Category Archives: cleaning

I have water spots that I can’t get off of my shower door, how do I fix it?

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Question

I have a shower door that has water spots on it and everything I try to do to fix it doesn’t work.  How do I get the spots off?

Answer

White Vinegar

White vinegar, half and half with water, or neat, should shift the spots, but even better, a glass of white wine rubbed over, will get them off and leave a good shine.  The cheapest wine possible would be the recommend option.

WD-40

WD-40 has been known to be a good cleaner for mirrors and windows with water spots – just apply a bit to the area and run off with a cloth and it should be shiny and clean! There are also many other uses for WD-40 if you are interested!

Vinegar and baking powder

If you mix a 1/4 cup of vinegar with equal amounts of baking powder to create a paste, apply to afflicted area and leave to dry for a short while and rinse off with a damp cloth.

Rub down with newspaper

Rubbing down the area with warm water and using black and white newspaper as the cloth will help to remove the stubborn spots.

How do I clean shoelaces?

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The easiest way is to put them in the clothes washer.  To prevent damage to the laces you can put them in a mesh bag which will somewhat protect them from machinery (as you can do with anything including delicate items like children’s stuffed animals).

For disinfecting you can soak them in bleach for 5-10 minutes or vinegar for 60 minutes before washing.  However note, if you choose to soak them in bleach you should wash them seperately from colored items (or include them in your whites cycle in case any of the bleach bleeds onto the other clothing items).

My child is covered in magic marker, how do I get it off?

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Question: My child has covered themselves in permanent marker, how do I safely remove it from their skin?

Answer: Generally rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth or paper towel will work. The biggest downside to this is that it may dry the skin out if over used. Also, if there are any cracks on the skin it will cause stinging but no cuts there should be no pain. Further, a 2nd cleaning with soap and water can add to the effectiveness. If drying or irritation occurs afterwards use a hypoallergenic lotion to help remoisturize the skin.