Cheaper, Better, Faster by Mary Hunt Read Free Book Online

water.
    Glass-top tables
    Glass-top tables will repel lint if you wash them with a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1 capful liquid fabric softener.
    Grater
    An old toothbrush is perfect for quickly cleaning the holes in cheese and vegetable graters.
    Grout—soak it
    Use lengths of cotton stripping (the kind you’d use to protect your hairline during a dye job) that have been soaked in undiluted bleach. Push the wet cotton against the grout and leave it there. After half an hour, pull away the cotton. The same method works well to clean mildew that forms along the caulking between a wall and a bathtub.
    Grout—toothbrush, denture cleaner
    Scrub grout using an old toothbrush with denture-cleaning paste or cleanser.
    Grout—toothbrush, dishwasher detergent
    Make a paste of automatic dishwasher detergent and water. Apply to grout using an old toothbrush. When it’s dry, rub it off with a terry washcloth.
    Grout—whiten with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide
    Mix a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Using an old toothbrush, apply the paste to the grout and give a little scrub. Leave on for a few minutes; rinse. For stained grout between floor tiles, try rubbing the area lightly with folded sandpaper.
    Grout—whiten with bleach
    Whiten grout between tiles with bleach dabbed on a cotton swab.
    Gum
    Raw egg whites will remove chewing gum from anything, including hair, without leaving a trace.
    Gum—on upholstery
    To remove bubble gum from upholstery, make a loop of duct tape around your fingers with the sticky side out. Press on the gum and jerk your finger up quickly. Repeat until all the gum is pulled away.
    Heel marks
    To remove black scuff marks from any hard-surface floor, rub them with a paste of baking soda and water and a plastic pot scrubber like a Scotchbrite pad. Use as little water as possible to ensure best results.
    Ivory
    To clean anything ivory, like piano keys or carved objects, wipe with a solution of 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide and 1 cup water. No need to rinse.
    Jeweler’s professional cleaner
    Here’s the fine-jewelry cleaner professional stores use: Mix equal amounts of household ammonia and water. Drop jewelry into a small container of this cleaner. Allow to sit for a few minutes and brush with an old toothbrush. Rinse well in clear water. It’s cheap and it works. Caution: Never use this solution on opals, pearls, or other soft stones.
    Jewelry
    Dissolve a denture-cleaning tablet in a cup of water. Add diamond rings, earrings, and other jewelry. Let them sit an hour. Do not use this with opals, pearls, or other soft stones.
    Keeping up—one bite at a time
    Set aside 15 minutes each weekday to clean one area of your house. By the weekend, you won’t have much more cleaning to do.
    Keeping up—photo instructions
    To remind everyone in your family what has to be done to call a room in the house “clean,” take pictures of each room and put them in a flip photo album. On the reverse side of the photos, list the chores to be done in each room. If someone asks if a room is clean enough, you can just tell them to check the list.
    Keeping up—tidy up for the evening
    After dinner, set a timer for 5 minutes and have everyone in the house pick up and put away the day’s accumulated clutter.
    Keeping up —touch-ups between cleanings
    Cut some old rags into small squares and stuff them into a jar. Add water and a bit of pine-scented cleaner. Keep these handy for between-cleaning bathroom touch-ups. When finished, simply wash the rags and use them again.
    Keeping up—use gloves
    Wear white canvas work gloves sprayed with polish to speed up cleaning. Wash and reuse each week.
    Kitchen disinfectant
    We know how important it is to disinfect cutting boards and countertops. Instead of buying expensive kitchen disinfectants for this job, make your own: Combine 1 teaspoon liquid chlorine bleach per quart of water. Flood your food-cutting