Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen
Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen are folk-remedy experts and home tipsters based in New York City. They have spent decades collecting “cures from the cupboard” and are authors of several books, including Secret Food Cures.
Brass is bold, and it makes a statement when used for door or other hardware in the home. At least it does until it starts to tarnish. The same is true of stainless-steel appliances, and chrome. They make a bold and lovely statement until they start to get fingerprints and water spots all over. Never fear though, cleaning brass and other metals in the home is a snap.
In this excerpt from Household Magic by Joan and Lydia Wile the authors explain how to clean brass until it glows and how to do the same for the other metals in your home.
◆ Put a few drops of Worcestershire sauce on a dry cloth and rub the tarnished object. It’s said that the ethanoic acid in the sauce helps cut through the grime and tarnish. Once the brass or copper item is clean, rinse with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly.
◆ Make a paste by adding water to a powdered fruit juice like Tang. Rub it on with a damp cloth and wipe it off with a damp cloth. Rinse and buff it as you dry it with a soft cloth. (Rumor has it, this is what the US Navy uses to clean their brass.)
◆ Non-gel white toothpaste will act as a mild abrasive. Apply it with a damp cloth, gently rub the object, then rinse and buff dry.
◆ Dip a wedge of lemon into plain table salt, and clean the copper or brass item with it. The citric acid in the lemon helps dissolve the tarnish as the grains of salt scrub it away. Rinse thoroughly, then use a clean, soft cloth to buff it dry.
◆ Make a paste with plain table salt and distilled white vinegar to clean severely tarnished cop[1]per or brass. Be sure to rinse and buff dry.
Corrosion can cause a thin greenish copper sulfate layer (patina) on some bronze pieces. It can be removed by making a paste with one tablespoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub the paste on with a cloth, and keep rubbing until the green disappears. Rinse the piece thoroughly and buff dry
You can also pour the baking soda straight onto cut lemon wedges and rub them directly on the bronze.
◆ Use the juicy side of a lemon wedge to rub aluminum clean.
Aluminum or Stainless Steel? A Test
If you want to know what you are buying at a flea market—or what you already own— here’s a simple test. Take a knife and carefully scrape along an edge of the item. If some of the metal flakes off, the piece is aluminum.
◆ Gently rub any marked-up stainless steel fixtures and appliances with a used fabric[1]softener sheet from your laundry.
◆ Pour some club soda on a sponge to wipe stainless steel appliances clean. Be sure to dry them with a soft, clean cloth.
◆ If your stainless-steel flatware is dull or streaky, pour a little baking soda on each utensil, add one or two drops of water and rub it shiny clean. Rinse and dry—you should be able to admire your upside-down reflection in a spoon.
◆ To clean a stainless-steel teapot, just drop a denture-cleaning tablet into the pot, add warm water and let it stay that way for a couple of hours. Rinse thoroughly, and you’re ready to make afternoon tea.
It’s simple to clean a stainless-steel sink. Just mix a little baking soda and water to create the mildest abrasive cleaner around. Use it to clean the sink without scratching it. Dry the sink thoroughly to prevent water spots and rust.
◆ To clean water spots from stainless steel, make a paste out of one part 3% hydrogen peroxide to three parts cream of tartar. Put it on the water spots, and when it dries, wipe it off with a wet sponge or cloth.
◆ Remove rust from your sink by rubbing the corroded areas with rubbing alcohol.
◆ Use distilled white vinegar on a damp cloth or sponge to get rid of your sink’s unsightly rust and water spots. And, since the vinegar will brighten up the stainless steel, you may want to wipe the entire sink with it.
◆ When in doubt, use baking soda. Add water to baking soda to make a thick paste. Apply the paste on the stains and let it stay for one or two hours. Then, with a damp cloth, wipe off the paste and rinse the sink clean.
◆ If the hairline scratches in your sink really bother you, get rid of them by gently rubbing the entire sink with #00 (very fine) steel wool. Then buff the sink with a soft cloth.
◆ Once you’re finished washing dishes, use a damp paper towel to wipe the sink. Then wipe it with a few drops of baby oil. The coating of oil will keep your stainless-steel sink shiny and rust-free.
Just as there are different qualities of chrome, there are several chrome cleaners. Here’s a selection, but it’s up to you to test and determine which of them will get the job done.
◆ Use rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth or paper towel. If you don’t have alcohol, you can use vodka to clean chrome.
◆ Baking soda on a damp cloth will get chrome clean. Wipe it on, then wipe it off with a damp paper towel.
◆ Rub a hard-to-get-off smudge with the shiny side of a scrunched-up piece of aluminum foil. After using foil on chrome, wipe the chrome with a damp paper towel—you’ll actually see the dirt on the towel.
When you scrunch up the foil, make sure there are no sharp points sticking out that might scratch the chrome.
◆ In some Chinese restaurants, the waiters pour leftover tea on the table to clean it. They know that strong black tea at room temperature is a good cleaner. You can use it on chrome to cut grease and add shine.
◆ Rub a damp and crunched-up piece of plain newspaper on chrome-trimmed glass fixtures or furniture, and clean the glass as well with the wet page. Both the chrome and the glass will be clean and lint-free.
◆ Remove rust stains from chrome by rubbing them with distilled white vinegar on a soft cloth.
To discover more household cleaning tips pick up your own copy of Household Magic from Bottomlininc.com today.
