboards in the area, because the machine doesn't penetrate objects.
Smoke Alarms
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you already know to change the batteries in your smoke alarms yearly. But did you know that you should also clean them every other mouth? Cobwebs, dust, and even spiders can cause your smoke alarm to misbehave.
Clean the outside and inside of the alarm using a vacuum cleaner and a brush attachment. Flip open or unscrew the casing to get inside. If you can't restach the alarm with your vaccum's extension tubes, stand on a ladder. A can of compressed air can also be sprayed on the casing and inside the alarm to clean it.
Test your alarm, once you've cleaned it, to see that it's working properly. Stand by the alarm, light a candle, and then blow it out. The smoke should activate the alarm. Or, if your system's activated by light (it should say so on the box), shine a flashlight into the alarm to set it off. Simply pressing the button on the alarm casing is not a test. That only indicates the horn is working, not the detection mechanism.
Cover the alarm anytime you're doing work in the house that could send dust into the air. Don't forget to remove this covering promptly after you've finished. You should also protect the alarm if you're painting around it--never paint the alarm casing.
expert advice
Bugged by False Alarms? >
A smoke alarm makes a cozy place for spiders to build nests, says kevin wiley, battalion chief at the Oak Park (Illinois) Fire Department. The nests or the spiders can block the alarm and make it go off. So vacuum your smoke alarms frequently.
Sneakers
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To wash or not to wash in a washing machine? That's the main question about cleaning sneakers. And the answer is (drumroll, please): It depends.
Most shoe manufacturers discourage machine-washing because detergents and the machine's agitation don't agree with many leathers and adhesives and can ruin their shape.But some simple canvas or all-synthetic shoes can safely take a spin in the washer.
Before cleaning any type of sneaker, check, the care label. Manufacturers include detailed instructions for each style they make. You may want to purchase a sneaker care kit designed for athletic shoes, particularly if you have leather shoes.
For leather sneakers, it's best to use a regular leather cleaner and conditioner. Just don't use saddle soap. It may be great for saddles, but it can damage other kinds of leather.
To clean canvas or synthetic sneakers in a washing machine,spray them first with a stain removal spray, especially if the sneakers are grass stained. Wipe the spray around the shoe, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then put the shoes in the wash. Include light-colored towels in the wash. The rubbing action of the towels will not only help clean the sneakers, but will also keep them from bouncing around. If you have items in the same wash load that you want to protect , put the sneakers in an old pillowcase.
To clean canvas and synthetic sneakers by hand, rinse the shoes in clear water and then use a soft brush to scrub the shoes with a neutral cleaner, such as Tide Liquid detergent. For scuff marks, scour with a white, nylon-backed scrub pad. Rinse as long as necessary to remove all traces of detergent and then air-dry. Stuff the shoes with white paper to retain their shape.
An alternative for canvas sneakers: Squirt on some foam shaving cream, let it sit for half an hour, and brush off what remains. Then wipe your sneakers with a clean, damp cloth.
For faster drying of your cleaned sneakers, place them below the refrigerator door so the warm air blowing out hits them. It's not as hot as hair dryer and will speed up the drying process. Avoid direct sunlight, as it might fade the sneakers. And don't stuff your shoes with newspaper--the ink might transfer to the fabric. Make sure your shoes are completely dry before you wear them.
To give your sneakers a fresh smell, place a sheet of fabric softener in them overnight. Or make a baking soda sachet: Place a couple of teaspoons of baking soda in the center of a cotton cloth. Close the cloth around the baking soda and secure it with a string or rubber band. Put one sachet in each shoe overnight. you can reuse the sachets in any kind of shoe.
