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Cleaning & Laundry : Home & Garden
How to Remove Burns on Wood
Burns on wood can be caused by cookware, cigarettes, styling products or any other hot object. Wood is not naturally heat-resistant and can be scorched easily. It may take a little time and patience, but you can remove a burn mark from wood. Purchase the items you need at a hardware or grocery store
Commercial Drain Cleaning Tips
Commercial drain cleaning is usually what people turn to when they are faced with the most stubborn clogged drain. Slow draining or clogged sinks, toilets and bathtubs often need special attention in order to clear them. Normal household methods are sometimes not enough and homeowners must look to m
How to Clean a Clogged Bathtub Drain
Hair and soap residue may swirl down the tub drain, but they don't disappear on their own. Beneath the drain cover, hair and debris build up over time, slowing the drainage. No one would describe it as fun, but it is easy to solve this problem. The exact remedy depends on the type of drain used in t
How to Paint Gauge Bezels
Because gauge bezels tend to blend in with the rest of the dash panel, many auto aficionados like to apply a coat of paint to make them match the exterior of the car or truck. However, if you are an inexperienced do-it-yourselfer, you may have problems removing the bezel without damaging it. In addi
Uses of Beeswax Around the Home
Beeswax is a natural secretion of the worker honey bee.honey bee feasting on wildflowers image by Steve Marquez from Fotolia.comBeeswax is a much-loved and well-used natural product. It was used in ancient times and has adapted remarkably well to modern home use. Beeswax comes from the...
How to Remove Silverware Marks From Stoneware
Stoneware, both glazed and unglazed, can attract marks from metal utensils. Avoid the marks by using wooden and rubber or silicone utensils when cooking in stoneware. Stoneware plates, however, often receive the brunt of utensil damage because diners cut their food with metal knives. It's important
How to Clean Wood Furniture After a Fire
Fires can be a devastating event that can destroy family pictures, memories and livelihoods. In some cases, you can salvage items in your home that have been affected by the fire. This includes wood furniture that is still intact but that is covered in soot and char. Use care when cleaning it and do
How to Remove Red Food Dye Stains
Food dye creates a stress-inducing stain when it ends up on clothing. Red dye is of particular concern because the color is frequently intensified by food coloring additives. Fast action helps remove red food dye before it has a chance to be absorbed into surrounding fabric fibers. Care must be take
How to Clean Wax on Bruce Floating Floors
Bruce floating engineered hardwood floors may come with a polyurethane finish or a penetrating seal. Floors finished with a penetrating seal benefit from a waxing once or twice a year to protect the wood's surface and improve the floor's appearance. Over time, though, wax can build up, creating a du
What to Use to Clean Chrome Shower Fixtures
Just like all fixtures in a bathroom, chrome fixtures need to be cleaned on a regular basis. While you can use commercially available chrome cleaners to do this, bathrooms generally don't have adequate ventilation for those chemicals. There are some better alternatives to harsh chrome cleaners that
How to Professionally Clean Upholstery
These days, keeping upholstered couches and chairs in tip-top order isn't just about having a clean home. Upholstered furniture can also be a breeding ground for bacteria, dust mites and other creepy-crawlies -- like bed bugs, which are once again becoming a problem after decades of dormancy. Vacuum
How to Remove Oil & Rust From Concrete
Considering that concrete is usually outside of the home, it tends to come into contact with plenty of things that can easily stain it. Leaking oil from cars and rust stains from dirt minerals have a particularly negative effect on concrete's appearance. Removing these stains requires a little effor
How to Clean Eggshell Paint
When you use eggshell paint in your home, and try to remove a streak or smudge with the wrong cleaning elements, you will quickly realize that the paint rubs right off of the wall, leaving you with an even larger problem if you have no matching touch-up paint. When a mark or smudge does occur, it is
How to Clean the Burner Chamber of a Beckett Oil Burner
Oil-fired burners heat boilers and furnaces to warm homes during the winter. Beckett oil burners connect to the furnace to burn the oil, but they don't have a combustion chamber themselves. The chamber is usually steel or cast iron to prevent it from melting, and it is where the oil from the oil bur
How to Make Your Own Nontoxic Dish-washing Detergent
Making the switch to a nontoxic dish detergent can do a lot of good. Accidental poisoning is a leading cause of injuries in the United States, especially among children. According to VolunteerGuide.com, "the average American uses about 40 pounds of toxic household cleaning products each year." Using
How to Remove Curry Stains From Carpet
Often containing a mix of red pepper, coriander and cumin, among a large variety of other spices, curry can be used as a gravy or sauce or as a side dish served with rice or bread. It is most often associated with Asian and Indian cuisines, but is served around the world. Most people will find color
How to Prevent Rust With Spray
Whether it's a simple wrench or a classic car, nobody wants to see their items rust. There's a good reason for this. Rust isn't only unsightly, it also can damage the item to the point where it is no longer useful. Rust forms whenever iron comes into contact with oxygen, thus forming iron oxide. (Se
Mauviel Vs. All-Clad Copper
The higher quality cookware you can afford, the better results you will get for your efforts. Opinions vary about cookware materials, but understanding a few hard facts can help you decide whether Mauviel or All-Clad copper cookware would better suit your needs.
How to Remove Ash
Although fireplaces and wood burning stoves add coziness to homes, they make nearby carpet susceptible to damage from ash. Cigarette smoking also creates potential ash problems. Because ash particles only become more deeply embedded over time, they should be promptly removed from carpet to restore i
How to Paint Plastic Guttering
Plastic gutters have several advantages over aluminum and wood gutters such as easy installation and little maintenance. Plastic doesn't rust like aluminum and it is more resistant to water damage than wood. Plastic gutters are also less expensive than aluminum or wood gutters. The downside is that