We’re all taught about the dangers of germs but for some this can become an obsession. For years, advertising has told us we must get rid of these disease-carrying microbes with antibacterial cleaners. Now we discover their overuse has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Rather than overdoing it with harsh and harmful sprays, maintain a clean kitchen by wiping surfaces with a damp soapy cloth or sprinkle on bicarb, spray a little white vinegar and wipe with a clean cloth. Simple! These days the modern kitchen is often part of the living area so there’s an extra incentive to keep it clean as it’s on display when visitors pop over.
INCIDENT: ‘I have an electric stove but the hotplates no longer light up, so you can’t tell when they’re on. I keep my plastic water filter jug near the stove and you can guess what happened. I ended up resting the jug on top of the hot plate and it melted. My husband turned the element back on to re-melt the plastic but that didn’t work and it smelt awful. Now I’m left with a plastic ring on the hotplate which I can’t remove. What can I do?’
SOLUTION: When you heat plastic it spreads and is more difficult to remove. Make sure the electric stove is turned off and is cold. Put ice-cubes in a zip-lock bag and place over the stain. When the ice has almost melted, remove and sprinkle the stain with a little bicarb. Spray with a little white vinegar and, while it’s fizzing, rub with a rolled up pair of pantyhose. If any stain remains, mix equal parts glycerine and talcum powder and rub with pantyhose. To make sure you’ve removed all the burnt plastic, wipe with a little vegetable oil and shine a torch over the area. If the light beam shows an irregularity in the surface, it means some plastic is still there. If so, repeat until all the plastic is removed.
Shannon’s niece saw her clean the stove using bicarb, white vinegar and a rolled up pair of pantyhose and couldn’t believe the result. She said it looked really easy. You don’t need expensive cleaners to make your oven sparkle. Yes, you’ll need to rub while the mixture is fizzing but this is far preferable to breathing nasty fumes (see Speedcleaning for oven cleaning instructions).
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To avoid warping and discolouration in your cupboards, install a heat-resistant metal panel between the oven and the surrounding cupboards.
Q: ‘My white oven door handle and surrounds are yellowing’, says Sue. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Yellowing oven door. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, cloth, pantyhose, bicarb, white vinegar. |
| How to apply: | Plastic heat-resistant door handles can become yellow from heat, sunlight or the bleach in cleaning products. Mix a paste of glycerine and talcum powder to the consistency of thickened cream and polish on with a cloth. Leave for 10 minutes and polish off with a pair of pantyhose. If the burn is deep, this will only lighten the yellow. The oven surround is usually made of baked enamel and can be cleaned with bicarb and white vinegar. If you can’t fix it, you can replace the handle or have the doors re-enamelled. |
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Your oven will work more efficiently and food will cook more evenly if the hinges and seals are in good working order. If damaged, have them professionally refitted. If your sponge cakes are flat or uneven, it could be from poorly fitted oven seals.
Q: ‘I left the stove on and returned an hour later to find my house full of smoke’, admits Jim. ‘Fortunately, the house didn’t burn to the ground. Is there a way to remove the smell of smoke throughout the house?’
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Clean the grill after each use as you would the oven.
If you have this type of cooktop, our advice is to clean it thoroughly after each use because it can become permanently etched and marked. Wipe with a damp soft cloth or pantyhose when it’s cold (don’t use detergent because it discolours the surface). If there’s any food or gunk on the surface, carefully use a scraper (they are often supplied when you buy the cooktop) or a single-sided razor blade at a low angle to remove it.
Q: ‘My electric cooktop has rings around the hotplates’, says Sue. ‘How can I remove them?’
| Problem: | Rings on electric cooktop. |
| What to use: | Bicarb, white vinegar, pantyhose; or single-sided razor blade. |
| How to apply: | When it’s cold, sprinkle the cooktop with a little bicarb followed by a little white vinegar and, while fizzing, scrub with pantyhose. Because the cooktop is made of glass, it etches easily so don’t use caustic cleaners. Many come with scrapers to remove gunk. If you don’t have a scraper, use a razor blade at a low angle under the caked-on muck. Don’t hack into the glass surface. |
Never use strong chemicals to clean coil elements because it damages them. When cold, wipe with a pair of pantyhose wrung out in white vinegar, then follow with a clean, damp cloth.
