5 Ways to Use Barkeepers Friend Cleaner

If you've been here before, you know that I'm a rather big fan of natural cleaning recipes. But, there are a few traditional cleaners that I also like to use around my home. At the very top of that list is Barkeepers Friend. If you live in the US, you've very likely not only heard of Barkeepers Friend, but have also used it often. In Canada it's not quite as well known - in fact, it can be tricky to find this powdered cleanser. I've heard that Home Hardware stocks it, or if you happen to live in Calgary - you can pick some up at the Compleat Cook in Willow Park Village.
Oh lookie what I found in my cupboard:
(click on the link if you'd like to purchase some Barkeepers Friend cleaner for yourself!)


Here's some of the best ways to use Barkeeper's Friend:

1. On Pots and Pans - especially useful for stainless steel pots and pans. Even high-end cookware companies like All-Clad recommend that you use it! It shines them up more beautifully than anything else I've ever tried. You needn't use it every single time you clean, but when you notice the cookware is looking a bit shabby.

2. On stainless steel sinks and appliances - Again, BF is a true BF for stainless! On appliances, always do a little test spot in an inconspicuous area to make sure it won't damage the finish. (Although I've never heard this to be a problem...)

3. On bathtubs, sinks and faucets in the bathroom - As amazingly as it cleans stainless, it also tackles porcelain! A little goes a long way - shake a little BF out, scrub, then rinse. Your sinks and tubs and showers and faucets will all sparkle.

4. On toilets! The 'porcelain throne' will never look better! Again, sprinkle on some Barkeepers Friend, give it a bit of a scrub and then flush away. OR...for more intense cleaning, shake the powder on, then scrub slightly and set your timer for 15-20 minutes. Then give it another good scrub and flush away. It'll look remarkably better.

5. Remove scratch marks from plates and dishes. Modern cutlery can leave greyish marks behind on dinnerware, and no matter how much you scrub away at them, they just won't budge! Try a sprinkle of Barkeepers Friend, and then use a moistened soft cloth to buff those marks right away! It's amazing!

Linda's Helpful Cleaning Tips Using Avon's Skin so Soft

I received a wonderful email the other day from a No Hassle Housecleaning reader named Linda. She had some tips to tell me about, and she gave me permission to pass these tips along to all of you. Some of them involve using Avon's Skin So Soft for cleaning, and one is a great tip to remove stubborn odors from your home.

Enjoy, everyone, and huge thanks to you again Linda. :) Your emails always make me smile.

Here's a link to my other website which has a listing of over 100 uses for this amazing stuff: http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/skinsosoft.html P.S. Please post a comment and let all of us know how YOU use Skin So Soft! I'll try to post it on the Skin So Soft page.

NOW...LINDA'S HELPFUL HOUSEHOLD HINTS

1. Add a nicer scent to your Skin So Soft -- Linda is a lavender fanatic, too! "One of my other favorite things is Avon Skin-so-Soft, the original fragrance. I have a little spray bottle of it, too, that I refill from the large bottle, and although I love the fragrance, I add some lavender to it, too."
2. Dust your furniture with Skin So Soft - "I've been using is to use it on my wood furniture, as it dusts, cleans, and makes it smell good. I don't use the one with the lavender, though, on my wood, as I'm afraid it might hurt the finish on the wood." Lavender oil (the real essential oil, not an imitation fragrance oil) should be safe on most wooden surfaces. However, always test a little area first to make sure you don't damage your beloved furniture pieces.
3. Use it on Formica - "I use it on my formica with the oil--no, I don't hate granite, but I do have one formica that looks like marble with grain in it! Using this really makes the formica shine and the room smell good, especially in the bathroom."
4. Use ammonia to rid burnt smells from microwave - "You may know this hint, but I was making some hummingbird food for my feeder, and my husband called me outside for a minute--out of sight, out of mind, until I smelled this horrible sweet smell and ran back into kitchen filled with smoke and SWEET smell! I called an environmental cleaning place to see if they could help me with a "home remedy," and the lady told me that she had just had her microwave catch on fire a few weeks ago, so she put out bowls of ammonia all around the room, and it just absorbed the odor! I tried it in my kitchen, den, and dining room, all one big room, and in about 3 days the smell was GONE!" You guys know I'm not a huge fan of bleach due to the ammonia contained in it. BUT, if you really need to get rid of odors, it appears that this will do the trick. Just make sure to keep the rooms well ventilated, and don't try this home remedy if you have athsma or other breathing problems. Otherwise, try open containers of white vinegar. (P.S. Linda also says it's wonderful for getting rid of powerful smoke odors.)

Oooops...there goes the timer! Have to grab some lovely, fresh smelling clothes from the dryer. Have a fabulous Wednesday everyone, and as always feel free to contact me at christina@happyslob.com with your helpful tips, questions, or ideas. I love your emails. Au revoir for now! (I'm trying -- trying -- to learn French, so you might have to bear with me and my silly attempts for a while. hehe)

Cleaning Ceiling Fans - Give it a Whirl!

