How to Clean 12 Common Household Messes

Think that coffee stain or oven gunk won’t budge? Try these strategies on how to clean a dozen common messes.

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1. To Clean Crayon on Wood or Painted Walls:

Wood: Slather mayonnaise on your child’s artistic masterpiece and let it set for 10 minutes. The combination of oil and egg dissolves the crayon wax, so you can wipe it clean with a cloth.

Walls: Squeeze non-gel toothpaste onto a soft damp cloth and lightly scrub until the scribbles are gone. Similar to the way toothpaste removes plaque from teeth without damaging enamel, its mild abrasives eradicate wax without stripping paint.

2. To Clean Discolored Mugs

For tea or coffee stains, squeeze half a lemon into the mug. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then add a spoonful of salt and scrub it around with a lemon wedge. It doubles your scrubbing power. The fruit’s acid lifts the stain while the salt absorbs it.

3. To Clean Adhesive on Glass

Cover the surface in vegetable oil or baby oil. Let sit for 15 minutes, then scrape stickers or tape away with a metal spatula. To remove the greasy sheen afterward, wipe with vinegar using old newspaper, which is highly absorbent and lint-free—it’s a great way to repurpose what you’ve read.

4. To Clean Metal Pots and Tools

Submerge implements in a cola bath for a few hours. The soft drink’s powerful combination of phosphoric and carbonic acids can eat away at metal tarnish. (Don’t worry, our stomachs are far more acidic than cola, so it’s safe to drink.) If you need added elbow grease, cut a raw potato in half, dip the cut end in baking powder and scrub away. The oxalic acid in the tuber is a great rust buster, and once your starchy cleaner gets too soft or slick, just slice off a layer and add more baking soda to keep at it.

5. To Clean Stains on a Microfiber Couch

Spills on microfiber are problematic because the material is typically 80 percent polyester, a plastic that absorbs stains much like Tupperware soaks up tomato sauce. Yet all is not lost: Grab a can of foaming shaving cream (gel won’t work). It has two stain fighters: denatured and rubbing alcohol. And, unlike liquid cleaners, its thick consistency will keep the spot from spreading while you remove it. Dab it on the area, let it sit for 10 minutes, then blot with a dry cloth. Repeat a second time if needed; usually once or twice will do the trick.

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6. To Clean Baked-On Food Inside the Oven

Oven grime is hard to remove, so you probably will have to pull out the heavy-duty artillery: ammonia. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but it’s also effective. And because your oven is enclosed, the ammonia can work its magic without filling your home with fumes. For added safety, though, open the windows, turn on the exhaust fan or both. And wear rubber gloves and a face mask. With the oven off, place a half cup of ammonia on the top rack and a cup of water—which adds moisture that helps loosen stains—on the bottom rack. (Don’t mix ammonia and water together; that would dilute ammonia’s powerful punch.) Leave both containers there overnight, with the oven off, and remove them in the morning. From there, you should be able to easily remove residue with a plastic scraper or spatula and wipe down with disposable rags, again wearing rubber gloves.Then pour the ammonia down the sink while running the tap. Rinse the rags thoroughly, let dry and throw away.

7. To Clean Venetian Blinds

To remove dust and grime, wrap a cloth around a spatula, secure with a rubber band and dip into a solution of one part rubbing alcohol, four parts water. Close the blinds facing downward and drag the spatula, top to bottom, to clean in one long vertical motion. Then repeat left to right.

8. To Clean Stains on Leather

Rub out smudges and spots with artist’s gum—a powerful eraser that can be found at art-supply stores. To restore leather’s overall luster, cover the surface in beaten egg whites, let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe off.

9. To Clean Wax Drippings on a Tablecloth or Table

For a tablecloth: Scrape off as much wax as you can with a dull knife. Place a paper towel or a brown paper bag on top of the wax and press with an iron on low heat. The paper absorbs the wax, and your iron stays clean.

For a table: On all hard surfaces, use ice cubes to freeze the wax, then remove it using a plastic scraper or spatula.

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10. To Clean Red Wine on Fabric

Douse in club soda. The bubbly beverage’s carbon dioxide can draw out red wine’s staining agent, tannic acid. Blot with a towel, flush with water until you see no more red, then launder or dry-clean as usual.

11. To Clean Scum in Your Dishwasher

Run on the rinse cycle without dishes after filling the detergent container with powdered lemonade mix. The citric acid that makes the drink tart can remove mineral deposits and iron stains that accumulate on the machine’s interior. And fear not, the drink’s sugar will dissolve in the water,so the insides won’t feel sticky.

12. To Clean Carpet Stains

Pet urine: Pour club soda on the stain and blot with a towel. Then spray with vinegar and sprinkle on baking soda, which helps neutralize the odor. Vacuum up the baking soda when dry.

Gum*: Apply an analgesic heat rub, like Bengay, to the gummed-up area, then heat with a hair dryer on low. Press a plastic sandwich bag (plastic wrap won’t work) on the gum; pull it away.

Clay: Fill a ziplock bag halfway with water and freeze flat. Place on top of the clay for five minutes until frozen, then use a plastic spatula to scrape it up.

Coffee*: Beat an egg yolk and work it into the stain with a washcloth for one minute. Leave for five minutes, then rinse with warm water.

*Be sure to test first on a small, hidden patch.

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Photo Credit: andrea castelli/Flikr