If you can see yellow in the flame, or if some spots have no flame at all, it means the jets are dirty. Gas jets are designed to be pulled apart and cleaned. Simply wash in warm soapy water and scrub with a nylon brush. If there’s any baked-on char, sprinkle with bicarb followed by a little white vinegar and scrub with a nylon brush or a rolled up pair of pantyhose. Allow to dry.
If the jets are clogged, clear them with a needle or opened paperclip.
Knobs and dials are also designed to be removed so you can clean under them.
There are many types of splashback. Some common ones include:
Glass—clean with equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray pack applied with a pair of pantyhose.
Tiles—clean with bicarb and white vinegar. Scrub the grout with an old toothbrush.
Stone and stainless steel—clean with a damp cloth or a pair of pantyhose.
The more time you leave before cleaning these workhorses, the more work you’ll have to do. Most can be pulled apart and washed in warm soapy water. Get into the habit of cleaning the range hood each week—it will keep your kitchen much cleaner and use less power.
Instead of using scourers to clean pots and pans, use a pair of pantyhose. Simply roll the pantyhose into a ball and scrub. And as with most cleaning, the easiest way to keep your pots and pans sparkling is to clean them thoroughly after each use. If you don’t, the next time you use the pot, the heat will make the charred remnants stick to it more stubbornly.
There are a couple of options when cleaning a burnt pan. One is to sprinkle with a little bicarb followed by a little white vinegar and, when the mixture fizzes, scrub with a nylon brush. If the burn is caked on, you’ve got quite a task ahead of you. One suggestion is to half fill the pot or pan with water and add 1 cup of white vinegar. Heat on the stove until the mixture boils. Remove, allow to cool and scrub with a scraper or nylon brush. Sprinkle with bicarb, add white vinegar and, when the mixture fizzes, scrub with a nylon brush. Another way to clean a burnt pan is to add white vinegar to a cold pan until 5 mm deep and place in the freezer. When frozen, remove the pan and allow to thaw. Sprinkle bicarb on top and, when fizzing, scrub with a nylon brush.
Q: ‘We had Indian the other night’, reports Bill, ‘but I burnt the rice and it’s stained the frying pan. What can I do?’
Q: ‘I’ve got some cast-iron cooking pots’, says Wally. ‘And they’ve gone rusty. Can I fix them?’
| Problem: | Rusty cast-iron. |
| What to use: | Cheap vegetable oil, paper towel. |
| How to apply: | Add enough vegetable oil to the pot to cover the bottom and wipe around the inside with paper towel. Put the pot over low heat and when the oil starts to fume, turn off the heat and allow to cool. When it’s cooled, rub with paper towel. |
One of the main problems with kettles and electric jugs is lime scale or tartar build-up. To remove, empty the kettle or jug of water and add 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice, 2 tablespoons of bicarb and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Cover the openings with your hands and shake for 1 minute. Rinse thoroughly. The rice gets into all the corners and acts as a scourer.
Another option is to place 2 chopped lemons inside the kettle, fill with water and bring to the boil. Pour everything out and rinse thoroughly before making your next cuppa.
Thanks to Sam for suggesting this: add 1 teaspoon of citric acid powder to the kettle and boil. She adds that citric acid is an ingredient of sherbet and is completely edible!
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Cockroaches are attracted to the heat and magnetic field of electrical appliances. Wipe with a cloth dipped in salt and water. Just make sure the appliance is switched off and you don’t get water on the plugs. To protect items such as portable phone bases from cockroaches, stand them on a salt covered plate but don’t allow the salt to contact metal parts. Instead, elevate with rubber stoppers or cork (slice an old wine cork).
