How to Clean Burnt Pans
So engrossed in reading the latest salacious showbiz gossip that you forget about the stew bubbling away on the stove? Now it's charred, blackened mess burned onto the base of your best saucepan! Forget about cooking dinner, order a takeaway instead, and get to work restoring your prized pan. You'll have it back in tip top condition before the food's even arrived.
What to do:
Fill the pan with water and throw in a dishwasher tablet or 1 tbsp biological washing power. Place it on the hob and bring it to boil. Leave to simmer for around 10 minutes. ll those nasty burnt bits will simply lift away, leaving you pan as good as new. Repeat if necessary, then wash thoroughly as normal. You can also use this method for hob safe roasting tins.
Beat the burn:
For cooking scrambled eggs or other foods that tend to stick, invest in a good quality, hard anodized saucepan. These are easy to clean, it's laughable, even when burnt. Simply wipe with a sponge and the mess will usually come straight off.
What to do:
Fill the pan with water and throw in a dishwasher tablet or 1 tbsp biological washing power. Place it on the hob and bring it to boil. Leave to simmer for around 10 minutes. ll those nasty burnt bits will simply lift away, leaving you pan as good as new. Repeat if necessary, then wash thoroughly as normal. You can also use this method for hob safe roasting tins.
Beat the burn:
For cooking scrambled eggs or other foods that tend to stick, invest in a good quality, hard anodized saucepan. These are easy to clean, it's laughable, even when burnt. Simply wipe with a sponge and the mess will usually come straight off.
Cleaning Avacado Stains
A football match on TV, guacamole and tortilla chips, hubby and his greedy friends: a combination that can lead to accidents. The main problem with an avacado stain in that if it is left it will oxidize and eventually turn a nasty grey black colour. Once this has happened, the stain is almost impossible to remove. Remember, for a good chance of removal, you must act quickly.
General directions:
Gently scrape the solids off with a blunt knife, taking care not to spead the stain. Follow the directions below for specific fabrics.
Carpet:
Apply bissel OxyKIC or white wizard to the stain. Working from the outside inwards, gently soak up the stain with a white paper towel or a clean, white, lint free cloth. Don't drench the stain - it's better to make repeated small applications than to completely flood the area. Continue until the stain has completely disappeared. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and blot up as much water as posssible with more paper towels. Leave to dry. If any traces remain, a complete carpet shampoo may do the trick.
Washable fabrics:
After scraping, dampen the mark with cool water and gently rub in a little washing up liquid. Allow to stand for five minutes or so, then rinse with more cold water. For cotton follow with a 40 degree machine wash, using biological detergent. For silk, follow with a 30 degree machine wash on the delicates cycle.
Dried on stains:
Try treating with dylon stain solve before machine washing as normal.
How to Clean and Care for Wooden Furniture
The best way to stop funiture being spoiled is to protect it. Use coasters and mat for glasses and tableware, to prevent nasty ring marks and heat burns.
French polished items:
Dust regularly with a soft cloth. Remove sticky marks with a cloth wrung out in a warm, mild solution of soapflakes, taking care not to over wet. Dry throughly with a soft cloth. Use a wax polish occassionally and sparingly. Scrates should be dealth with by a proffessional French polisher.
Lacquered items:
Wipe with a damp duster. Apply a fine water mist spray directly to the duster so that you do not over wet the wood. Wipe dry and buff with a soft, dry duster. Apply a good furnature polish occassionally to revieve the shine. Remove grease and fingermarks with a damp cloth and a mild solution of soapflakes.
Waxed wood:
Dust regularly with a soft cloth. Remove sticky marks with a cloth wrung in a warm, mild solution of soapflakes, taking care not to over wet. Dry throughly with a soft cloth. Apply a wax ploish once or twice a year to maintain water resistance and shine.
Storing Clothes and Textiles
Before storing, launder or dry clean all items. Make sure that they are completely dry. Don't iron clothing that is to be stored or use starch, as these will make the fibres more brittle and prone to tearing along the creases.
Special items can be wrapped in acid free tissue paper to help prevent creasing and provide further protection. Use cotton gloves to avoid transfering potentially damaging bodily fluids from you hands to the garments.
Avoid using ordinary cardboard or paper boxes as they aren't waterproof, chemicals can leech into your clothing and pests are attracted to the protein in the glue used to stick the boxes together. For shorter term storage, you can use plastic storage boxes, but make sure they are not completely airtight as the clothes need to breathe, not suffocate. For long term storage of items such as wedding dresses, the best option is a special acid free storage box, available from stationers of archiving suppliers.
Don't store items in direct contact with wood. All wood contains acid that can damage textiles over a long period of time. Place the container in a cool place, off the floor and away from damp, sunlight and direct or indirect heat.
