Cleaning tips from intelligent people for home renovation and repair - hiring, working, managing - for women, children and pets

TSP:

1 Kills mold - 2 tbl of TSP and 4 oz of bleach in gallon of water. Apply, wait 4 minutes, and rinse.

2 Window washing - 2 tbl of TSP with 1/4 cup white vinegar and 1 drop of liquid hand soap per gallon of water. Apply with soft brush to exterior windows pre-sprayed with water. Allow a couple of minutes to activate, reapply and rinse.

3 Wall washing - 2 tbl of TSP per gallon of water. Wash from bottom to top using a sponge mop and hand sponge for corners using protective gloves.

4 Concrete spot removal - sprinkle TSP powder on wet cement over stains. Wait 10 minutes and scrubbed with a stiff brush. If stained does not disappear, repeat.

5 Deck cleaning - 1 cup of TSP and 1 cup of bleach in gallon of water. Use a course brush on a pole to apply solution to the deck. Wait 10 minutes, reapply and rinse.

Use rubbing alcohol to remove mildew and other stains from the silicon caulking around your tub.

Remove soap scum from tiles and glass shower door with hot vinegar and a soft scouring pad.

Removing the nail polish on a man-made marble bathroom countertop with a polyurethane plastic topcoat with a solvent leaves a dull area. Automobile rubbing-compound may restore the shine, or maybe a coat of paste wax.

The expanding insulation foam is difficult to remove. If you get after it immediately, fingernail polish remover/acetone will get it off your skin. After five minutes, it's too late. One manufactured suggests long soaking, gentle rubbing, and soap and warm water will eventually remove it.

Remove wax from candleholders, place in the freezer and peal brittle wax. Hot water works but leaves melted wax.

The smell in the gas water heaters of rotten egg is hydrogen sulfate and is not dangerous. This often occurs when the water heaters anode gets overloaded. See if there is a replacement anode made for your heater, preferably one that is made from a less-active material.

Soap residue can dull all floors, no matter how vigorously you mop. Add vinegar to the rinse water to neutralize lingering suds.

The white grout between floor and wall tiles is tough to keep clean. Black tiles show water and soap marks most.

Placing a few mothballs in the bottom of a garbage can prevents flies.

Remove crayon marks by rubbing them with an abrasive toothpaste on a damp cloth.

Remove a spot from a delicate wall covering by gently rubbing it with a piece of balled-up rye bread.