Sandwich makers create great snacks and light meals but cleaning them can be complicated because they can’t be immersed in water. The easiest cleaning method is to half fill the inside of the sandwich maker with equal parts water and white vinegar (straight after cooking the sambo) and close the lid. If needed, turn the sandwich maker on for a short time so the steaming mixture cleans top and bottom. Wipe with a paper towel or cloth. All done!
Some espresso machines can cost thousands of dollars so it’s important to care for them. Clean according to the type of material from which it’s made (check the manual). Flush through with 1 tablespoon of non-iodised salt per litre of water.
Q: ‘My espresso machine has white scale/calcium around the rim where the water is placed,’ reports Deborah. ‘Can you suggest a cleaning solution for this?’
| Problem: | Lime scale on coffee machine. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, cloth, non-iodised salt, water, cheap vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid, warm water. |
| How to apply: | Rub the exposed surfaces with white vinegar on a cloth. To clean the steam pipes, flush through with 1 tablespoon of salt per litre of water. If smaller metallic parts are corroded (such as strainer sections), place them in a pot of vegetable oil and slowly heat until the oil starts to fume. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Wash in a little dishwashing liquid and warm water and dry well. |
Q: ‘The aluminium strainer-like blade on my mixer has corroded’, says Gillian. ‘What can I do?’
If you don’t clean benchtop ovens after each use, nasty odours can develop. Before cleaning, unplug the oven and remove the grills. Wash the racks in the sink in dishwashing liquid and wipe the interior with a damp soapy cloth. If needed, add white vinegar to the cleaning cloth. Don’t use sharp implements to remove gunk or you could damage the surface.
To clean a dirty barbecue grill, sprinkle with bicarb, splash with white vinegar and, while it’s fizzing, scrub with a nylon brush. To remove rust, heat the grill, sprinkle with a little sugar and splash a little white vinegar on top. Together, the vinegar and sugar create a toffee which bonds to the old char, making it easier to remove with a scraper. While the grill is still hot, cover with cheap vegetable oil and continue heating until the oil starts to fume. Rub the grill with a handful of paper towel. The oil seasons the grill, leaving a non-stick surface that won’t rust as easily.
Q: ‘How can I remove the smell of burnt popcorn from my microwave?’ asks Christina.
| Problem: | Burnt popcorn in microwave. |
| What to use: | Bicarb, white vinegar, water, microwave-safe bowl, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Mix 2 tablespoons of bicarb, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat until the water just comes to the boil and the interior is covered in steam. Wipe every surface of the microwave, including the back grille, with a cloth wrung out in the mixture. If the smell remains, you may need to wash the filter pad behind the perforated grille at the back of the microwave. If this grille has a catch for easy opening, remove the pad and rinse in bicarb and vinegar. If the grille is screwed down, have it professionally treated or you will risk losing your warranty. |
We know it’s a bit annoying to have to clean the filter each time you use the dishwasher but it’s necessary. If you don’t, nasty smells may develop. If there’s an odour, put bicarb in the wash slot and white vinegar in the rinse slot and run empty on a short cycle.
Don’t forget to check and clear the jets in the arm. If needed, unblock them with a needle or opened paperclip. Clean the seals with bicarb and white vinegar on a butter knife wrapped in a tea towel. If the water in your area has a high mineral content, you’re more likely to get lime scale, so fill the wash slot with bicarb and the rinse slot with white vinegar and run empty on the short cycle every 10 washes.
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Most new appliances have sticky labels on them and some are harder to remove than others. Put a drop of dishwashing liquid and a little water on some plastic wrap, mix together and place the plastic wrap over the label. Leave for 10 minutes. The label should come off when you remove the plastic wrap. For stickier labels, apply a couple of drops of tea tree oil along the top edge of the label and leave for about 15 minutes. It should peel off easily. Stronger still is eucalyptus oil applied with a cotton ball but use sparingly because it can remove paint. If none of these techniques work, run a hair dryer backwards and forwards over the label to melt the glue.