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How to Clean Cookware, Pots and Pans
Treated well, decent-quality pans will last you a lifetime. Always follow the manufacturers instructions if possible, or use the guidelines given here.
Aluminium:
Anodized and uncoated aluminium pans should never be washed in a dishwasher. Always hand wash in plain, soapy water. If uncoated aluminium develops a black tarnish, remove it by boiling up acidic foods such as cut lemon in water.
Cast iron:
Always wash uncoated iron pans by hand. Dry throughly and brush with a thin layer of vegetable oil to prevent rusting.
Copper:
Wash in a solution of washing up liqiud. Polish as for brass by using a lemon dipped in salt and then buff with a soft cloth.
Glass ceramic:
Usually dishwasher safe. Remove the burnt on food by soaking the pan in a warm solution of washing up liquid, then use a nylon scourer.
Non stick coatings:
Wash, rinse and dry new pans berfore use. The non stick coating may need to be seasoned by brushing the interior with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Re-season after dishwashing (check instructions on pan for dishwashing guide). Remove burnt on foods with a scourer specifically for non stick surfaces. Don't use metal kitchen implements on non stick pans.
Stainless steel:
Wash by hand or in a dishwasher. Rainbow markings may develop over time, but can usually be removed with a proprietry stainless steel polish or cleaner. Pans subject to too high heat may develop brown marks on the exterior, which can also be removed with stainless steel polish.
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How to Clean Metals - Brass, Copper, Pewter & Silver
Wash brass, copper, pewter and silver or silver plate in a warm solution of washing up liquid and water. Rinse in hot water and dry with a soft cloth.
Brass and Copper:
After washing, use one of the following polishing methods. If you don't want to uy a special cleaner, try rubbing the surface with half a lemon dipped in salt. Rinse and buff with a soft cloth. This method, however, tends to lighten copper and bring out the orange colour. Alternatively, apply a proprietery cream or liquid with a soft cloth and buff before the polish is competely dry. Some brands can be rinsed off with water and are ideal for intricate pieces. For heavier tarnishing, use copper or brass wadding impregnated with polish. This is messy and requires elbow grease. Do not use too frequently as it is quite abrasive.
Pewter:
Never use harsh polish. If the item is heavily tarnished, use a proprietary silver cleaner.
Silver:
For dusting, use impregnated silver polishing cloths or mitts. Silver is a soft metal, so don't rub too hard. Use straight even strokes - never rub silver crosswise or with a rotary movement. For polishing use one of the following methods. A cream or liquid polish is often recommended by manufacturers of fine silver services - these products are ideal for moderately tarnished items. Allow to dry to a fine powdery deposit, then buff with a soft, dry cloth. Foaming paste is idea for cutlery and for covering large areas such as platters. Apply the paste with a damp sponge and lather to a foam. Rinse in water and dry throughly. Sprays are good for covering large areas; wadding is availalbe for heavily tarnished items.
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Environmentaly Friendly Cleaning Solutions
Bicarbonate of soda:
No self respecting domestic goddess should be without bicarbonate of soda, even if you never bake a cake. It has a myriad of uses around the home, just a few of which are given here. As a powerful natural deodorizer, it can be placed in the fridge to absorb food smells, and sprinkled on mattresses, carpets and other soft furnishings to remove unpleasant odours such as those left by vomit or sour milk. Bicarbonate of soda also boost performance of chlorine bleach - use half a cup of soda to half a cup of bleach (instead of the usual full cup of bleach on its own) for similar results.
A scouring paste made from half bicarbonate of soda and half water is excellent for removing stains from kitchen work tops, sinks, cookers and saucepans. When rubbed into greasy stains on clothing before laundering, a paste made from two parts bicarbonate of soda to one part cream of tartar will help to remove the marks.
Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. You can use freshly sqeezed lemon juice, but the bottled stuff works just as well. Try removing food stains from chopping boards by rubbing them with lemon juice and leaving them overnight. Lemon juice is also very effective on rust stains, and half a cupful added to a washboard will help to brighten whites.
Distilled White Vinegar:
Vinegar is a wonderful traditional remedy, excellent for removing limescale from a variety of surfaces and for buffing windows to a streak free shine. It's also a good odour-absorber, and a few drops applied to clothing faded by perspiration will sometimes restore the colour. However don't use it on gold plated fittings or mable surfaces, because it is acidic and can damage them.
