You probably chose your vinyl siding because it’s so easy to care for. That may be true, but putting it up and forgetting about it won’t exactly give you the results that you desire. To keep your siding looking as good as new, a yearly cleaning is in order. Don’t grumble! Think of those homeowners who are scraping, sanding, and painting, and you’ll be able to wield your scrub brush with a smile.

Scrub It and Forget It

All that you need to keep your siding clean is a brush and bucket. Just fill a bucket with warm water and add just enough dish soap to make it foamy. Dish soap is ideal for your siding because it won’t hurt your surrounding plants and grass. Also, the de-greasing agent makes short work of most grime. Start at the bottom and work your way up the wall. This may sound counterproductive, but it stops streaks. When the sudsy water rolls down the wall, it won’t streak the siding that’s already wet and soapy. Use your brush to whisk across each strip of siding in a back and forth motion. Provided your siding isn’t extremely dirty, you shouldn’t need to apply much pressure.

If you don’t like ladders, invest in a long handled car-washing brush. These are made to wash trucks and RV’s and usually have telescoping handles. If you have a multi-story house, you might be stuck with that ladder, but it’s worth it to clean by hand. Pressure washing can work for you, but you need to take care. If you use too much force, you can push water behind the siding where it can rot the wood. Make sure that you use a lower setting. Also, don’t blast straight upwards from the ground. It can loosen strips of siding. Use your brush as much as you can.

What If I Have Tough Stains?

The most common stains to appear on vinyl siding are mold and rust. If you have hard water, you’ll probably see rust around your spigot and near flower beds where water has sprayed on the siding. Fortunately, rust can be easily removed with household rust removers, such as Rust-Out or CLR. Follow the directions on the product. For stubborn stains, try a nylon mesh dishwashing pad to gently scrub. Never use steel wool, as it can worsen the problem of rust. Mold is most easily removed with bleach. Make sure to cover the grass or any nearby bushes or plants with a tarp. Dilute the bleach three-to-one with water, and use a rag to apply the bleach water to the mold. It should come off easily, but if it’s stubborn, the nylon scrubbers work well in this situation as well.

It’s true that vinyl siding is easy to take care of. As long as you spend a little time once a year giving it some TLC, it’ll stay beautiful for years to come, keeping your property value high!

To clean your oven more easily, pour 1/2 cup of ammonia into a glass or ceramic bowl and place in a cool, closed oven. Leave it overnight, and in the morning, use paper towels or a sponge to remove all the soil. If there are some spots that persist, scrub gently with a fine grade steel wool. Rinse with a sponge dipped in warm, soapy water. It works just as well as pricy oven cleaners, and the fumes are much easier to tolerate.

Keeping Porcelain Clean and Stain-Free

Porcelain can be intimidating to clean because it can be easy to scratch, and too-harsh cleaning methods can leave the surface dulled. Your regular bathroom cleaner should be sufficient for everyday cleaning, but stubborn stains can require extra elbow grease. Abrasive cleaners can be damaging, so try this easy tip - make a paste of equal parts table salt and white vinegar. Apply to the stain and use a nylon scrubbie to gently work the paste against the stain. Rinse well, and your porcelain should be as good as new!

Maintaining Your Stainless Steel Sink

Prevention is the best way to keep stainless steel clean. Make sure not to leave anything acidic, such as vinegar, pickles, or citrus fruit or juice, in your stainless steel sink, as they cause corrosion. Also, never use steel wool to clean your sink, because it can cause rust. As always, vinegar is a safe and easy mineral deposit remover, but be very careful when using it on stainless steel! Use at most a 25% dilution with water, and never leave it to sit on the metal. Soak a cloth with the diluted vinegar and rub gently at the lime spots and then rinse with clear water.

If you notice scratches in your sink, try a product called Scratch-B-Gone. It’s specifically made for stainless steel. Keep the metal wet while you work with it. Also be sure to use non-metal scouring pads at all times. To prevent future scratches, use a rubber mat in the bottom of your sink. Just be sure to clean under the mat frequently to prevent nasty build-up from forming. If you notice rust anywhere on your stainless steel sink, try this easy tip: crumple a small piece of aluminum foil into a ball and dip it in Coca-Cola. Rub the foil across the rust spots and they disappear!