New fridges have solid shelves which are really easy to clean. Just wipe with a damp pair of panythose or cloth. For monthly cleans, remove shelves and trays and clean with bicarb and white vinegar on a pair of pantyhose or a cloth. If you have an older fridge and the plastic has come away from the wire shelves, spray the steel with heat-resistant engine paint (available from hardware stores). Leave to dry and return to the fridge.
Q: ‘I have a stainless steel fridge with a water filter and ice-maker’, says Caroline. ‘But the black plastic drip tray has white stains on it. I have tried many cleaners and they won’t shift. Any help?’
| Problem: | White marks on plastic. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, cloth. |
| How to apply: | The marks could be from harsh cleaning products or minerals salts from the water. Mix equal parts glycerine and talcum powder and polish with a cloth. If this doesn’t work, the plastic is permanently damaged. |
Q: ‘Our power went off while we were away’, reports Diana. ‘And the freezer section of the fridge really smells. What can I do?’
| Problem: | Smelly fridge. |
| What to use: | Sugar, bicarb, white vinegar, nylon brush or pantyhose, cloth, butterknife. |
| How to apply: | Turn the fridge off and sprinkle sugar over the base of the freezer to speed up defrosting. Sprinkle with bicarb and white vinegar and, while it’s fizzing, scrub with a nylon brush or pantyhose. Dip a cloth in white vinegar and wrap it over the end of a blunt butterknife to clean in all the grooves and creases in the seals. |
When it’s time to change the water filter cartridge, add ½ cup of salt to 1 litre of water, pour it into the top reservoir and allow it to work through the filter. While you’re waiting, wipe the outside of the reservoir with salt and water on a cloth. Once the salt water has worked through, fill with clean water and replace the cartridge. For stand-alone water containers, add a pinch of salt and ½ teaspoon of white vinegar when refilling with water. This stops the water from becoming brackish but won’t affect the taste.
Q: ‘I have a stainless steel and plastic juicer and wash it after each use’, reports Margaret. ‘But brown stains are beginning to mark it. What can I do?’
Benchtops can be made of laminate, Formica, quartz (such as CaesarStone, Quantum Quartz, Silestone), acrylic compounds (such as Corian), marble, granite, timber or stainless steel. When cleaning, first work out if they’re sealed and with what. For marble and granite, put your eye level with the surface and shine a torch along the top. If the light shines in an uninterrupted beam, the benchtop is coated in polyurethane. If the beam has lights and dots, it’s not sealed. To work out the sealant for other benchtops, see page 360. If the polyurethane is damaged, you have to reseal the entire surface, which is a big job. Seek professional help with this. To remove scratches, apply a small amount of Brasso to a cloth and polish using speed rather than pressure. This partially melts the polyurethane. It will look worse before it looks better.
The best polishing cloths for benchtops are pantyhose and they can be used on most surfaces. They’re excellent for removing those ever-present fingermarks but there is a technique to using them. Have two pairs—one damp and one dry. Rub the damp pair over the surface and follow right away with the dry pair. This technique will even make stainless steel streak-free and gleaming.
Laminate and Formica benchtops are very popular and can be cleaned with a damp cloth and the rinse water from the washing up or a sprinkle of a little bicarb followed by a little white vinegar (rub while it’s fizzing). Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Avoid abrasive cleaners because they can scratch the surface.
Q: ‘I’ve spilt coffee on my laminate benchtop’, complains Mike. ‘What’s the easiest way to get it out?’
| Problem: | Coffee on laminate. |
| What to use: | Gumption, glycerine, pantyhose, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Mix equal parts Gumption and glycerine and polish with a pair of rolled up pantyhose. Remove with a damp cloth. |
Q: ‘I’ve got a big blob of superglue on my laminate benchtop’, reports Kamahl. ‘Any ideas?’
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To make superglue set more quickly, breathe on it (but don’t inhale!). The humidity helps superglue to set more quickly.
