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Tuesday 1 May 2012

Cleaning Products For The Tough Jobs

After someone mistook this clean window for a new hole in the wall, I thought I should let you in on what worked best on cleaning up the mess in my rental. ~


My friend, Wendy, brought me some Invisible Glass that she buys at Costco and it truly is streak free! ~



The kitchen cabinetry was brand new and we wanted to bring it back as close to that as possible.  These pics don't really show just how grimy they were! ~  




  I set aside my environmentally conscious side and started in with this. ~


It took off the surface dirt, but didn't touch the gummy stuff or the stains.

I expected to use a Magic Eraser on the red dye as the final stage of cleaning.  Did you know there are no chemicals in Magic Erasers?  They are made of melamine particles and work by sanding the area.  I never did have to go them, because the job was done with good old baking soda paste. ~


And the all time best degreaser on the market?  I mean, this stuff chewed through more grease on the range hood than you can imagine!  You know the stuff I keep using for image transfers on fabric?  Uh huh, Citrosolv!!!  My sister was raving about it while she cleaned the top of the cupboards! ~


It still took two of us five hours to clean this kitchen, but I swear by baking soda and Citrosolv now!



That's all the product testing I plan on doing this month, so I don't want any companies sending me samples of their cleaning products!  Wouldn't that just be my luck right now?



21 comments:

  1. OMG! Martha Stewart...MOVE OVER! You rock Maureen! xo wendy

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    1. I don't plan on making this a daily thing!

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  2. Can you believe that people lived there in the before shots? People are disgusting. I feel so bad for you guys having to clean all that but happy you found some magic bullets to help it along.

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    1. I refrained from showing the worst shots. If you had seen the stove and fridge you would have been gagging. And, the counter was deep in mouse poop!

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  3. Maureen,
    Hi!
    This is someting new to me. Loving the cleaning info. It seemed to work very well for you. Thank you for sharing this.
    Pat

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    1. You are very welcome. I went into this with an open mind and was shocked that the natural products worked the best!

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  4. Replies
    1. Thanks. I think it looked pretty good when we were done.

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  5. Thanks for the tips ! Grease is the worst !

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    1. Honestly, Sharon, I have never seen anything cut through grease like Citrosolv did! I used it full strength, left it a couple of minutes and it wiped right off. It also works better than Googone to remove sticker glue.

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  6. Oh thank you Maureen! I am so adding Citrosolve to my rental cleaning tool bucket! (I have face masks in my bucket too because some renters are just that bad!!)

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    1. We wore face masks. There had been a serious mouse infestation and even the counter was covered in it. Citrosolv is a 'must have' for me now!

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  7. You know, I have never found Citrasolve anywhere around here. I am thinking that maybe Home Depot carries it? I do use baking soda, too. I have not seen that window cleaner either. Sadly, we do NOT have a Costco here. Maybe YOU would want to come over and demonstrate how well it works?;>) Just a thought- xo Diana

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    1. Although I'm sure you kitchen would be a piece of cake compared to cleaning this one, I'm not really in the mood for it. Citrosolv is a natural product and I found mine in a health food store. You can order it online, but then you have to pay shipping. I still think it's worth it!

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  8. running out to get some...cleaning windows today!

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    1. What a super day you have ahead of you! Hope the glass cleaner makes it easier. lol

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  9. Another reason to get some Citrosolv. Still really wanting to try the transfers and my kitchen cabinets could use a little degreasing. Happiness is having multiple reasons to buy craft supplies. :)

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    1. You are buying an environmentally friendly cleaner. If it happens to find it's way into the craft room....

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  10. Hello Maureen:
    We have come across your hugely varied blog quite by chance and do so like the way in which you cover a wide range of topics in a lively and spirited way.

    This post is especially of interest since we are always looking for effective ways to clean an apartment, which we let for holidays, after the guests have left. Most are ideal in every way, but occasionally we have those who see fit to leave it as if a bomb has been dropped. Not nice.

    We are no cooks, but your earlier post of your delicious looking poached egg set on a Willow pattern plate fills us with hope and joy.

    We have signed as Followers.

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    1. Welcome to my little blog home! I'm delighted to have you with me and your kind comments made this a special day!

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