Washing soda crystals:
Washing soda has been used for cleaning in the home for over one hundred years. It is biodegradable, contains no enzymes, phosphates or bleach and can be used on all types of fabric. If you don't want to use strong solvents, enzymes or other stain removing products, washing soda is a good alternative. It is effective at removing grease, blood, ink, grass, red wine, tea and coffe. Soak the affected garment overnight in a string solution (follow the directions given by the manufacturer) before washing as normal. You can use washing soda crystals on many non fabric stains too, such as burnt pans, discoloured chopping boards and tea stained cups, and also for an enormous variety of other cleaning tasks, such as clearing blocked drains or removing mildrew from shower curtains. Don't use them on aluminium, though. On fabrics, as with all stain removing products, always check for colourfastness first. Do not confuse washing soda crystals with caustic soda.
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How to Remove Limescale with White Vinegar
If you live in a hard water area, dealing with limescale can feel like a never-ending battle. Those ugly, scaly deposits build up quickly on kitchen and bathroon fittings, pipes and appliances. You can use proprietary descalers, but ordinary white vinegar will often do the job just as well and is also a more environmentally friendly option.
Kettles: Fill the kettle with a solution that consists of half water and half vinegar, and leave it overnight. In the morning the limescale will come off really easily. Rinse throughly to remove any vinegary odours.
Showerheads: Try soaking the showerhead overnight in a solution of half water and hlaf vinegar. Rinse with plain water after soaking and use a needle to poke any remaining scale out of the jet holes.
Taps and bathrooom fittings: Make up a spray bottle of half water and half vinegar, and use it regularly on tiles, basins, baths and taps to keep limescale at bay. Always rinse throughly with plain water afterwards. Don't use it on plated taps, particularly gold - the acid in the vinegar can damage their finish.
Toilets: On ceramic toilets, try removing very heavy limescale deposits by rubbing gently with a pumice stone.
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How to Remove Blackcurrent Stains
Berries are undoubtedly delious, but they can also be messy. Don't worry though - that lurid splatter down the front of your favourite shirt looks worst than it is. Blackcurrants and other berries leave pigment-based stains, which are soluble in water and usually easy to remove if you act quickly.
General directions: Blot up as much of the stain as possible which white paper towels or a clean, white, lint free cloth. Dab, rather than rub, at the stain. Follow the directions below for specific fabrics.
Carpet: Cover the stain with white wizard and, working from the outside inwards, gently soak up the stain, again using white paper towels or a clean, white, lint free cloth. Don't be tempted to drench the area - it's better to make repeated small applications. Continue until the stain has completely disapeared. If traces still remain, a complete carpet shampoo may be necessary.
Washable fabrics: After blotting, rinse the stain under plenty of cold running water. For cotton. follow immediately with a 40 degree machine-wash, using biological detergent. For silk, treat with Stain Devils No 6 and follow with a 30 degree machine-wash on the delicates cycle. Berry stains are tricky to remove from wool and the key is to act immediately. After rinsing with cold water, spray lightly with wine away until the stains turn blue. Blot again and repeat this process until the stain has completely disappeared. Then wash in a high a temperature as the care label permits.
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How to Clean a Dishwasher
How on earth did we even manage without diswashers? They're a wonderful invention, but do need a little attention to keep them in good working order.
Before cleaning, switch off the electricity supply. Clean filters after each use. Spray arms should be cleaned in a solution of washing up liquid - run water through the inlet of each spray arm to ensure that the holes not blocked with food debris.
To banish unpleasant smells coming from the dishwasher, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda on the bottom of the machine before running a load. To keep limescale and soap scum at bay, periodically run a cup of white vinegar through the machine on a normal cycle. Alternatively, use one of the proprietary dishwasher cleaning products that are available.
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The Golden Rules of Stain Removal
Understanding the four main principles involved in the sucessful removal of stains will help you to get better results, so here is the scientific bit!
1, ABSORB IT
The first thing to do is to lift off or soak up as much of the staining substance as possible from the fabric or the surface, using absorbants such as talcum power and paper towels.
2, DISSOLVE IT
Residue that can't be absorbed needs to be dissolved. However, different substances have differing solubility in solvents. For example, blackcurrent juice is soluble in water, while the curcumin colouring in turmeric requires an alcohol, such as methylated spirits, for it to dissolve. Therefore it's important to consider which solvent will be the most effective on a particular stain.
3, USE A DETERGENT
Greasy or fatty stains, suchas gravy, will not dissolve in water. To rid of the rest of thestain use detergents work by changing the surface tension of water so that it can flow more freely into the crevices of a fabric. Molecules in the detergent form a chemical link between the stainingparticles and the water. When the detergent is rinsed away, the water and stain will be taken with it.
4, USE A CHEMICAL REACTION
If principles 1 to 3 don't work, it's down to chemical reactivity, using agents such as bleach and enzymes. Bleach strips molecules of the electrons that give them colour, therefore making the stain invisible. Enzymes work by breaking down the bonds that hold the amino acids in proteins together. Seperated, the amino acids are more soluble in water, so can be more easily rinsed away to remove the stain.