Q: ‘The colour from a plastic bread wrapper has stuck to my laminate benchtop’, reports Nigel. ‘Can it be removed?’
| Problem: | Coloured plastic on laminate. |
| What to use: | Hair dryer, glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Gently warm the laminate with a hair dryer. Mix equal parts glycerine and talcum powder to form a paste the consistency of runny cream, place on the mark and rub with pantyhose—it takes a bit of elbow grease. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. |
Q: ‘How do you get burn marks off laminate?’ asks Tom.
Q: ‘I’ve got mould on my laminate benchtop’, says George. ‘Can it be removed?’
| Problem: | Mould on laminate. |
| What to use: | Oil of cloves, warm water, 1 litre spray pack, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | Mix ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves with warm water in a spray pack (the warm water makes it easier for the oil of cloves to penetrate the surface). Spray over the mould, leave for 20 minutes and scrub with pantyhose. If needed, spray the mixture again and leave for 24 hours to allow the oil of cloves to kill the mould spore. |
Q: ‘I’ve got a hair-dye stain on my laminate benchtop’, reports Alice. ‘What’s the solution?’
Many modern kitchens have quartz-based benchtops which are not porous, so they don’t need sealants such as polyurethane. Clean with a damp cloth and remove glues or resins with a single-sided razor blade held at a low angle. Fill chips with a malleable epoxy resin.
Q: ‘I had a new kitchen installed and chose a dark blue Silestone benchtop’, says Louise. ‘But it never looks clean. It shows every fingerprint, watermark and cloth mark. Can you suggest anything that would help the benchtop look clean and shiny?’
| Problem: | Streaky Silestone. |
| What to use: | White vinegar, pantyhose, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Silestone is a great benchtop but when it’s brand new the high-gloss surface shows dirt, oil and dust. Clean with a little white vinegar on a rolled up pair of pantyhose and wipe with a damp cloth. Polish with a dry pair of pantyhose. |
Marble is often coated in polyurethane to give a slick finish and provide protection. Be careful not to damage the polyurethane because it’s difficult to repair. If you have unsealed marble, protect it with a good quality marble floor wax (follow the instructions on the pack).
Q: ‘I’ve got tea stains under my sealed marble benchtop,’ says Fran. ‘Can I get them out?’
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You can repair chips in marble with crayon wax, candle wax or surfboard wax in a matching colour. Melt the wax into the chip with a hair dryer and buff with pantyhose until it’s level with the surface.
Q: ‘I’ve got rust marks on unsealed marble’, says Pat. ‘What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Rust on unsealed marble. |
| What to use: | Plaster of Paris, water, stiff brush; or bicarb, white vinegar, nylon brush. |
| How to apply: | Mix plaster of Paris and water to form a paste the consistency of peanut butter. Paint a 1 cm thick layer of the mixture over the stains and leave until dry. Brush off with a stiff brush. You may need to repeat this several times. If the marble is sealed, sprinkle with bicarb and white vinegar. Scrub with a nylon brush and rinse quickly because vinegar can make holes in marble. |
Even though many granite benchtops are sealed, the surface is still porous so if there’s a spill, wipe it up as soon as possible. For spills that have penetrated, mix plaster of Paris and water to form a paste the consistency of peanut butter. To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid (to remove oils) or 1 teaspoon of white vinegar (to remove coffee and tea stains) and place over the stain. When the plaster is completely dry, brush away. The plaster of Paris absorbs the stain.
Q: ‘A bottle of dishwashing liquid leaked onto our granite benchtop and penetrated under the sealed surface’, reports Jenny. ‘How can I get it out?’
Stainless steel can discolour if left in contact with harsh chemicals, including acidic food, for extended periods so clean regularly with damp pantyhose. If it is very dirty, damp the pantyhose with white vinegar. Always rub in the direction of the grain or it will lose its shine. Never use steel wool, scourers or stainless steel wool because they will cause rust marks. And don’t use baby oil because it creates a build-up that attracts dust and dirt.
