Slick Tricks: Aka Household Hacks

[EtheltoTillie]

My final comment as a stain-removal enthusiast is that a long soak in Oxyclean solution (powder mixed in a basin of cool or lukewarm water) works, even on set in stains.  I leave those soaks for a couple of days. 

[Bastet]

I use hydrogen peroxide for blood if it's fresh, but if I don't spot it until it has dried, I make an OxyClean paste and rub that in.

As for the measuring cap on the big jugs of laundry detergent, I just rinse it using the water that's pouring into the machine; that way it's always clean when I put it back on, so I don't wind up with that ring of sticky detergent at the bottom of it.  There are drip catchers available, too; I don't use them, but my parents do.

[SoMuchTV]

36 minutes ago, Bastet said:

As for the measuring cap on the big jugs of laundry detergent, I just rinse it using the water that's pouring into the machine; that way it's always clean when I put it back on, so I don't wind up with that ring of sticky detergent at the bottom of it.  There are drip catchers available, too; I don't use them, but my parents do.

I did that as well (rinsing the cap in the water input) when I had a top loader, but that doesn't work so well for front loaders.  Fortunately all the liquid detergent bottles I've bought lately are designed so the drips drain back into the bottle when you put the cap back on.  Except the value-size giant keg, which I can portion out into one of the "good" bottles.  And now I'm back where I came in 😉

I hadn't seen those drip catchers before.  Someone saw a market and filled a need!

[Jane Tuesday]

You can also make one yourself out of a soda bottle.  (My grandma always used one on her beverage coolers at family gatherings.)  :)

[peacheslatour]

My mom taught me that you can keep your scissors nice and ungunked by cutting wax paper with them occasionally.

[Nordly Beaumont]

On 1/23/2023 at 1:52 PM, Bastet said:

I use hydrogen peroxide for blood if it's fresh, but if I don't spot it until it has dried, I make an OxyClean paste and rub that in.

This reminds me of when a friend needed to get blood out of carpet (not a murder! His husband fell and skinned his knee). I told him when my friend Sarah was a paramedic, she used hydrogen peroxide to get blood out of her uniform. He seemed so confused, he just didn't seem to be getting it. I clarified that he should just dab the spot with hydrogen peroxide. He said "Okay... but... when Sarah was a paramedic... why did she have a UNICORN?"

I regret that I didn't answer "Because they couldn't afford ambulances."

[EighteenTwelve]

Does anybody have any good tricks to get animal tear stains off fabric?  I have a cat with a runny eye who likes to sleep on my cotton quilt, and Google gave me results for removing tear stains from the cat, not from the bedding.

[EtheltoTillie]

Wow, am I excited.  I had some white ceramic bowls that were covered with those awful gray knife marks.  I just restored them to like-new condition with Barkeeper's Friend. 

I have two other sizes of white bowls that are a different manufacturer/composition, and those never get the knife marks. The marked ones are made of ironstone and the others are porcelain, but not really sure what the difference is other than the marked ones are heavier.  I use the (formerly) marked ones mostly to reheat stuff in the microwave and to put out my mise-en-place when I am preparing food. 

Sorry I didn't take before and after pix.

Edited June 22 by EtheltoTillie

[roseha]

I just bought a Staub enamel cast iron pot (small one, 2.75 quart) and while I haven't cooked in it yet I believe some people recommend using Bar Keepers Friend for stubborn stains, though I would be inclined to try baking soda and/or vinegar first.  I've been using vinegar to take out stains on stainless steel and it works really well.

I also had to remove the rust from a small Lodge cast iron dutch oven that I found in my cupboard - I'd forgotten I bought it, it must have been ages ago, minus the lid some how (I ordered a new one which fortunately was a match).   I did  a lot of scrubbing and vinegar can also help though I followed it with some dawn detergent.  I put a little oil on to "season" it in the stove but unlike standard advice i did clean it off with a little soap and water after that.

[Gramto6]

I have used Bar Keeper's Friend for years and am well pleased with it. They also make a toilet bowl cleaner that is great too. Best of all it is safe for my septic tank!

[EtheltoTillie]

Call off the celebration.  The marks reappear each time you use the dish and wash it in the dishwasher.  Knife marks on ceramic is just a strange chemical phenomenon. 

1 hour ago, Gramto6 said:

I have used Bar Keeper's Friend for years and am well pleased with it. They also make a toilet bowl cleaner that is great too. Best of all it is safe for my septic tank!

I don't use BKF except for certain things.  I usually use Comet or Scrubbing Bubbles.  This is special for a certain type of stain that the chemicals in BKF are uniquely able to remove.

 

[Gramto6]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I don't use BKF except for certain things.  I usually use Comet or Scrubbing Bubbles.  This is special for a certain type of stain that the chemicals in BKF are uniquely able to remove.

