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Cleaning & Laundry : Home & Garden

How to Clean Rust From Teapots

Rust on or in a teapot can adversely affect the taste of your tea as well as the teapot's appearance. Typically, use of high-iron-content or hard tap water or a teapot made with iron results in rust. Rust may appear as a stain, particles in your tea or an encrustation on the spout or metal surfaces.

How to Remove Burn Stains From Concrete

A durable material, concrete can be difficult to break but easy to stain. Mold, oil, grease, water, dirt and burn marks can mar concrete, depending on the location of the concrete and its use. Each stain requires a slightly different method for removal to keep the concrete looking its best. Removing

How to Troubleshoot a Sunbeam Steam Master Iron?

A Sunbeam Steam Master iron is used to press and remove wrinkles from clothing and fabric. The iron features a stainless steel sole plate, shots of steam, a misting spray, self-cleaning feature and motion smart that automatically turns the iron off if left unused for a prolonged period of time. If t

How do I Remove & Clean Grout?

Grout is a mixture of water, sand and cement that fills the gaps between ceramic tiles in floors, walls and other tile applications. While the grout can protect the tiles from moisture invasion and damage, it often attracts extra dirt and mold growth as a result of its placement in moist areas such

Healthy Ways to Clean Mold

Black mold, toxic black mold, and "stachy" are common names for Stachybotrys chartarum, but black mold can also be species of Cladosporium, Penicillium, or Aspergillus. These molds are dark, fuzzy, creeping organisms found in damp places and can infiltrate drywall, degrade grout, and cause sickness

How to Use Laundry Detergent to Clean a Tub

Laundry detergent is the key component to an effective cleaning solution. This cleaning solution will help remove soap scum residue, mold growth, dirt and other contaminates. Use a solution of liquid laundry detergent and water to rinse out dirt and a paste of powder laundry detergent and water to s

How to Remove Rust from Stainless Steel Faucet

Stainless steel is not as rust resistant as many believe. In fact, even stainless steel faucets rust when exposed to moisture. Removing rust from stainless steel faucets requires a little know-how and some special mixtures, but it is something you can do without ruining the finish on the faucet. Wit

How to Do Laundry Without a Washer

Washing laundry is a common household task necessary for personal hygiene and clothing care. Although washing machines are convenient and efficient, they are not required to wash laundry effectively. Washing laundry by hand is an option for people without washing machines or those trying to conserve

Driveway Acid Staining

Acid staining your concrete driveway will make it look more textured. In much the same way as wood stain works, acid stain will darken your driveway and bring out natural textures. Acid staining takes one to two days, depending on the number of coats you apply. After staining, the effect will be per

How to Clean an Air Handler Unit

Your air conditioner keeps the house cool and pleasant during the hot months of summer, but it doesn't work alone. The air handler, the part of the air conditioner inside your house, also aids in cooling. In order to keep it in good working condition, the air handler should be cleaned at least twice

How to Clean Gold Leaf Furniture

Gold leaf furniture is made by pressing a thin foil made of pure gold over a wooden or metal subsurface, often over a base layer of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of glue and chalk or gypsum, usually colored white. Because of the delicate nature of the gold leaf foil, rough cleaning can destroy the surfa

How to Fix a Dent With Dry Ice

Dry ice is not composed of frozen water like regular ice. Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. This type of ice can cool at roughly twice the rate of regular ice per pound. Its cooling ability makes it useful in ways that regular ice is not. Many refrigeration trucks will use dry ice to keep their ship

How to Get Tar Off Bricks

If you live in an urban environment and regularly drive a car, you most likely have come in contact with tar on the roadways. Tar is created when organic materials like wood are distilled into a resin, and the substance is often used to bind cracks in roads. Tar has also been used to seal gaps in wa

How to Remove Old Oil & Rust Stains

Stains can occur on various surfaces from a variety of causes. Rust and oil are two stains that can be difficult to remove. It is best to take care of the stain as soon as it happens. However, it is not always possible to remove stains when they occur. The good news is that there are a few home reme

How to Get Rid of Mold Under Flooring

Mold is a fungus that grows naturally outdoors. The purpose of mold is to break down dead and rotting matter such as fallen trees, logs, plants, leaves and other vegetation. Mold growing indoors can be toxic if it is not dealt with immediately. Porous material that is covered in mold needs to be

How to Remove Mildew From a Watercolor Painting

Removing mildew from a watercolor painting must be done with care, to ensure that you do not damage the painting. The method consists of two distinct steps -- first the mildew or mold must be killed, and then it must be removed from the painting. You can accomplish this with a common household disin

How to Clean a Homemade Fiberglass Boat

Fiberglass is a strong and light material that is common in boat manufacturing. Fiberglass does scratch easily, however, and cleaning it revolves around removing dirt and debris without causing small scratches that will fill up with mold, mildew and dirt. Use mild cleaning solutions to clean the ent

How to Remove Scratches From Satin Nickel

When deciding on fixtures such as door knobs, handles, sinks and faucets for your home, there are many metals and finishes to choose from. After you go forward with installation you will want them to keep their new, polished look for as long as possible. The satin nickel finish, also referred to as