Q: ‘How do you remove a rust mark from a stainless steel benchtop?’ asks Andy.
| Problem: | Rust on stainless steel. |
| What to use: | Non-iodised salt, lemon juice/lemon, pantyhose, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Place salt over the mark, add lemon juice and scrub with pantyhose. Alternatively, sprinkle salt over the top of a cut lemon and scrub. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. |
The grout between tiles is very porous and will stain, particularly in the area behind your cooktop. Clean it with equal parts bicarb, white vinegar and an old toothbrush.
Q: ‘The kitchen tiles surrounding my stovetop are stained with grease that’s accumulated over the years’, says Thelma. ‘I’ve tried everything to remove it without success and have been told by experts that the grease has penetrated into the glaze of the tiles and the only solution is to replace them. As this is an expensive and messy job, and I love the colour of my wall tiles which have now gone out-of-date, it means I would need to have my whole kitchen redone. Is there any solution at all?’
| Problem: | Grease on tiles. |
| What to use: | Grout rake, plaster of Paris, water, dishwashing liquid, stiff brush. |
| How to apply: | Remove the grout with a grout rake (available at hardware stores). Mix plaster of Paris and water to form a paste the consistency of peanut butter. For each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Apply a 1 cm thick layer to the entire side of the tile. Leave it to dry completely and remove with a stiff brush. If any oil or grease remains, repeat. When all the staining is removed, replace the grout. |
Q: ‘I was chopping some raw meat on my timber chopping board and it’s left blood stains’, complains Natalie. ‘What’s the best way to get it out?’
| Problem: | Blood on timber. |
| What to use: | Cake of bathroom soap, cold water, white vinegar, cloth, sawdust. |
| How to apply: | Scribble over the stain with a cake of bathroom soap dipped in cold water and scrub with a dish brush. Rinse with white vinegar on a cloth, sprinkle with sawdust (available at hardware stores) and leave in the sun to dry. Brush the sawdust into the garden (it’s great mulch). |
Q: ‘How do you remove tobacco burns from a white sink?’ asks Rebecca.
| Problem: | Cigarette stain on white plastic sink. |
| What to use: | Talcum powder, glycerine, pantyhose, damp cloth. |
| How to apply: | Mix equal parts talcum powder and glycerine, place on the stain and scrub with pantyhose. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. |
To clean along silicone joins, use equal parts white vinegar and water on a cloth.
The easy way to clean and freshen a garbage disposal unit is to place ½ raw potato and ½ lemon inside the unit and turn it on. Add hot water until it stops making a noise. The starch from the potato attracts dirt and the acid from the lemon helps break down grease. The lemon also leaves a clean, fresh smell.
Clean cupboards with equal parts white vinegar and water in a 1 litre spray pack. If you have an issue with cockroaches, spray with ½ cup of salt combined with 1 litre of water in a spray pack and wipe with a cloth. If strips of veneer are coming away from the edges of your cupboards, hold the strip in place and put a dripping wet towel on top. Iron on a cool setting and the steam will soften the adhesive and hold the strip in place. Don’t add extra glue because the cupboard doors won’t close properly. Specialist irons are available at electrical and plant hire.
Q: ‘I spilt a bottle of pure cinnamon oil from India and it splashed onto the vinyl-wrap white kitchen cupboard doors,’ reports Sandy. ‘What should I do?’