Without buying special products, you should be able to eliminate that greasy build-up from your kitchen cabinet doors. To start, foam two tablespoons of dish soap in two cups of water. Use clean rags or paper towels to rub the suds onto the cabinets. Make sure to follow the grain of the wood. Then rinse with a damp sponge and rub down with a dry dish towel. The grease fighters in the dish soap will cut that greasy residue easily.

There are also plenty of commercial products that can work wonders on greasy cabinets. Try Orange Glo, Greased Lightning, or Simple Green. Just follow the directions on the products. Once you get your kitchen cabinets really free from the grease, you should then clean them every other month so they won’t have time to build up much residue.

The easiest home remedy for cleaning your dishwasher is to use citric acid powder. This is most commonly used for canning, so check the area in your local grocery store where canning jars are kept. Fill the soap compartment of your dishwasher with the citric acid powder, and run the empty dishwasher on the regular cycle. This should take care of any build-up and odor.

Also, to help keep odors at bay, fill a mug with white vinegar and set it on the top rack of the dishwasher and run it on the regular cycle. If you notice that the grime builds up again more quickly than you’d like, or if your dishes are still not as clean as you’d like them, put a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar in the rinse aid cup and run the dishwasher as you normally would. Also, check to make sure that you are using hot water when you run the dishwasher.

Start at the bottom and work your way up the wall. This may sound counterproductive, but it stops streaks. When the sudsy water rolls down the wall, it won’t streak the siding that’s already wet and soapy. Use your brush to whisk across each strip of siding in a back and forth motion. Provided your siding isn’t extremely dirty, you shouldn’t need to apply much pressure.

What If I Have Tough Stains?

The most common stains to appear on vinyl siding are mold and rust. If you have hard water, you’ll probably see rust around your spigot and near flower beds where water has sprayed on the siding. Fortunately, rust can be easily removed with household rust removers, such as Rust-Out or CLR. Follow the directions on the product. For stubborn stains, try a nylon mesh dishwashing pad to gently scrub. Never use steel wool, as it can worsen the problem of rust.

Mold is most easily removed with bleach. Make sure to cover the grass or any nearby bushes or plants with a tarp. Dilute the bleach three-to-one with water, and use a rag to apply the bleach water to the mold. It should come off easily, but if it’s stubborn, the nylon scrubbers work well in this situation as well.

If you have a specific question or problem with your vinyl siding which can´t be solved with the cleaning tips above, feel free to submit your question.

There aren’t too many surfaces that are more durable and long-lasting than granite, which is one reason why so many people are choosing granite for their countertops. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that granite looks beautiful as well! And with proper maintenance, your granite countertops will continue to look beautiful for years.

The easiest way to keep them looking new is to prevent problems in the first place. Always wipe up spills as soon as they happen, and leave a towel on the stain for a minute to make sure all the moisture is absorbed. Use coasters for drinks, especially if they contain citrus or alcohol, which can dull granite.

Dealing With Stains

Stressing prevention is great, but accidents are inevitably going to happen. For most stains, mix two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with about a cup of flour and enough water to make a paste. Spread on the stain and cover with plastic wrap or an overturned bowl. Leave this on overnight, and in the morning scrape it up with a spatula.

For oil-based stains, use the same mixture, but replace the dishwashing liquid with hydrogen peroxide. Ammonia can also work for oil-based stains. Try mixing a few drops of ammonia into hydrogen peroxide for stains such as coffee or tea. Straight hydrogen peroxide works well for wine or ink stains, as well.

It isn’t always the best move to rent one of those industrial carpet cleaners from your local grocery store. Unless your carpets are severely soiled, you can keep your carpet looking brand new with common household products!

