Archive for the ‘clean it’ Category

Every once in a while, from out of nowhere, I will find a rust stain on one of our clothes.  I’d like to know what causes them.  It’s a mystery.

I suspect they may come from a wet wash or cleaning cloth being tossed in the laundry basket on top of a dry shirt or pants.  Since we have really hard water, I think if the wet cloth sits there for a few days, it makes the stain.  It’s a theory.

Whatever causes them, I know just the thing to get rid of the nasty stain.

First off, if this is a precious article of clothing, first test this solution on an inconspicuous spot.  This solution does involve lemon juice, and as many a teenager with lemon juice and lounge chair knows… lemon will act as a bleaching agent.

Speaking of bleach, whatever you do, don’t put bleach on the rust stain.  It has to do with chemical reactions, but it will set the stain and make it near impossible to get out.

Oh yeah, there a nasty culprit.  On linen no less!  There are two rust stains on these pants at different spot.  I.  I’m not going to bother testing my fabric, because if this solution doesn’t work, these pants are essentially ruined.  It wouldn’t be a total loss, they will be cut up and go into a quilt.  It’s a very pretty fabric after all ; ).

Sprinkle on little salt onto the stain.  Often I will first squeeze lemon juice first so the salt sticks.

Next squeeze more lemon juice over the salt to saturate it with the juice.

Let the whole thing sit until the next day, occasionally squeezing on a little more lemon juice.

After about 24 hours, I washed the pants in the washing machine.  (Again, don’t use a laundry soap with bleach!)

And here’s the results.  One of the stains is completely gone without a trace.

The other stain was faintly still there.  So I think I may repeat the process one more time on that stain.  Even though it’s actually hard for me to find the stain.   Lemon and salt for rust stains.  It’s a good thing Martha.

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A few weeks ago I tested out the New Lysol Scrubber Sponge on my super dirty gas BBQ.  The sponge was awesome and even more awesome is the $10,000 kitchen makeover sweepstakes you can sign up for on the website.   Click here to go to the Lysol Scubber Sponge Challenge site to read my review and enter the sweepstakes.

My sewing machine is one of my favorite things.

But despite that, I don’t clean it nearly often enough.  It usually gets cleaned when I lower my bobbin door to find a lint free-for-all.  It seams like some brands of threads are WAY more linty than others.  Some fabrics are super linty too.  (Halloween costumes anyone?)

If your machine is acting up, the first thing to try is cleaning.  Lint, dust and broken thread can often affect things like thread tension.  Once I thought something was majorly wrong with my machine, so I cleaned it thoroughly before taking to the repair shop.  Guess what?  It was all the lint under the needle plate and in the feed dog that was throwing things off.  Cleaning fixed it.

Whenever my machine needs a spruce up, always grab my box of  Q-tips.  It’s the best tool for getting into the hard to reach spots and clinging to the lint.

I like the little nylon brush that came with my machine too, and it’s perfect for cleaning some parts, but the Q-tips clings to lint and most importantly the dust much better than the brush.

If your machine is the type that needs oiling (like the old Singer I inherited from my husband’s grandmother) a Q-tip is invaluable.   I’m so happy my everyday machine doesn’t need oiling.

First thing I cleaned around the top of my needle and walking foot.  (Boohoo.  Can you see my broken needle threader?)

Oh yah!  Look how dusty!  Remove the needle plate following your machine’s instruction manual.  Remove the presser foot too.

The Q-tip is perfect for cleaning and dusting under the plate.  I like to slightly dampen it so the dust really clings.  (Emphasis on slightly since machines and water don’t mix!)  A needle or pin can be helpful if you’ve got a lot of lint lodged around the feed dog.

One thing I’ve been warned not to use is a can of pressurized air.  It can blow the lint and dust deep into the machine parts.  Not good.

Yep.  My machine was dusty dirty…

There’s always lots of lint in around the bobbin.

If I’m really feeling energetic, a Q-tip is perfect for cleaning the small spaces in the accessory tray.

A nice wipe down with a soft cloth…  the whole thing only took a few minutes….

And I can get back to doing what I love.

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Disclosure: I’m a Tipster ambassador and this is a sponsored post by Q-tip.  All opinions and ideas are my own.