If you want to waterproof sneakers and they're made of materials other than leather, use a waterproofing product specifically designed for sneakers.
expert advice
Washing by the Dozen >
Goodwill Industries of Denver, Colorado, cleans all donated sneakers en masse in commercial washing machines. John Farnam, vice president of marketing, says the group has very few problems with machine-washing. First, the exterior of the sneaker is brushed free of soil. Then the sneakers are put into the wash on a cold cycle with regular household detergent. Laces are kept in but not tied. After washing, the laces are tied to help maintain the sneaker's shape while they air-dry on a shoe rack.
Note: See Tomorrow Medical Blog
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" sounds almost benign, even romantic, in the famous song. But in reality, there's nothing appealing about the stale smell of smoke in your house or on your clothes.
To remove smoke odor from clothing, whether it's from a fire or cigarettes, hang the clothes outside in the sun. Sunlight breaks down smoke molecules, and fresh air is great for the fabric. You may want to attach a fan to an extension card and allow the fan to force air cross the clothes. Check the clothing every two hours and leave it outside until the smell dissipates. You'll have more effective results in the wash--your next step.
To launder smoky clothes, first presoak the garment in a sink filled with 3/4 cup of baking soda and 5 gallons of water. Then the place the garment directly into the washing machine, using a detergent with oxygen bleach, such as Surf or Tide. These detergents remove the odor, not merely mask it with a perfume. wash contaminated clothing separately from your general family laundry.
After washing, hang the clothes to dry. Using a dryer is not recommended, because the heat can set the smoke odor into any fabric from which it hasn't been completeley removed. Neutralize say residual smoke odor with a deodorizer such as Febreze.
If the clothing label, says "Dry clean only," that's what you should do--and be sure the dry cleaner specializes in smoke removal. Don't forget to air the clothing first. Your dry cleaner will appreciate the gesture.
Removing protein-generated smoke--from cooking ham or chicken, for instance--can be more difficult because these items produce heavy, greasy smoke that fabric readily absorbs. (Wood smoke tends to be flaky and easier to clean.) Air clothing, affected by protein smoke on a hanger. Then, before washing, you'll probably need to treat the clothing with a "thermo fog" machine (the Thermo-Gen Fogger, for instance), which puffs out a cloud of odor-destroying particles. You can rent such machines from a commercial cleaning supply house.
To remove just a little smoke from a small area in your home, such as a chest of drawers, use baking soda, cedar blocks or even a bowl of sliced apples to absorb the odor. Close up or seal off the area first.
If smoke has penetrated a large part of your home, understand that you have an extensive cleanup job on your hands involving a variety of materials that require different cleaning techniques. Your safest bet is to contact your insurance company and professional cleaners.
To clean smoke from walls and ceilings, first vacuum up any visible residue. Wipe down the walls with a chemical sponge (available at drugstores, janitoral supply stores, conservation suppliers, and online). Then dilute a special smoke-removal cleaner such as Smoke-Solv Liquid Wall Wash (available at janitorial supply stores and conservation suppliers) according to the package directions. Fill a spray bottle with the cleaner. Spray and wipe one section of the wall or ceiling at a time, using a clean cloth. For walls, start from the bottom and work your way up to avoid streaking. You may have to repeat the process several times. Oil-based paint will hold up well to washing. Latex paint can wear off if you scrub aggressively or wash too many times.
See also Soot.
expert advice
Clearing the Air >
Nothing clears the smoky smell from rooms as well as ozone machine. so if you have bought a house and the previous owners smoked for years, these devices are your best shot at freshening the air. They work by oxidizing smoke odor particles, eliminating them from cracks and other hard-to-get-to places, says Forrest L. Farmer, owner of clean-Pro Industries in Portland, Oregon. You can rent a machine for roughly $60 a day and half the price for successive days. You'll need to vacate any room the machine is working in. Open all doors and cupboards in the area, because the machine doesn't penetrate objects.
Smoke Alarms
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
you already know to change the batteries in your smoke alarms yearly. But did you know that you should also clean them every other mouth? Cobwebs, dust, and even spiders can cause your smoke alarm to misbehave.
