Tiles:
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Avoid soapy or oil cleaners, as they can leave a dull film. If anything, add a splash of vinegar to the mop water. An alkaline-based all-purpose cleaner, such as Spic and Span or Mr. Clean, is also effective. Or use a specialty tile floor cleaner, such as Armstrong's Once 'n Done, sold at flooring stores and home improvement stores. Follow directions on the package.
For ceramic wall tiles, wipe them regularly with a damp sponge. As with floor tiles, avoid soapy or oily cleaners. Add a splash of vinegar to the water, or use a commercial tub-and-tile cleaner. Another alternative: Add 1 capful of rubbing alcohol to 1 gallon of water in a bucket and wipe down the tiles using a sponge or clean, soft cloth. Never use abrasive scrubbers or cleaning products, such as scouring powders. These can scratch glazed tile, dulling the finish and making it more susceptible to dirt.
To keep grout clean, it's best to do it regularly so that the scum and mildew don't have a chance to get a foothold in the porous surface. Indeed, it's a good idea to clean grout after you shower, while it's still steamy moist and the soil has been loosened. Mix together 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of water and scrub the grout with a toothbrush or nylon scrub pad. For more cleaning power, go over it once with a degreaser, such as Simple Green, which will loosen the germ-harboring soap scum, and the with a disinfectant, such as Mr. Clean or Top Job, to kill the germs themselves. Let your cleaning products do the work for you. Too much scrubbing grinds the grime in deeper. Spray or wipe each product on and let it stand for several methods. Wipe it down with a clean, wet sponge to rinse off the cleaning solution. If you must scrub, use a long-bristled brush that is not too stiff (you don't want to wear down the grout) or use an old tooth brush. Steel wool is too abrasive. If the grout is really grungy, see the box on the previous page.
See also Floors
Tin
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tin, silvery white with a brilliant luster, is used as a decorative plating and to protect metals from rusting. You see it often on Mexican crafts and inexpensive kitchenware. Be careful not to scratch it
when cleaning. If you do, you'll invite rust.
Dust decorative items regularly. Use a feather duster for pieces with lots of detail. Or wipe with a dry or slightly damp rag.
Wash tin in a solution of mild dish-washing liquid and warm water and a soft cloth. Don't use abrasive scrubbers or cleaners, because they may scratch through the tin plating.
To remove rust on tin, rub it with surfine (0000) steel wool. Once the rust is gone, wash the tin in the sudsy solution. Rinse well and dry completely. To prevent rust from returning, apply a thin coat of paste wax--an auto wax, for instance.
Toaster Ovens
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toaster ovens typically need a more thorough cleaning than toasters, since many people do more than just toast bread in their toaster ovens. They make drippy cheese toast, heat oozing fruit pies, and even broil small grease-spattering hens. Until there is such a thing as a self-cleaning toaster oven, it's up to you to manually get the grunk out.
Keep the outside of the toaster oven clean by regularly wiping it with a damp cloth. Add a splash of vinegar or a squirt of dish-washing liquid to the wash water for added cleaning powder. The contorl buttons may pull off to make cleaning the control panel easier. Check your owner's manual.
Every week or two, depending on use, empty the crumb tray, which in, most toaster ovens, is removable. Some even have doors underneath for removing the crumbs that past the tray. If you'll be opening this trapdoor, unplug the unit first. Wash the removable tray. Most trays are thin aluminum and may not be dishwasher safe. Read your owner's manual to find out. If you're unsure, hand-wash the tray in warm, soapy water.
Clean the oven soon after messy toaster-oven cooking sessions. Let the oven cool, unplug it, and then remove any cooking trays or racks. Clean trays and racks in hot, soapy water. Wipe the inside of the oven with a damp cloth. If you're lucky, your toaster has a nonstick surface on the inside, and baked-on food will come right off. Carefully lift up the heating element (if possible) and clean under it.
For stuck-on food, try a moist plastic or nylon scrubber. Never use anything abrasive, such as steel wool. You'll scratch the smooth surface, which will make food stick worse next time. If the plastic
scrubber fails, put a small bowl of full-strength ammonia inside the unplugged oven with the door closed. Leave overnight and then remove the ammonia. The fumes will loosen the food. Wipe the inside again and let the oven air out before using.
Toasters
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turn bread into toast and you're bound to get crumbs. When those crumbs fall into the toaster, you've got to get them out. Fortunately, most toaster makers are aware of this and design their appliances
for easy cleanup
Empty the crumbs out of your toaster once every week or so, depending on how much you use it. Some toasters have slide-out crumb trays; others have hinged doors allow you to empty the crumbs. No matter what kind of toaster you have or what sort of mechanism it has for crumb removal, always unplug the toaster before cleaning it.
If you can't get them all out, try disintegrating them with heat. Run the toaster empty on the hottest setting two or three times. This is also the principle behind self-cleaning ovens.