Combine 1/4 cup of your favorite dishwashing liquid (make sure that it doesn’t contain bleach!) and mix into one gallon of warm water - make sure to mix it thoroughly! Test a hidden section of the carpet to make sure there is no discoloration. Working only a few square feet at a time, spray the solution over the carpet and use a medium-bristle brush to work the solution into the carpet. Use a clean, damp sponge and remove the soap residue, repeating as necessary until all the soap is gone.

Rub each spot dry with a clean towel. A cloth diaper works great and doesn’t leave lint. Work section by section until the carpet is clean. For stubborn stains, try club soda. Apply a bit to the stain and blot until the stain is gone. Once your entire carpet is clean and stain-free, use several box fans to help dry the carpet. If you or your family will need to walk over the carpet, lay down an old sheet to protect it until it’s dry. If you have wool carpeting, you can use the same process, but instead of the dishwashing liquid, try Woolite.

What About Those Tricky Spots?

Gum can be one of the worst substances to remove from carpet. Try to catch it as soon as possible, and pull up as much as you can before it sets. To remove the remainder, freeze it with an ice cube and pick it away. Once froze, it should be easy to remove. Store-bought products, such as De-Solv-It, can work on gum, and other sticky stains such as tar, grease, or wax.

For those annoying dents caused by furniture, ice can be a lifesaver again. Simply put an ice cub in each dent and let them melt. Blot up the water with a clean towel, and fluff with a brush. You can rearrange your furniture as often as you like!

All you need are items that you probably already have around the house, and you can get your carpet as clean like a professional!

With proper care, cast iron cookware can last for generations. A lot of cooks swear by the cooking power of true cast iron, but it can be a challenge to keep clean. First, make sure that your pieces are real cast iron. The caustic cleaning methods recommended for cast iron will severely damage aluminum, copper, or stainless steel cookware. Make sure that you wear rubber gloves when using these cleaning methods.

For moderately soiled cast iron, try spraying the piece with oven cleaner and sealing it in a freezer-weight plastic zipper-top bag. Leave the pot in the bag for several days, and then remove it and wash it with water and dish soap. Then use a brass brush to scrub the entire piece to remove any burned on food. If you can’t scrub off all of the charred bits, begin the process at the beginning and repeat as needed.

What About Rust Stains?

Rust is a real danger to cast iron pots and pans. If you notice any rust on your pots, soak them for several hours in a bath of equal parts vinegar and water. The acid can begin to eat away the iron over time, so make sure not to soak any longer than a few hours. Then remove the piece from the vinegar, and use the method above, beginning with the oven cleaner. This should take care of rust.

Beware of “Old Wives’ Tales”

There are a lot of methods for cleaning cast iron that you might hear about, but not all of them are effective. Some people suggest throwing your cast iron pot into an open fire until it turns black, or leaving it in a self-cleaning oven. Both methods just use too much heat. Depending on the weight and age of your cast iron, your pieces could warp or even crack. Also, never, ever sandblast a cast iron pot or pan. This will ruin the surface!

Also, don’t use dishwashing liquid or other grease-cutters once you’ve cleaned and seasoned your pan. To sanitize the pan, place it on the stove and boil water in it. This will kill germs without destroying your seasoning. Also, never plunge your hot cast iron pot into cold water. A too-quick temperature change can damage the surface. With proper care and seasoning, your cast iron cookware will be in your family for years to come.

To clean your white plastic furniture, use your dishwasher soap! It has bleach in it, so it will keep your white furniture sparkling. Dilute three tablespoons in a gallon of warm water, and rub down the furniture with a nylon dish scrubber. Make sure to take precautions against the bleach in your clothing, and also your grass and plants. Bleach can kill them!

To clean colored plastic furniture, use an all-purpose cleaner or liquid dish soap without bleach, and use the same method as above. Make sure to rinse all colored furniture well with your hose before letting it dry, as the soap residue can fade the colors. With any plastic furniture, make sure to turn it upside down after rinsing and let it dry that way. Even clean water can pool on the seat and, when dry, leave a film that can rub off on your clothes.