Clean common household dirty buildups with unusual items and watch stains and scratches disappear — no need to use common catchall cleaning solutions.
From coloring book staples to sandwich superstars, here are 10 uncommon items that’ll fix seemingly impossible-to-remove stains:
1. Furniture footprints: Rearranging furniture is a great way to breathe new life into a lived-in room. But the buildup and tamped-down carpet left by heavy furniture can draw unwanted attention. Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid’s national franchise, offers this tip: Drop an ice cube into each impression and let melt. The water will loosen the carpet fibers and force them to stand. Let it dry overnight and run the vacuum.
2. Price tag goo: New stemware can serve up a sticky mess when you try to pull the price tag off. Rather than lose patience, hit the pantry. A scoop of smooth peanut butter will do the trick. “Spread the peanut butter or toothpaste right over the sticky residue and gently rub with a moist cloth or sponge. The oils will quickly lift the sticker right off,” Mailloux says.
3. Camouflaging nicks: To fix a scratch on your hardwoods, head to the kid’s art kit for a crayon that matches in color. Gently heat the tip of the crayon and let the wax melt into the scratch little by little. Wait a few minutes for it to dry and then smooth it out. Viola!
4. Tiny scratches: A freshly cut walnut or brazil nut, when rubbed on a small wood scratch, can help it disappear, advises Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie on their website, queens of clean on BBC’s How Clean is Your House?
5. Finicky faucets: Some experts swear by the shells of nuts — grind the hard outer coating of a walnut and mix a pinch with water to form a paste you can use as an abrasive cleaner for buildup around faucets.
6. Water rings: Aged water rings and heat marks can be a buzz-kill, Mailloux says, but the answer could be what you’re spreading on a sandwich. Work real mayonnaise into the stain with a soft cloth, and let it sit overnight before wiping it clean with a dry towel the next morning.
7. Shower curtain stains: Grab your shower curtain and liner and toss them in the washing machine. Laundry detergent will pull off caked-on stains better than bath sprays that build up over time, and the gentle wash cycle on cold won’t harm or melt the plastic.
8. Gum on carpet: Chew on this: Try a menthol-containing ointment like BENGAY for gum in carpets. Simply apply, wash with soap, rinse and dry.
9. Round up dust bunnies: Rub together, and then ball up, fabric softening sheets or socks that have lost their mates and tuck them in windowsills and hard-to-remember corners to attract and trap dust.
10. Grotty grinders: Drop a dry, stale slice of bread into your coffee grinder and give it a whirl to pull up stuck-in grounds or spices. Bonus tip: spread a slice of fresh bread over light switch fingerprints to soak up built-up oils.
10 dirty buildups: fixed
Clean common household dirty buildups with unusual items and watch stains and scratches disappear — no need to use common catchall cleaning solutions.
From coloring book staples to sandwich superstars, here are 10 uncommon items that’ll fix seemingly impossible-to-remove stains:
1. Furniture footprints: Rearranging furniture is a great way to breathe new life into a lived-in room. But the buildup and tamped-down carpet left by heavy furniture can draw unwanted attention. Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid’s national franchise, offers this tip: Drop an ice cube into each impression and let melt. The water will loosen the carpet fibers and force them to stand. Let it dry overnight and run the vacuum.
2. Price tag goo: New stemware can serve up a sticky mess when you try to pull the price tag off. Rather than lose patience, hit the pantry. A scoop of smooth peanut butter will do the trick. “Spread the peanut butter or toothpaste right over the sticky residue and gently rub with a moist cloth or sponge. The oils will quickly lift the sticker right off,” Mailloux says.
3. Camouflaging nicks: To fix a scratch on your hardwoods, head to the kid’s art kit for a crayon that matches in color. Gently heat the tip of the crayon and let the wax melt into the scratch little by little. Wait a few minutes for it to dry and then smooth it out. Viola!
4. Tiny scratches: A freshly cut walnut or brazil nut, when rubbed on a small wood scratch, can help it disappear, advises Kim Woodburn and Aggie MacKenzie on their website, queens of clean on BBC’s How Clean is Your House?
5. Finicky faucets: Some experts swear by the shells of nuts — grind the hard outer coating of a walnut and mix a pinch with water to form a paste you can use as an abrasive cleaner for buildup around faucets.
6. Water rings: Aged water rings and heat marks can be a buzz-kill, Mailloux says, but the answer could be what you’re spreading on a sandwich. Work real mayonnaise into the stain with a soft cloth, and let it sit overnight before wiping it clean with a dry towel the next morning.
7. Shower curtain stains: Grab your shower curtain and liner and toss them in the washing machine. Laundry detergent will pull off caked-on stains better than bath sprays that build up over time, and the gentle wash cycle on cold won’t harm or melt the plastic.
8. Gum on carpet: Chew on this: Try a menthol-containing ointment like BENGAY for gum in carpets. Simply apply, wash with soap, rinse and dry.
9. Round up dust bunnies: Rub together, and then ball up, fabric softening sheets or socks that have lost their mates and tuck them in windowsills and hard-to-remember corners to attract and trap dust.
10. Grotty grinders: Drop a dry, stale slice of bread into your coffee grinder and give it a whirl to pull up stuck-in grounds or spices. Bonus tip: spread a slice of fresh bread over light switch fingerprints to soak up built-up oils.