For hard-to-remove crumbs, use a clean, dry toothbrush (not that dirty one you use to scrub grout--a new one) or an old, clean paintbrush. Again, be sure the toaster is unplugged. Loosen crumbs with the brush and then dump them out. Turn the toaster upside down and shake. Do it gently, being careful not to damage the heating element.
Wipe down the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth. Wipe around the control knobs. Add a dash
of vinegar or squirt of dish-washing liquid to the cleaning water for mores cleaning power. For stainless steel toasters, polish with a stainless steel polish, available at supermarkets and home improvement stores.
Toilets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all have them. We all have to clean them. There's no getting around that. But most people are not
very efficient at cleaning their toilets. And many are stumped by those stubborn rings left around the bowl. (See Simple Solutions sidebar opposite.)
To clean a toilet, work from the top down. Start with the tank, move to the seat, clean inside the bowl, and then clean the base. Doing it this way will help you focus. Moreover, the dirtiest part of the toilet--and hence the last place you want your rag to touch --is the base, where the dust bunnies mingle with the urine dribbles.
For everything but the bowl, use a dry cloth (diapers work well) and a spray-on bathroom cleaner, preferably one that contains ammonia. Spray the cleaner on the toilet surface and wipe it off with the diaper. Keeping the cloth dry makes it easier to wipe thing up. Wet it, and you'll be chasing that moisture around, wringing and re-wringing the rag. Change rags when one becomes soaked with cleaner. Avoid sponges, which work OK but can absorb--and transfer--micro-organsims. (You wash your rags after each use, but do you wash your sponges? See Disinfecting Your Kitchen Sponges on ext)
Clean the bowl with a rounded bowl brush and cleaner. Avoid brushes with metal wire, since the metal can scratch the toilet bowl.
To clean around the hardware that holds the seat to the toilet and the toilet to the floor, use a grout
brush or an old toothbrush.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Ring Around the Bowl >
For stubborn rings around the toilet bowl, use a pumice stone, available at drugstores and bath-product stores. (Pumice stones are the same product you use to rub corns off your feet.)
keeping the stone wet, rub it on the ring until it's gone. This works for old rings as well. It will
not scratch white vitreous china, which is what most toilets are made of, but it will scratch fiberglass, enamel, plastic, and other materials.
enamel, plastic, and ot
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avoid soapy or oil cleaners, as they can leave a dull film. If anything, add a splash of vinegar to the mop water. An alkaline-based all-purpose cleaner, such as Spic and Span or Mr. Clean, is also effective. Or use a specialty tile floor cleaner, such as Armstrong's Once 'n Done, sold at flooring stores and home improvement stores. Follow directions on the package.
For ceramic wall tiles, wipe them regularly with a damp sponge. As with floor tiles, avoid soapy or oily cleaners. Add a splash of vinegar to the water, or use a commercial tub-and-tile cleaner. Another alternative: Add 1 capful of rubbing alcohol to 1 gallon of water in a bucket and wipe down the tiles using a sponge or clean, soft cloth. Never use abrasive scrubbers or cleaning products, such as scouring powders. These can scratch glazed tile, dulling the finish and making it more susceptible to dirt.
To keep grout clean, it's best to do it regularly so that the scum and mildew don't have a chance to get a foothold in the porous surface. Indeed, it's a good idea to clean grout after you shower, while it's still steamy moist and the soil has been loosened. Mix together 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1 gallon of water and scrub the grout with a toothbrush or nylon scrub pad. For more cleaning power, go over it once with a degreaser, such as Simple Green, which will loosen the germ-harboring soap scum, and the with a disinfectant, such as Mr. Clean or Top Job, to kill the germs themselves. Let your cleaning products do the work for you. Too much scrubbing grinds the grime in deeper. Spray or wipe each product on and let it stand for several methods. Wipe it down with a clean, wet sponge to rinse off the cleaning solution. If you must scrub, use a long-bristled brush that is not too stiff (you don't want to wear down the grout) or use an old tooth brush. Steel wool is too abrasive. If the grout is really grungy, see the box on the previous page.
See also Floors
Tin
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tin, silvery white with a brilliant luster, is used as a decorative plating and to protect metals from rusting. You see it often on Mexican crafts and inexpensive kitchenware. Be careful not to scratch it
when cleaning. If you do, you'll invite rust.
Dust decorative items regularly. Use a feather duster for pieces with lots of detail. Or wipe with a dry or slightly damp rag.
Wash tin in a solution of mild dish-washing liquid and warm water and a soft cloth. Don't use abrasive scrubbers or cleaners, because they may scratch through the tin plating.
To remove rust on tin, rub it with surfine (0000) steel wool. Once the rust is gone, wash the tin in the sudsy solution. Rinse well and dry completely. To prevent rust from returning, apply a thin coat of paste wax--an auto wax, for instance.