This blog idea was inspired just about fifteen minutes ago, when I was finishing up my bowl of oatbran and flax (don't scoff - fiber and I are very dear friends) and looked up. Waaaay up. To the ceiling fan. Which looked disgustingly neglected, which in reality it has been. Ah ha! The little lightbulb in my head went on, and therefore this post was born of necessity.

If you have a ceiling fan, get a sturdy chair or stepladder to ease your way up there, and then use a dampened rag or microfiber cloth to clean out all the gunk and mess. (Please, be careful! I don't want anyone falling down and hurting themselves.) Word to the wise: place some large garbage bags down on the floor beneath the fan, so that you're not left with a messy floor to deal with too!

Have a fantastic Monday everyone,
Christina

Maybe You Don't Need a New Vacuum - Tips to Care for your Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuum Cleaners - How to Care for Your Vacuum Cleaner - Repairs and Tips

Is that old sucker not cleaning like it once did? Maybe you don't need a new vacuum cleaner - maybe your vacuum just needs a little care, concern and attention! Here are a few handy tips to rejuvenate that old vacuum and get it working like new again...

1. Clean off the beater bars - Threads, hairs, pet fur and all sorts of interesting things can wind themselves around the beater bars at the bottom of your vacuum cleaner, meaning it doesn't work like it should. Ensuring that the vacuum is unplugged, use a skewer, scissors or oversized tweezers to loosen these threads and hairs and remove them. The beater bars are pretty self explanatory - they agitate the carpet fibers and remove it so the vacuum can suck up the dirt, so it's important that these are functioning.


2. To Bag or Not to Bag - If your vacuum is a bagged variety, then it needs to be replaced when full with a new, fresh and clean vacuum bag. If (like me) you prefer bagless vacuum cleaners, then just make sure you empty out the cannister before using the vacuum. A full cannister means your vacuum just can't suck in any more dirt!


3. Filtering It Out - Many modern vacuums come complete with some pretty amazing filters to filter out allergens and dust - a great thing for families who have allergies. But, for optimal effectiveness, you need to clean and/or replace these filters. Check your vacuum's instructions guide to see how often this needs to be done.

You can do other DIY repairs on vacuums if you find that your vaccum really isn't working properly, but you know what - I don't suggest it. If after doing these three steps you still find that the vacuum doesn't suck like it should (haha) then take it to a professional to see if it needs real repair work done.

Otherwise, these simple tips should make your vacuum work far better - maybe as good as new again!

More On Vacuuming Tips and Hints:

• Using baking soda while vacuuming to pick up more pet hair: http://happyslob.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-you-hairy-little-beast-you.html


• Using the vacuum to clean screen doors http://happyslob.blogspot.com/2006/09/cleaning-screen-doors-easy-solution.html


• Clean lampshades with the vacuum cleaner http://happyslob.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html


• Results on our mini-quiz: "How often do YOU vacuum?" http://happyslob.blogspot.com/2006/10/happy-slob-quiz-o-day-how-often-do-you.html

Lighter Fluid to Remove Sticky Stuff - Labels, Old Price tags, etc

A great tip (if not a slightly fume-y one!) to share with you today. If you're trying to remove a sticky residue, such as what is left behind after picking off a price tag or label - a bit of lighter fluid on a soft cloth should wipe that mess right away.

Just don't breathe too deeply while you're doing it! ;) Or you'll be a bit loopy by the end.

A Reader's Amazing Laundry Stain Removal Tip - Use Shampoo

Helpful Reader Alert!
I got this email from Nancy W quite some time ago, and I kept meaning to post it but (ahem) I'm not known for my fabulous memory! She shares a great and frugal cleaning tip to tackle your nastiest laundry stain removal problems. Here's the email:

Removing Laundry Stains with Shampoo
"I think the best thing I ever learned about laundry was to use shampoo for removing spots. I have a squeeze bottle and fill it with plain old cheap shampoo. When I have a spot, I squeeze shampoo on it and rub it between my fingers and toss it in the washer. It works and if you dilute the shampoo with 1/3 water per bottle, it really saves money."

Thanks again Nancy, LOVE this tip! If YOU have a great tip you want everyone to know about, then email it to me at christina AT happyslob DOT com

Two Simple and Unconventional Ways to Keep Your Dishcloths Clean and Fresh Smelling

Yick. I can't imagine anything yuckier smelling than a musty old dishcloth. It just fills the kitchen with a nasty odor.

No more stinky dishcloths, guaranteed! I just posted my two favorite dishcloth cleaning tips over on the Household Hints Blog. Enjoy no more stinky, downright offensive dishcloths, slobbos!