Cleaning Tricks for Stubborn Spots

Though it may be time-consuming and not our favorite way to spend our time outside of work, cleaning the house is a relatively simple thing to do. That is, in most cases. Some cleaning tasks can become frustrating and difficult to tackle, like say getting soap scum off the shower door and keeping off. 

There are tricks to tackle difficult and stubborn cleaning problems around the home so that they are not so difficult. Here is a list of cleaning tricks to help you handle some of the most stubborn cleaning tasks in the home.  

• Olive Oil on Stainless Steel 

When it comes to fingerprints, stainless steel is suddenly not so stainless. With everyday use of the entire family, your stainless steel kitchen appliances can easily go from shiny to smudgy in just minutes as the surface fills up with oily/greasy looking fingerprints. Buff the fingerprints away with a drop of olive or baby oil on a clean white paper towel. Buff the oil in the direction of the grain and wipe off the excess with a clean paper towel, this will not only remove the fingerprints but help keep the surface clean longer.  

• Cornstarch to Clean Windows 

Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to a cup of white vinegar and a cup of water for the best window cleaner. Cornstarch is a natural and gentle fine abrasive that helps to scrub away at any gunk on the glass. You will be left with streak-free and shiny crystal clear windows.  

• Vinegar on Water Spots 

Water spots on faucets and fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen are an unsightly annoyance and can be aggravating to remove. There is an easier way than scrubbing at them until your fingers are numb. Soak a paper towel or microfiber cloth in plain with vinegar and lay it over the spots to let it sit for at about 5 to 15 minutes and break down the mineral deposits. The acid in the vinegar will eat away at the minerals. Need a little something stronger? Go for the cleaning vinegar at the store it has an even higher acidity.  

More: Removing Makeup from Bathroom Stone Counters

• Brillo Pad on Shower Glass

Wet a brillo pad and gently scrub away at the scum on those glass shower doors. It’s great because it works at the scum, but won’t scratch the glass. To make cleaning the shower glass extra easy, apply Rain-X original about every three months, and squeegee the excess water from the glass after each shower.  

Related: The Science of effective sweeping

• Magic Eraser on Coffee Rings 

Got annoying coffee stains in the bottom of your mug that the dishwasher never seems to clean? Grab a magic eraser (melamine foam eraser) and scrub the inside of your mug where the stains are, then run through the wash again.  

• Pumice Stone on Toilet Rings 

A wet pumice stone will do wonders to get rid of tough toilet bowl stains and rings. Make sure that you are using a wet pumice stone, because a dry one will scratch the surface. To get a super deep clean in the toilet bowel sprinkle/dump a cup of baking soda in the bowl and let it sit for a few minutes and follow with the wet stone.  

More: How to keep a bathroom clean smelling

• Vacuum Better by Pulling Back Slowly 

Many people do not realize there is a right way, and many wrongs ways, to vacuum your floor. The proper way to vacuum is in overlapping rows and pulling the vacuum back towards you slowly, this is when the vacuum does its best work. Pushing the vacuum forward is used to get the machine into position, it is in the pulling back ( slowly enough to give time for proper suction) that the vacuum pulls all the dirt and yuck out of the carpet fibers. Try this and you will be surprised at how much cleaner your floor is. 

Have a tough stain in your carpet, upholstery, tile grout, or natural stone? Make an appointment online or by phone with All Kleen for professional deep cleaning in Mountlake Terrace and surrounding areas.  

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