Clean the outside and inside of the alarm using a vacuum cleaner and a brush attachment. Flip open or unscrew the casing to get inside. If you can't restach the alarm with your vaccum's extension tubes, stand on a ladder. A can of compressed air can also be sprayed on the casing and inside the alarm to clean it.
Test your alarm, once you've cleaned it, to see that it's working properly. Stand by the alarm, light a candle, and then blow it out. The smoke should activate the alarm. Or, if your system's activated by light (it should say so on the box), shine a flashlight into the alarm to set it off. Simply pressing the button on the alarm casing is not a test. That only indicates the horn is working, not the detection mechanism.
Cover the alarm anytime you're doing work in the house that could send dust into the air. Don't forget to remove this covering promptly after you've finished. You should also protect the alarm if you're painting around it--never paint the alarm casing.
expert advice
Bugged by False Alarms? >
A smoke alarm makes a cozy place for spiders to build nests, says kevin wiley, battalion chief at the Oak Park (Illinois) Fire Department. The nests or the spiders can block the alarm and make it go off. So vacuum your smoke alarms frequently.
Sneakers
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To wash or not to wash in a washing machine? That's the main question about cleaning sneakers. And the answer is (drumroll, please): It depends.
Most shoe manufacturers discourage machine-washing because detergents and the machine's agitation don't agree with many leathers and adhesives and can ruin their shape.But some simple canvas or all-synthetic shoes can safely take a spin in the washer.
Before cleaning any type of sneaker, check, the care label. Manufacturers include detailed instructions for each style they make. You may want to purchase a sneaker care kit designed for athletic shoes, particularly if you have leather shoes.
For leather sneakers, it's best to use a regular leather cleaner and conditioner. Just don't use saddle soap. It may be great for saddles, but it can damage other kinds of leather.
To clean canvas or synthetic sneakers in a washing machine,spray them first with a stain removal spray, especially if the sneakers are grass stained. Wipe the spray around the shoe, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then put the shoes in the wash. Include light-colored towels in the wash. The rubbing action of the towels will not only help clean the sneakers, but will also keep them from bouncing around. If you have items in the same wash load that you want to protect , put the sneakers in an old pillowcase.
To clean canvas and synthetic sneakers by hand, rinse the shoes in clear water and then use a soft brush to scrub the shoes with a neutral cleaner, such as Tide Liquid detergent. For scuff marks, scour with a white, nylon-backed scrub pad. Rinse as long as necessary to remove all traces of detergent and then air-dry. Stuff the shoes with white paper to retain their shape.
An alternative for canvas sneakers: Squirt on some foam shaving cream, let it sit for half an hour, and brush off what remains. Then wipe your sneakers with a clean, damp cloth.
For faster drying of your cleaned sneakers, place them below the refrigerator door so the warm air blowing out hits them. It's not as hot as hair dryer and will speed up the drying process. Avoid direct sunlight, as it might fade the sneakers. And don't stuff your shoes with newspaper--the ink might transfer to the fabric. Make sure your shoes are completely dry before you wear them.
To give your sneakers a fresh smell, place a sheet of fabric softener in them overnight. Or make a baking soda sachet: Place a couple of teaspoons of baking soda in the center of a cotton cloth. Close the cloth around the baking soda and secure it with a string or rubber band. Put one sachet in each shoe overnight. you can reuse the sachets in any kind of shoe.
If you want to waterproof sneakers and they're made of materials other than leather, use a waterproofing product specifically designed for sneakers.
expert advice
Washing by the Dozen >
Goodwill Industries of Denver, Colorado, cleans all donated sneakers en masse in commercial washing machines. John Farnam, vice president of marketing, says the group has very few problems with machine-washing. First, the exterior of the sneaker is brushed free of soil. Then the sneakers are put into the wash on a cold cycle with regular household detergent. Laces are kept in but not tied. After washing, the laces are tied to help maintain the sneaker's shape while they air-dry on a shoe rack.
Note: See Tomorrow Medical Blog
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