Stuffed Toy Animals:
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Stuffed animals tend to spend a lot of time on floors mingling with dust bunnies or snuggling with love chidlren, who uniintentionally rub whatever food and grime they have on their hands into the fake fur. Because of the variety of stuffing materials and accessories, Such as clothing and ribbons, cleaning them can be trickier than simply tossing them in the washing machine.
Periodically dust your stuffed animal toys to keep them fresh, allergen free, and looking their best. Use your vacuum cleaner's brush attachment to remove dust. Be sure not suck up any loose buttons or clothing accessories. Preen the fake hair with a clean hairbrush and then vacuum again to lift whatever the brush loosened. (so what you won't get dirt and hair-product residue on the animals, buy a brush that you won't get dirt and hair-product residue on the animals, buy a brush that you use only for this purpose.) To remove per hair and lint, use a lint roller.
To remove light dirt, just lightly clean the surface. Wipe with a damp cloth, trying not to get moisture into the stuffing. Follow up by preening with a hair brush.
To remove juice and other spills on stuffed animals, do what a live animal would do if you doused it with liquid: Shake. Shake the toy, outside or in a bathtub, to keep the liquid from splashing onto anything else. This will remove some of the liquid without smearing it into the fur--or worse, the stuffing. Blot up as much remaining liquid as you can with paper towels. Never rub. Wet with a cloth or sponge. Blot again. Rinse the cloth or sponge. Repeat until the spill is gone.
For deeper cleaning, start by reading the care tag sewn into the seam. Machine-washing is OK for some stuffed animals, such as those filled with most synthetic fibers, but in can ruin others, such as those filled with Styrofoam or that have cardboard stiffeners. The same goes for drying: For some stuffed toys, a dryer is fine, but other toys are stuffed so tightly that they will mildew or will never dry out.
If your toy isn't machine washable, surface-clean using a solution of warm water and mild dishwashingliquid. Rub gently with a cloth or sponge dampened in the solution, being sure not to soak the filling. Rinse by wiping with a cloth or sponge dampened with clear water. To maintain a consistent look to the surface, clean the whole animal and not just one spot. Air-dry and then preen with a hairbrush.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Take Eeyore for a Spin >
For a quick and easy way to dust and freshen plush toys, toss them into a dryer and tumble on the fluff setting for 10 minutes. To remove odors from your favorite stuffed animals, add a scented dryer sheet when you tumble them in the dryer.
If the tag say it's OK to wash, tie the stuffed toy up in a cloth bag, such as a laundry bag or pillow case (but not a mesh bag), to protect the fur. It's OK to put several toy animals in the bag, as long as they fit loosely and aren't too big for the washing machine. Wash in cold water using a mild detergent on a gentle cycle. Don't use bleach or fabric softeners. Put the whole bag in the dryer and tumble on the machine's gentlest setting.
Suede
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Suede, leather with a soft-napped finish, is one of the trickiest materials to clean. It can be one of the most expensive materials as well. As tough as suede seems, it it easy to ruin. If you must get suede dirty--and since you're reading this entry, you probably already have--then there are few tricks to cleaning it. Above all, be careful and patient.
Brush your suede regularly to remove dirt and restore the nap. When you are going to put it away for a while, brush the item with a suede brush, available at stores that sell leather goods or shoes. Do it gently and in a slow, circular motion. No suede brush? Use a clean, dry kitchen sponge.
If you stain your suede, the best thing to do is blot up as much of the stain as possible and then take the item to a professional cleaner who has experience cleaning leather and suede. Here are a couple of exceptions.
Swimming Pools
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Stuffed animals tend to spend a lot of time on floors mingling with dust bunnies or snuggling with love chidlren, who uniintentionally rub whatever food and grime they have on their hands into the fake fur. Because of the variety of stuffing materials and accessories, Such as clothing and ribbons, cleaning them can be trickier than simply tossing them in the washing machine.
Periodically dust your stuffed animal toys to keep them fresh, allergen free, and looking their best. Use your vacuum cleaner's brush attachment to remove dust. Be sure not suck up any loose buttons or clothing accessories. Preen the fake hair with a clean hairbrush and then vacuum again to lift whatever the brush loosened. (so what you won't get dirt and hair-product residue on the animals, buy a brush that you won't get dirt and hair-product residue on the animals, buy a brush that you use only for this purpose.) To remove per hair and lint, use a lint roller.
To remove light dirt, just lightly clean the surface. Wipe with a damp cloth, trying not to get moisture into the stuffing. Follow up by preening with a hair brush.
