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Unconventional Cleaning Tips

Our apologies to those of you following our blog, as we are a bit behind on our posts! Thank you for hanging in there as we are excited about this post and hope you will enjoy our list of unconventional cleaning tips! Our list of household cleaning tips was compiled by our valued customers, bloggers and Bering’s employees!

  1. How to easily clean baked on food from dishes:

For baked on food that is near impossible to scrub off, we suggest you do the following:

You will need:

–          One fabric softener sheet

–          A little liquid detergent

–          Hot water

“Place your dish in the warm soapy water with the fabric sheet and let it soak for a bit before rinsing it and the grime should come right off!” – Cynthia, Bering’s Stationer

Juliska Berry & Thread Dish*Juliska’s Berry & Thread Rectangular Baker.

  1. How to dust like a pro:

While this tip isn’t very “unconventional” since the method of cleaning isn’t homemade, we wanted to include the tip because it is a bit contrary to what you might expect!

The dusting solution:

“First spray furniture cleaner or polish on your cloth instead of directly on your furniture. This helps to ensure equal coverage and prevents possible spotting or unforeseen issues that could result in a new cleaner on a surface.” – A valued Bering’s customer, Pat.

goddard

  1. Cleaning products to avoid around your natural stone:

Our customers frequently ask us about the best cleaning products for their natural stone counter-tops and floors. As helpful as knowing what to use can be, we are big believers in an ounce of prevention when it comes to knowing what not to use! Here is what one of our customers had to share. (*Unconventional or not, we thought we’d slip this tip in!)

Watch out for this cleaning ingredient around natural stone:

International Stoneworks Lavenet is my favorite for natural stone counter-tops because it is ammonia free. I steer clear of cleaning products containing ammonia on the areas touching my counter-tops, such as mirrors or windows, because it is not good for natural stone surfaces.” – A valued Bering’s customer, Pat.

No Ammonia

  1. How to get pesky stains out of your clothes:

Take a deep breath because this little concoction will take the stain out of your favorite cotton top!

You will need:

–          Dreft or Folex

–          Oxy Clean powder

The stain solution:

“Place the garment on a flat surface and then drench the stained area with Folex or Dreft stain remover. Once the stained area is soaked, sprinkle Oxy Clean powder on and rub it in so that a paste is formed over the stain. Let it sit and soak in overnight and then wash as usual. Voila, the stain is gone!” – Julie, Bering’s Marketing Manager

folex and oxi clean

  1. Cleaning your fine silver with items you are sure to have around your house:

While we were initially a bit skeptical about this one, after trying it on a small silver mint julep cup we are believers!

You will need:

–          Aluminum foil

–          Baking soda

–          Boiling water

Unconventional silver cleaning:

“Line the bottom of your sink with aluminum foil and then add about a half cup of baking soda to boiling water before gently placing your silver piece in to soak. Keep an eye on the water and as soon as the bubbling reaction subsides, rinse with cool water and pat dry with a soft cloth.” – Kristin, Bering’s Stationer

gorham chantilly

  1. How to clean copper pots:                   

According to Martha Stewart, cleaning your copper pots is literally as simple as cutting a lemon in half, shaking salt in the pan and rubbing the lemon on the surface / tarnished area!

Martha Stewart's Solution

http://www.marthastewart.com/270759/polishing-copper

  1. How to Clean a Dyson:

A Typical English Home couldn’t have said it better in their post on cleaning a Dyson. If you own a Dyson then we suggest keeping it in optimal shape by giving it an occasional cleaning. Click on the link below for an easy way to keep it in tip-top condition!

how to clean a dyson

http://www.atypicalenglishhome.com/2013/04/how-to-clean-dyson.html

 

  1. How to clean your toilet:

You might notice that we conveniently saved the most undesirable item to clean for last! As undesirable as cleaning your toilet bowls might be, the good news is that we are pretty certain you can relax knowing you have the basics to ensure your toilet bowls will be as white as new! The next time you have unexpected visitors or forget to pick up Lysol’s toilet cleaner on your way home from work, keep it simple with these two items:

You will need:

–          Baking soda

–          Vinegar

The unconventional toilet cleaning solution:

“Spray or pour a little vinegar in your toilet bowl and then sprinkle in some baking soda around the ring that you are cleaning. Let it sit for a few seconds (or longer) and then scrub with a brush before flushing.” – A valued Bering’s customer, Sarah.

…While it would be a thrill for us to report that we are now selling a new Magic Wand to replace all of your traditional cleaning products – we hope baking soda, aluminum foil, vinegar and some of the other household items come close! Unconventional cleaning tips can be pretty magical when you are in a bind and do not have your traditional go-to cleaner on hand.

Thanks again to our customers, bloggers and employees for sharing their favorite cleaning tips! Please note that while some of our valued customers, brilliant bloggers and employees have tried these cleaning methods, we advise first trying these out on something that isn’t a prized possession to help ensure the mixture is just right. After all, these are our top unconventional cleaning tips!

For more unconventional cleaning options take a look at A Typical English Home‘s infographic pasted below:

LaundryGuideInfographic* A Typical English Home

As compelling as unconventional household items can be when you run out of your favorite cleaner, we do hope you’ll visit us for all of your conventional cleaning items!

Until the next visit!

–          Bering’s Home

 

 

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