 

Comet contains bleach which is not good for septic tanks,  Scrubbing Bubbles also contains bleach in the bathroom cleaners. I don't know if SB has an all purpose cleanser but if so, I expect it too would have bleach. Thus BKF is the best all purpose cleanser for me. I haven't had any problems removing any stains with it in the 20+ years I've used it.

Edited June 24 by Gramto6

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, Gramto6 said:

Comet contains bleach which is not good for septic tanks,  Scrubbing Bubbles also contains bleach in the bathroom cleaners. I don't know if SB has an all purpose cleanser but if so, I expect it too would have bleach. Thus BKF is the best for me. I haven't had any problems removing any stains with it in the 20+ years I've used it.

No one has ever told me not to use bleach at my weekend house, where we have a septic system.  I have never heard this recommendation.  I do use Comet to clean the kitchen sink and the floors sometimes.  I also use chlorine bleach to do some of my laundry.  We have never had any trouble with the septic system over thirty years.  It is my understanding that these small amounts of bleach chemicals break down into salt and water and do not affect the chemical balance of the septic tank. 

Does anyone else have any more information?  I've been Googling and getting varied information. 

I prefer Comet to BKF because of the consistency of the material.  I only keep the BKF around for these weird stains. One person I know used to recommend Bon-Ami cleanser as less toxic than Comet.  I haven't used it lately. 

Scrubbing Bubbles basic has ammonium chloride as the active ingredient.  I don't think it's a bleach.  It's more of a surfactant.

Edited June 24 by EtheltoTillie

[Gramto6]

15 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

No one has ever told me not to use bleach at my weekend house, where we have a septic system.  I have never heard this recommendation.  I do use Comet to clean the kitchen sink and the floors sometimes.  I also use chlorine bleach to do some of my laundry.  We have never had any trouble with the septic system over thirty years.  It is my understanding that the bleach chemicals break down into salt and water and do not affect the chemical balance of the septic tank. 

Does anyone else have any more information?  I've been Googling and getting varied information. 

I prefer Comet to BKF because of the consistency of the material.  I only keep the BKF around for these weird stains. One person I know used to recommend Bon-Ami cleanser as less toxic than Comet.  I haven't used it lately. 

This is what the Google AI Overview says

"Bleach can be harmful to septic systems because it kills both good and bad bacteria that break down waste and sludge. Without this beneficial bacteria, the tank can fill up quickly with waste and sludge, which can lead to clogs, odors, and health hazards...."

As a weekender, you probably don't have the same problem with it as a person that lives full time on a septic system.  I suppose the bacteria has time to recover between your visits and that your usage is minimal any given weekend or even week long stay.  When I lived in CA and had a cabin in the Sierras, we were only there weekends and did use comet etc, we weren't aware at the time of the issues. We had no problems either the little we were there.

One of the first things I was told when I moved to MT and was living solely with the septic system was "No Bleach".  This came from my septic service, my pump guy and my plumber too.  Even to this day the random person when hearing I'm a transplant, will warn me not to use bleach products as the can harm the septic system. So my choice is to be safe rather than sorry and not use any bleach products.

Edited June 24 by Gramto6

[EtheltoTillie]

1 minute ago, Gramto6 said:

This is what the Google AI Overview says

"Bleach can be harmful to septic systems because it kills both good and bad bacteria that break down waste and sludge. Without this beneficial bacteria, the tank can fill up quickly with waste and sludge, which can lead to clogs, odors, and health hazards...."

As a weekender, you probably don't have the same problem with it as a person that lives full time on a septic system.  I suppose the bacteria has time to recover between your visits and that your usage is minimal any given weekend or even week long stay.  When I lived in CA and had a cabin in the Sierras, we were only there weekends and did use comet etc, we weren't aware at the time of the issues. We had no problems either the little we were there.

One of the first things I was told when I moved to MT and was living solely with the septic system was "No Bleach".  This came from my septic service, my pump guy and my plumber too.  Even to this day the random person when hearing I'm a transplant, will warn me not to use bleach products as the can harm the septic system. So my choice is to be safe rather than sorry and not use any bleach products.

I agree that the weekend use is less so it creates less risk.  But the amount of bleach I'm using is also very small and diluted. 

[Gramto6]

Just now, EtheltoTillie said:

I agree that the weekend use is less so it creates less risk.  But the amount of bleach I'm using is also very small and diluted. 

Right, I didn't know you were on a septic only in the weekend home. That does make a difference. You are most likely just fine with what you do now.  We were as weekenders. But full time is a different story. 

 

[EtheltoTillie]

Just posted in pet peeves about the returning scratch marks on my porcelain dishes after using Barkeeper's Friend.  I'm putting the update here, but it now has escalated to a Pet Peeve.  Grrr.  These are new marks created by the fork I was using. 

Edited June 26 by EtheltoTillie