To remove juice and other spills on stuffed animals, do what a live animal would do if you doused it with liquid: Shake. Shake the toy, outside or in a bathtub, to keep the liquid from splashing onto anything else. This will remove some of the liquid without smearing it into the fur--or worse, the stuffing. Blot up as much remaining liquid as you can with paper towels. Never rub. Wet with a cloth or sponge. Blot again. Rinse the cloth or sponge. Repeat until the spill is gone.
For deeper cleaning, start by reading the care tag sewn into the seam. Machine-washing is OK for some stuffed animals, such as those filled with most synthetic fibers, but in can ruin others, such as those filled with Styrofoam or that have cardboard stiffeners. The same goes for drying: For some stuffed toys, a dryer is fine, but other toys are stuffed so tightly that they will mildew or will never dry out.
If your toy isn't machine washable, surface-clean using a solution of warm water and mild dishwashingliquid. Rub gently with a cloth or sponge dampened in the solution, being sure not to soak the filling. Rinse by wiping with a cloth or sponge dampened with clear water. To maintain a consistent look to the surface, clean the whole animal and not just one spot. Air-dry and then preen with a hairbrush.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Take Eeyore for a Spin >
For a quick and easy way to dust and freshen plush toys, toss them into a dryer and tumble on the fluff setting for 10 minutes. To remove odors from your favorite stuffed animals, add a scented dryer sheet when you tumble them in the dryer.
If the tag say it's OK to wash, tie the stuffed toy up in a cloth bag, such as a laundry bag or pillow case (but not a mesh bag), to protect the fur. It's OK to put several toy animals in the bag, as long as they fit loosely and aren't too big for the washing machine. Wash in cold water using a mild detergent on a gentle cycle. Don't use bleach or fabric softeners. Put the whole bag in the dryer and tumble on the machine's gentlest setting.
Suede
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suede, leather with a soft-napped finish, is one of the trickiest materials to clean. It can be one of the most expensive materials as well. As tough as suede seems, it it easy to ruin. If you must get suede dirty--and since you're reading this entry, you probably already have--then there are few tricks to cleaning it. Above all, be careful and patient.
Brush your suede regularly to remove dirt and restore the nap. When you are going to put it away for a while, brush the item with a suede brush, available at stores that sell leather goods or shoes. Do it gently and in a slow, circular motion. No suede brush? Use a clean, dry kitchen sponge.
If you stain your suede, the best thing to do is blot up as much of the stain as possible and then take the item to a professional cleaner who has experience cleaning leather and suede. Here are a couple of exceptions.
- For grease or oil stains, cover the stain with a small pile of cornstarch or talcum powder. Let it stand overnight. The powder might absorb the stain.
- Remove dried water marks by brushing lightly with a suede brush or clean, dry sponge.
WATCH OUT
Don't get perfume, hair spray, or any other cosmetic products containing alcohol on your suede. They
can make the colors run. For the same reason, never use a liquid or solvent-based spot remover on suede. Your blue suede shoes might wind up blotchy. Elvis would never for give you.
Swimming Pools
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No pool, is maintenance-free. These days, many pool owners use advanced pool-cleaning systems, such as automatic underwater vacuums, pumps, and filters. But as experts in the swimming pool business like to say, these automated systems are meant to keep a clean pool clean. Let the algae and pool grime really build up,and you'll end up spending hours scrubbing by hand. So the trick to keeping pool cleaning to a minimum is to stay on top of it, even if you have an automated system.
Spend at least five minutes every day with your pool. Walk around it, picking up debris near the edge and making sure the water is clear and not cloudy--- a sign of improper pH levels. Any time you see more than five or six leaves or sticks, use a long pole and net to scoop them up. Although an automatic vacuum system will pick up the occasional leaf or twig, its main job is cleaning dirt. Too many leaves can clog the system.
Keep up the chemical regimen Maintain your pool with the manufacturer's recommended dosage of chlorine, which kills bacteria and germs. Use an algicide--not chlorine--to reduce algae. After rains, watch for algae blooms, especially mustard algae, which are present in the air. If you have a Gunite pool, be careful about using a copper-based algicide, which can stain the Gunite. Read the label-algicides containing suspended copper are typically OK to use on Gunite.
Clean skimmers and filters regularly. Do it at least once a week, and more often if needed. (See Expert advice below)
expert advice
Yikes! What's That in My Skimmer? >
It's the job of the pool skimmer, those little round baskets along the sides of pools, to catch debris. Sometimes that debris is less than savory and can be downright dangerous. "I'm not ready wild about sticking my hand into a leaf-filled skimmer basket that I can't see," says Mary Robertson of Blue Haven Pools in Tyler, Texas. Robertson warns of scummy leaves, dead insects, even drowned rodents. "The other day, a woman called me to say she found a baby copperhead snake in her skimmer.' Robertson's technique for getting around this, er, touchy problem? She lifts skimmer baskets using a hook made from an old wire coat hanger.