Q: ‘The melamine edging on the cupboards around my stove has yellowed’, says Rob. ‘Can this be fixed or will I need to replace the strips with new ones?’
| Problem: | Yellowed melamine. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose; or melamine spray finish. |
| How to apply: | Try to remove the yellow stain with a paste of equal parts glycerine and talcum powder and polish with pantyhose. If this doesn’t work, replace or recoat the surface with a melamine spray finish (available from hardware stores and specialist paint stores) or consult a professional. |
Q: ‘A mouse died in my kitchen cupboard’, says Kate. ‘That was bad enough, but there’s still an awful smell. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Dead mouse smell in cupboard. |
| What to use: | Cloth, white vinegar. |
| How to apply: | The smell is probably from mouse urine. Scrub every surface with a cloth dampened with white vinegar. Don’t forget to clean the tops of the cupboards as well. Mice are particularly clever at peeing on the ceiling areas of cupboards. |
To keep crockery and china in top condition, don’t wash in the dishwasher. Instead, hand wash in a little dishwashing liquid and warm water and rinse in clean warm water. For extra sparkle, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the rinse water.
If you keep special china in a ‘good cabinet’, wash it every 6 months to prevent crazing or at least put a glass of water in with it. If the crockery is crazed or discoloured, add 2 denture tablets to a sinkful of warm water and soak the items overnight, then dry them in the sunshine.
Q: ‘How do you get tannin stains off fine English bone china mugs?’ asks Timothy.
| Problem: | Tannin stains on china. |
| What to use: | Methylated spirits, cotton bud, bicarb, white vinegar, pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | If the mugs have a metallic trim (including gold, white gold and platinum), wipe the trim with methylated spirits on a cotton bud. Clean the rest of the mug with ½ teaspoon of bicarb and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar and rub with pantyhose. Don’t get the mixture on the trim (it’s very delicate). |
Q: ‘I’ve got two crystal bowls that are stuck together’, says Anna. ‘How can I get them apart without scratching them?’
| Problem: | Crystal bowls stuck together. |
| What to use: | Hot water, iced water. |
| How to apply: | Run hot (but not boiling) water into your kitchen sink. Place the bowls in the water so the bottom one floats. Slowly add iced water in the top bowl. The top bowl will contract and the bottom bowl will swell and they’ll pop apart. |
Q: ‘I have some stained and scratched Bessemer plates’, reports Morag. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Stained Bessemer plates. |
| What to use: | Glycerine, talcum powder, pantyhose or cloth. |
| How to apply: | Bessemer is a type of melamine. To remove stains, mix equal parts glycerine and talcum powder and polish over the stain with pantyhose or a cloth. If there’s extensive scratching, replace the plates because bacteria can get into the scratches. Turn the scratched ones into pot-plant saucers or paper plate supports at a picnic. |
Q: ‘How do you remove tea stains from a teapot?’ asks Roland.
| Problem: | Tea on crockery. What to use: Bicarb, white vinegar, nylon brush or pantyhose. |
| How to apply: | Sprinkle with bicarb followed by white vinegar. When the mixture fizzes, scrub with a nylon brush or pantyhose. Wash and dry normally. |
To remove tannin build-up on strainers, dip pantyhose in methylated spirits and rub over the surface. Allow to dry, then rinse well.
Q: ‘How do you clean a silver teapot?’ asks William.
| Problem: | Dirty silver. |
| What to use: | Bicarb, white vinegar, cloth; or unprocessed wheat bran, bowl, white vinegar, pantyhose, cotton socks/gloves. |
| How to apply: | To remove heavy tarnish on solid silver or silver plating, sprinkle with bicarb followed by a sprinkle of white vinegar and, while it’s fizzing, polish with a clean cloth. With regular cleaning, place 1 cup of unprocessed wheat bran in a bowl and add white vinegar drop by drop, stirring as you go. It’s ready when the mixture is clumpy like brown sugar. Either put the mixture into the toe of a pair of pantyhose, tie it off and scrub over the pieces. Or apply the mixture directly wearing a pair of old cotton socks on your hands to prevent sweat from your hands tarnishing the silver. |
Q: ‘What’s the best way to get rid of garlic odour from a jar lid?’ asks Jo.
| Problem: | Garlic odour in jar lid. |
| What to use: | Coarse salt, chopped fresh parsley, cloth. |
| How to apply: | Rub the lid with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of coarse salt and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley. Wipe with a dry cloth. |
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Many glass jars have plastic or rubber linings inside the lid which absorb smells and oils and can contaminate your preserves. Put a film of beeswax or paraffin wax (available at the hardware or craft store and some supermarkets) over the preserves before securing the lid. The easiest way is to place 2 tablespoons of wax into a microwave-safe dish and heat in 10-second bursts in the microwave until just melted. Hold a warm teaspoon face down over the preserve and trickle the wax over the back of the warmed spoon. This allows a thin, even layer of wax to settle over the preserve that’s easy to remove.
