Wednesday, May 25, 2005
"Cleaning Product Plugs"
Well, here it is, almost Memorial Day weekend and we are expecting company. So I find myself "catching up" on household chores. I wanted to recommend two great cleaning products!
The first is one I have been using for about a year. It's called Barkeeper's Friend. It does a wonderful job on stainless steel (although I have not used it on our oven or fridge, since I still have a fear of scratching their large surfaces, i have used it on our sink and cooktop and grill.) Last summer, our grill got a large circle of rusty discoloration on the top of its hood, from us putting our grill cover on after a rain (the cover was still a little wet inside). I felt sick, as anyone does when something relatively new shows damage. Well, I found the Barkeeper's Friend, unopened, in our cabinet and decided to try it - it melted the discoloration away and the grill looked like new again! I was sold. Since then, I have discovered that it is the only thing that will remove hard water deposits at the water line in our toilets (I tried Lime-Away, bleach, vinegar, you name it, and nothing worked except Barkeeper's Friend.) I found Barkeeper's Friend at the local dollar store - $1.50 for a 21oz can of powder.
The second product is Magic Eraser. I really thought this was a gimmick, but I decided to give it a whirl and it is amazing! We have two dogs (and two puppies left - anyone want to buy one?) and builder flat white paint on our downstairs walls. The dogs are constantly scuffing the walls and/or shaking after a bath, etc. And we have Sierra, who just can't seem to keep her hands off the walls. As you know, flat paint is not cleanable and we have not yet committed to a new paint job (I can touch up with the matching flat paint that we still have, but to switch paints we'd have to move lots of stuff and break out ladders for the tall ceilings and also find a stopping point since the rooms are connected and blend right into the stairwell and the upstairs. We just don't feel like doing that right now!) So I figured I'd just see if Magic Eraser would do anything and it removed all the scuffs!!! These are scuffs that I had tried to remove with damp cloths, sponges, paper towels, etc. The only solution before was to lightly sand or touch up (flat paint IS great for touching up, while any other sheen with show a spot when trying this method.) Magic Eraser also works on crayon, pencil/pen marks, etc. Evidently it can be used to clean other creviced surfaces, like athletic shoes, textured refrigerator handles, and plastic lawn furniture. The possibilities are endless. This should not be used on glossy surfaces, so be sure to read the directions so you don't damage anything. For those that are wondering how it works, it's composed of a melamine foam that contains microfibers that get into tiny crevices of what you're cleaning. They break down during use - quite quickly if you have a large area or use a lot of pressure. There are other brands on the market as well, which supposedly work just as well and cost less.
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Well, here it is, almost Memorial Day weekend and we are expecting company. So I find myself "catching up" on household chores. I wanted to recommend two great cleaning products!
The first is one I have been using for about a year. It's called Barkeeper's Friend. It does a wonderful job on stainless steel (although I have not used it on our oven or fridge, since I still have a fear of scratching their large surfaces, i have used it on our sink and cooktop and grill.) Last summer, our grill got a large circle of rusty discoloration on the top of its hood, from us putting our grill cover on after a rain (the cover was still a little wet inside). I felt sick, as anyone does when something relatively new shows damage. Well, I found the Barkeeper's Friend, unopened, in our cabinet and decided to try it - it melted the discoloration away and the grill looked like new again! I was sold. Since then, I have discovered that it is the only thing that will remove hard water deposits at the water line in our toilets (I tried Lime-Away, bleach, vinegar, you name it, and nothing worked except Barkeeper's Friend.) I found Barkeeper's Friend at the local dollar store - $1.50 for a 21oz can of powder.
The second product is Magic Eraser. I really thought this was a gimmick, but I decided to give it a whirl and it is amazing! We have two dogs (and two puppies left - anyone want to buy one?) and builder flat white paint on our downstairs walls. The dogs are constantly scuffing the walls and/or shaking after a bath, etc. And we have Sierra, who just can't seem to keep her hands off the walls. As you know, flat paint is not cleanable and we have not yet committed to a new paint job (I can touch up with the matching flat paint that we still have, but to switch paints we'd have to move lots of stuff and break out ladders for the tall ceilings and also find a stopping point since the rooms are connected and blend right into the stairwell and the upstairs. We just don't feel like doing that right now!) So I figured I'd just see if Magic Eraser would do anything and it removed all the scuffs!!! These are scuffs that I had tried to remove with damp cloths, sponges, paper towels, etc. The only solution before was to lightly sand or touch up (flat paint IS great for touching up, while any other sheen with show a spot when trying this method.) Magic Eraser also works on crayon, pencil/pen marks, etc. Evidently it can be used to clean other creviced surfaces, like athletic shoes, textured refrigerator handles, and plastic lawn furniture. The possibilities are endless. This should not be used on glossy surfaces, so be sure to read the directions so you don't damage anything. For those that are wondering how it works, it's composed of a melamine foam that contains microfibers that get into tiny crevices of what you're cleaning. They break down during use - quite quickly if you have a large area or use a lot of pressure. There are other brands on the market as well, which supposedly work just as well and cost less.
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