Periodically "Sweep" the surface. Walk around the pool's edge, scooping up debris with the pole and net as you go. Empty the net occasionally to keep leaves from falling back into the pool. When you've finished the edges, net the middle by stretching the net out, letting it fall upside down in the water, and dragging it back toward you. Repeat this while making your way around the pool. Do this once a week or as needed.
Clean the ideas using a long-handled pool brush. Starting at the top of the pool wall, make one smooth motion downward with the brush. when you reach the bottom, bring it back to the top and do it again, moved over one brush width. Continue until you've circled the pool once. Do this once a week or as needed.
Once a week, scrub the tile using a pool tile cleaner and a tile brush, available at pool supply stores. Use as little cleaner as possible to keep the product from filling your pool with suds.
Vacuum the pool floor--once you have brushed the sides and cleaned the tile--to remove dirt and debris. (Make sure all sediment has settled.) Begin by netting up large debris. (Make sure all sediment has settled.) Begin by netting up large debris. Then attach your vacuum head and hose to your extended pole. Work your way around the pool, vacuuming toward the main drain. To fill your vacuum hose with water (which you must do before vacuuming) hold the end up to your pool's return water jet until it is full. This way, you won't have to laboriously dip and raise the hose to fill it.
No pool, is maintenance-free. These days, many pool owners use advanced pool-cleaning systems, such as automatic underwater vacuums, pumps, and filters. But as experts in the swimming pool business like to say, these automated systems are meant to keep a clean pool clean. Let the algae and pool grime really build up,and you'll end up spending hours scrubbing by hand. So the trick to keeping pool cleaning to a minimum is to stay on top of it, even if you have an automated system.
Spend at least five minutes every day with your pool. Walk around it, picking up debris near the edge and making sure the water is clear and not cloudy--- a sign of improper pH levels. Any time you see more than five or six leaves or sticks, use a long pole and net to scoop them up. Although an automatic vacuum system will pick up the occasional leaf or twig, its main job is cleaning dirt. Too many leaves can clog the system.
Keep up the chemical regimen Maintain your pool with the manufacturer's recommended dosage of chlorine, which kills bacteria and germs. Use an algicide--not chlorine--to reduce algae. After rains, watch for algae blooms, especially mustard algae, which are present in the air. If you have a Gunite pool, be careful about using a copper-based algicide, which can stain the Gunite. Read the label-algicides containing suspended copper are typically OK to use on Gunite.
Clean skimmers and filters regularly. Do it at least once a week, and more often if needed. (See Expert advice below)
expert advice
Yikes! What's That in My Skimmer? >
It's the job of the pool skimmer, those little round baskets along the sides of pools, to catch debris. Sometimes that debris is less than savory and can be downright dangerous. "I'm not ready wild about sticking my hand into a leaf-filled skimmer basket that I can't see," says Mary Robertson of Blue Haven Pools in Tyler, Texas. Robertson warns of scummy leaves, dead insects, even drowned rodents. "The other day, a woman called me to say she found a baby copperhead snake in her skimmer.' Robertson's technique for getting around this, er, touchy problem? She lifts skimmer baskets using a hook made from an old wire coat hanger.
Periodically "Sweep" the surface. Walk around the pool's edge, scooping up debris with the pole and net as you go. Empty the net occasionally to keep leaves from falling back into the pool. When you've finished the edges, net the middle by stretching the net out, letting it fall upside down in the water, and dragging it back toward you. Repeat this while making your way around the pool. Do this once a week or as needed.
Clean the ideas using a long-handled pool brush. Starting at the top of the pool wall, make one smooth motion downward with the brush. when you reach the bottom, bring it back to the top and do it again, moved over one brush width. Continue until you've circled the pool once. Do this once a week or as needed.
Once a week, scrub the tile using a pool tile cleaner and a tile brush, available at pool supply stores. Use as little cleaner as possible to keep the product from filling your pool with suds.
Vacuum the pool floor--once you have brushed the sides and cleaned the tile--to remove dirt and debris. (Make sure all sediment has settled.) Begin by netting up large debris. (Make sure all sediment has settled.) Begin by netting up large debris. Then attach your vacuum head and hose to your extended pole. Work your way around the pool, vacuuming toward the main drain. To fill your vacuum hose with water (which you must do before vacuuming) hold the end up to your pool's return water jet until it is full. This way, you won't have to laboriously dip and raise the hose to fill it.
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