Toaster Ovens
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toaster ovens typically need a more thorough cleaning than toasters, since many people do more than just toast bread in their toaster ovens. They make drippy cheese toast, heat oozing fruit pies, and even broil small grease-spattering hens. Until there is such a thing as a self-cleaning toaster oven, it's up to you to manually get the grunk out.
Keep the outside of the toaster oven clean by regularly wiping it with a damp cloth. Add a splash of vinegar or a squirt of dish-washing liquid to the wash water for added cleaning powder. The contorl buttons may pull off to make cleaning the control panel easier. Check your owner's manual.
Every week or two, depending on use, empty the crumb tray, which in, most toaster ovens, is removable. Some even have doors underneath for removing the crumbs that past the tray. If you'll be opening this trapdoor, unplug the unit first. Wash the removable tray. Most trays are thin aluminum and may not be dishwasher safe. Read your owner's manual to find out. If you're unsure, hand-wash the tray in warm, soapy water.
Clean the oven soon after messy toaster-oven cooking sessions. Let the oven cool, unplug it, and then remove any cooking trays or racks. Clean trays and racks in hot, soapy water. Wipe the inside of the oven with a damp cloth. If you're lucky, your toaster has a nonstick surface on the inside, and baked-on food will come right off. Carefully lift up the heating element (if possible) and clean under it.
For stuck-on food, try a moist plastic or nylon scrubber. Never use anything abrasive, such as steel wool. You'll scratch the smooth surface, which will make food stick worse next time. If the plastic
scrubber fails, put a small bowl of full-strength ammonia inside the unplugged oven with the door closed. Leave overnight and then remove the ammonia. The fumes will loosen the food. Wipe the inside again and let the oven air out before using.
Toasters
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Turn bread into toast and you're bound to get crumbs. When those crumbs fall into the toaster, you've got to get them out. Fortunately, most toaster makers are aware of this and design their appliances
for easy cleanup
Empty the crumbs out of your toaster once every week or so, depending on how much you use it. Some toasters have slide-out crumb trays; others have hinged doors allow you to empty the crumbs. No matter what kind of toaster you have or what sort of mechanism it has for crumb removal, always unplug the toaster before cleaning it.
If you can't get them all out, try disintegrating them with heat. Run the toaster empty on the hottest setting two or three times. This is also the principle behind self-cleaning ovens.
For hard-to-remove crumbs, use a clean, dry toothbrush (not that dirty one you use to scrub grout--a new one) or an old, clean paintbrush. Again, be sure the toaster is unplugged. Loosen crumbs with the brush and then dump them out. Turn the toaster upside down and shake. Do it gently, being careful not to damage the heating element.
Wipe down the outside of the toaster with a damp cloth. Wipe around the control knobs. Add a dash
of vinegar or squirt of dish-washing liquid to the cleaning water for mores cleaning power. For stainless steel toasters, polish with a stainless steel polish, available at supermarkets and home improvement stores.
Toilets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all have them. We all have to clean them. There's no getting around that. But most people are not
very efficient at cleaning their toilets. And many are stumped by those stubborn rings left around the bowl. (See Simple Solutions sidebar opposite.)
To clean a toilet, work from the top down. Start with the tank, move to the seat, clean inside the bowl, and then clean the base. Doing it this way will help you focus. Moreover, the dirtiest part of the toilet--and hence the last place you want your rag to touch --is the base, where the dust bunnies mingle with the urine dribbles.
For everything but the bowl, use a dry cloth (diapers work well) and a spray-on bathroom cleaner, preferably one that contains ammonia. Spray the cleaner on the toilet surface and wipe it off with the diaper. Keeping the cloth dry makes it easier to wipe thing up. Wet it, and you'll be chasing that moisture around, wringing and re-wringing the rag. Change rags when one becomes soaked with cleaner. Avoid sponges, which work OK but can absorb--and transfer--micro-organsims. (You wash your rags after each use, but do you wash your sponges? See Disinfecting Your Kitchen Sponges on ext)
Clean the bowl with a rounded bowl brush and cleaner. Avoid brushes with metal wire, since the metal can scratch the toilet bowl.
To clean around the hardware that holds the seat to the toilet and the toilet to the floor, use a grout
brush or an old toothbrush.
Simple SOLUTIONS
Ring Around the Bowl >
For stubborn rings around the toilet bowl, use a pumice stone, available at drugstores and bath-product stores. (Pumice stones are the same product you use to rub corns off your feet.)
keeping the stone wet, rub it on the ring until it's gone. This works for old rings as well. It will
not scratch white vitreous china, which is what most toilets are made of, but it will scratch fiberglass, enamel, plastic, and other materials.
enamel, plastic, and ot
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