The practice of spring cleaning is generations and generations old. Journals from the 19th century and historical info from much further back in time testify to spring housecleaning as being one of the biggest clean endeavors of the year.
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In the past, to clean the homes at the arrival of spring took as long as an entire week with women kicking men out of the house and the house itself being emptied out entirely so they could clean as much as possible.
Women kept windows and doors open to let out the soot and grime of kerosene and coal used for heating in winter time, they beat the rugs and scrubbed the floors, and the practice of cleaning the home at the beginning of spring is an annual tradition in many cultures around the world still.
Things, however, are slightly different nowadays.
Although many people don’t beat out their area rugs anymore – instead they vacuum nor do they spring into any week-long tasks, most do perform cleaning activities inside and outside the house at the beginning of spring, wash the windows and declutter for a clean slate.
If you too plan to pull on your gloves and get to work, you may be interested in some pro tips on how to remove certain stains off the most used plumbing fixtures, and which tools and supplies to use for a clean home. Read on.
Deep-clean kitchen sink, bathroom sink and work surfaces.
Because sinks get a lot of use and they are made from different materials, the wear and tear that they’re bound to show over time can be tended to with something as simple as mild dish soap and sponge or a soft rag used regularly to clean the surface.
But for a deeper cleaning, you need a slightly different approach. Instructions:
- Make your own abrasive paste from baking soda and lemon or lime juice. Ratio if you’re scrubbing more areas is 8 oz. box of baking soda to 10 fruits.
- Rinse the sink of any food residues and scrub the surface with the mixture using a sponge.
- Make sure you follow the steel’s grain for stainless steel.
- Follow up with a mixture of vinegar and water (1:2) to polish.
- Alternatively mix ½ cup baking soda ½ cup white vinegar, let sit for half an hour and then pour boiling water over the surface.
Remove nail polish stains and crayon stains.
Hard surfaces are easiest to clean from crayon stains. You only need to scrape any excess from the surface and then wipe with a solution of detergent and soap.
Other materials require particular methods.
- Porous surfaces such as asphalt, cork, linoleum are best cleaned using a metal spatula to scrape the surface, gently so as not to gauge it.
- For carpets –synthetic or wool, use a small amount of cleaner and blot with an absorbent pat.
- For washable fibers, you’ll need to place the stain between blotting paper and press with a warm iron. Allow fabric to dry.
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Nail polish also needs to be removed as per the material.
- To remove nail polish from delicate surfaces such as ceramic, enamel, porcelain and glass mix washing soda, water and a small amount of ammonia, then dip a clean cloth in the solution, wash, rinse well and wipe dry.
- For metal surfaces like aluminum, iron and stainless steel, wash with a steel wool soap pad, then rinse and dry the surface.
- To remove nail polish from flooring and tiles, dip a clean cloth in acetone and dab until there is no more stain. Follow up with a solution of detergent and water, then rinse and allow drying.