At a Stain Clinic in Perth Harold brought along a white plastic bowl with a red ring circling the middle of the inside edge. Shannon said the red mark was from reheating tomato soup in the microwave. This can be a tough stain to fix if the tomato dye has been absorbed into the plastic. The solution is to scrub the stain with a paste of equal parts glycerine and talcum powder on a nylon brush. Alternatively, sprinkle coarse salt over the cut face of half a lemon, scrub over the stain and leave in the sunshine to dry.
Q: ‘I have a couple of old Tupperware containers that are quite sticky to touch’, says Sonia. ‘What can I do?’
| Problem: | Sticky Tupperware. |
| How to apply: | Tupperware has a lifetime guarantee and the company will replace the item. It’s best not to use containers that are sticky because bacteria can stick to it. |
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To get rid of greasiness on plastic containers, add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar to the rinse water.
Q: ‘I’ve got salmon juice all over a cloth-insulated lunch bag’, says Louise. ‘It stinks!’
Most cutlery is fairly robust. If it has plastic handles, it won’t last as long but they’re generally cheaper to buy. Buy the best quality you can afford.
Q: ‘Is there a way I can rejuvenate our 30-year-old everyday cutlery?’ asks Mary. ‘It’s made of stainless steel and has fine scratches on the handles and blades.’
Hand wash your knives or you could get rust marks on them. If this happens, wipe with bicarb on a damp cloth. To help a knife retain its edge, try Shannon’s trick. Keep a glass of water next to you when chopping onions and garlic and dip the knife in the water while you chop. Onion and garlic blunt knives!
To make glasses sparkle, add 1 cup of white vinegar to a sink of warm rinse water. This removes streaking and detergent residue from glass. To dry, stand the glasses upside down on a clean tea towel.
To remove scratches in glass, make a paste of equal parts glycerine and whiting (available from leadlighting stores) and polish the scratches out. If the scratches are deep, this can take a long time. Wash in warm water and polish with a clean tea towel.
If glass is etched, wipe with sweet almond oil on a cloth. It won’t clean the glass but removes the cloudy appearance.
Keep the pantry clean by regularly wiping surfaces with a damp cloth. Get into the habit of putting newer cans and packaging at the back, rather than at the front, of the pantry. That way you’ll get to things before the expiry date (hopefully!). After opening a packet of food, store the food in an airtight container or you could get moths flying about in your pantry. If this happens, place bay leaves along the shelves or wipe over them with a couple of drops of bay oil or oil of pennyroyal on a cloth. Don’t use oil of pennyroyal if anyone in the house is pregnant, including pets.
| Problem: | Ants. |
| What to use: | Powdered borax, cornflour, icing sugar; or powdered borax, finely grated parmesan cheese; or boiling water. |
| How to apply: | Work out whether the ants are attracted to sweet or savoury flavours. For those with a sweet tooth, mix ½ teaspoon of borax, ½ teaspoon of cornflour and ¼ teaspoon of icing sugar and place along the ant trail. For savoury eaters, mix equal parts borax and parmesan and scatter along the ant trail. The ants will take the mixture back to the nest and die. Be careful using borax around pets and children—it is mildly toxic! Alternatively, a non-toxic option is to go nest hunting by sprinkling cornflour on an ant trail so that the ants walk it back to the nest, making a visible track for you to follow. When you find it, pour boiling water down the ant nest. |
| Prevention: | Keep benchtops spotless. |