In this final installment of Cleaning Green, I want to share some techniques for those cleaning jobs that require heavy-duty chemicals or a lot of scrubbing. Fortunately, we don’t have to tackle these very often, but there are easier and greener ways to get them done.
No additional ingredients needed for these, just different combinations of the same household items used for general cleaning.
Polishing Brass or Copper
My Dad used to smoke a pipe and had (believe it or not) a large brass artillery shell casing made into an ashtray with a knob in the center for knocking out the ashes. It was sometimes my job to polish this. I think it was to keep me out of trouble!
Too bad I didn’t have this trick up my sleeve. Straight lemon juice shines brass or copper right up without heavy rubbing. You can also use a paste of equal parts salt, flour, and water brushed on and left to dry (about 1 hour), then wiped off.
Polishing Silver
While this may seem like an experiment from high school chemistry class, it can be used for all silver items, including jewelry. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil—shiny side up—and place items on the foil. Sprinkle liberally with baking soda. Add boiling water to cover the items and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Tarnish will transfer from the silver to the aluminum foil. Remove and dry with a soft cloth.
I tried this with sterling silver and silver plate. It really worked well on the solid sterling, but not so well on the silver plate. For small chemical spots, you can use a solution of 1 part rubbing alcohol to 4 parts water and rubbing it on with a cotton cloth.
For larger silver items, line a skillet or pot with aluminum foil, add 1 cup of vinegar per quart of water and bring it to a boil. Add silver items to boiling mixture and soak for 5 minutes, then turn off the stove. Remove and rinse with hot water and dry.
Tip: To keep silver from tarnishing, never wear rubber gloves when cleaning or store silver near it. Rubber, as well as other substances, will off-gas and corrode silver. Store in a silver chest or wrap in acid-free tissue paper and place in a locking plastic bag.
Removing Soot on Brick
Now this one I absolutely had to try—I have an older home with a wood-burning fireplace whose brick surround was blackened on the top from years of use.
Make a paste of Cream of Tartar (found in the spice or baking section of the grocery store) and water. Word of caution: A very little bit of water goes a long way.
You want a paste—not liquid, however you may need to add tiny amounts of water as you go since it tends to dry quickly. I used an old soft toothbrush to apply this to the brick.
Allow it dry for several hours, then using warm water and a larger brush, scrub it away. I really could not believe how effective this is.
A couple of tips: Place large “junk” towels on the hearth underneath the areas you are cleaning to catch drips, especially when scrubbing it off. Let the brick dry to see if all of the paste has been removed. If not, it will look white or dusty. Simply scrub/rinse again—you will likely need 2-3 rinses to ensure all of the solution is cleaned off.
Ovens and Grills
For ovens, grills, and fixtures with old or corroded stains, a steam cleaner is really the best. For occasional jobs like this, a hand-held steam cleaner that hits a high temperature is all you need.
If you love steam cleaning and want to use it for all of your cleaning jobs, you may want to invest in a larger, high quality multipurpose model.
Additional Cleaning Tips
Here are some techniques for random cleaning or maintenance chores.
Stain Removal: Hydrogen Peroxide (3% solution) works well for removing stains from clothing, curtains, and carpets or rugs. Some stores carry this in a spray bottle which is really handy. Word of caution: It can have a bleaching effect, so be sure to spot check first on an unobtrusive area. Since it breaks down into water and oxygen, it’s entirely earth-friendly.
Clogged Sink Drains: This may remind you of a science project from school. Put in ½ cup of baking soda followed by ½ cup white vinegar. Cover the drain and allow the combustion to create pressure to push through the clog. Alternatively, you can use ½ cup salt and ½ cup baking soda followed by 6 cups of boiling water. Wait a few hours, then rinse with cool water.
If you cook with oils, pour a pot of boiling water down your kitchen drain weekly to clean oil residue away and avoid clogged drains.
Kitchen Disposal Care: When you use lemons in cooking or for extracting the juice, toss the lemon rind along with some ice cubes into the disposal and run down to clean and deodorize.
Keeping it Green
That wraps up our series on green cleaning--thanks for looking in. If you didn’t catch the first two posts, just follow these links: Clean Green: Why You Should Consider It and Clean Green: General Supplies, Tools, and Tips for Your Entire Home.
As always, we would love to hear from you, so if you have additional tips to share or you’ve tried some of these, let us know about them! You can comment here or connect with Sylvane on Facebook and Instagram.
