For questions relating to the removal of dirt, debris and other unwanted foreign material from various surfaces and porous materials, including methods, tools and supplies, and expected results.
0
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I fix up an unfinished, oil-stained pine table?
I have an unfinished, salvaged natural hardwood, pine table, similar to the Restoration Hardware salvaged wood trestle table. I spilled some olive oil on it and then did something worse -- tried to ...
7
votes
8answers
2k views
How do I get leftover tape stickiness off of plastic surfaces?
Okay...there's kind of a long story behind it, but I have left-over stickiness on the front of my alarm clock because it was bright, and I didn't notice a switch on it. It's from scotch tape that's ...
7
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I remove (food) oil stain from a wood table?
Spilled some oily salad dressing on a wood table that was not varnished or sealed in any way. Not sure the type of wood - it almost looks like teak, but I don't believe it is.
We used water on the ...
7
votes
5answers
3k views
How do I remove moss from an outdoor brick walkway?
I've got a brick walkway that has parts that are in shade most of the day. Our winters are wet and cloudy and during these times it's not uncommon for the shady parts of the walkway to grow a fair ...
5
votes
3answers
742 views
What is the best way to get superglue off a Corian countertop?
My kids and I have spilled superglue onto a Corian countertop in our kitchen, I've heard you can buff out scratches and such from these, but I'd rather avoid scraping and buffing if possible. Is ...
2
votes
2answers
654 views
How do I remove water marks / stains from a marble countertop?
Our marble bathroom countertop has a few problem areas - most are water stains, but a few are marks on the surface, and it's hard to determine the source.
Looking for best tips/tricks to treat & ...
3
votes
1answer
114 views
How, and how often should I clean a freezer?
My fridge/freezer has been turned on and running since I last moved house several years ago. I clean the shelves/bins in the fridge every couple of months, or when something is spilled, but the ...
6
votes
3answers
290 views
How do I clean a 96-gallon automated trash can?
The town provides us one of those automated trash collection 96-gallon trash cans. Ours really stinks... you do not want to be down wind from it in the summer. I have been avoiding cleaning it for ...
7
votes
2answers
265 views
Can old concrete fragments be cleaned and used as crushed stone?
Suppose I need to replace old concrete on a driveway or in any similar scenario.
The usual way is to just gather all the old concrete and dispose it to a landfill, then buy cement, sand and crushed ...
4
votes
8answers
792 views
What substances should you avoid contact with your bare hands?
I started thinking about this yesterday because I currently have a weird feeling second skin from the polyurethane adhesive I used to attach my kitchen backsplash on Sunday. I foolishly assumed since ...
5
votes
5answers
666 views
Why is there white crust on my dishes after they are washed in the dish washer? [closed]
Recently my dishes have been coming out of the dish-washer with a lot of white powdery-crust all over them. It's extremely hard to scrub off and often the only way to remove it is to soak them in ...
6
votes
5answers
3k views
How do I remove an oil stain from my concrete driveway?
Anyone have tips for removing oil stains from a concrete unpaved driveway? The spill was from a leaking car, now fixed, and they are a few months old. There are so many products and spurious reviews ...
2
votes
1answer
215 views
How can I remove oil/ATF from a newly paved driveway?
I had my asphalt driveway repaved this spring, and of course my car has started leaking - ATF in this case.
How can I remove it?
4
votes
3answers
792 views
Is there a quick way to clean up walnuts from a yard?
I'm renting a house and it has a walnut tree in the yard which has started dropping hundreds of walnuts all over the place. Picking them up by hand seems like it'd be messy and very slow. Is there a ...
1
vote
4answers
749 views
How can I remove superficial pet urine stains from subfloor?
After removing the carpet from our bathroom closet, I found urine stains on the plywood sub-floor (serenity now).
It sounds bad but the floors are quite sturdy so I'm reasonably certain that it's a ...
1
vote
2answers
248 views
Are air purifiers and ionizers effective? [closed]
Are air ionizers and other air purifiers effective at cleaning the air? Is there any evidence that such machines lead to improved health or wellbeing?
2
votes
2answers
590 views
Is cleaning the tub with bleach bad for the plumbing?
My wife had a brainstorm and we tried cleaning the tub with a dilute bleach solution, letting it soak overnight, and it worked very well. The tub still needs a cleaning, but the bleach loosened the ...
8
votes
1answer
3k views
How do I clean vinyl siding without a pressure washer?
My vinyl siding is turning green from mildew and I have to clean it up this weekend.
I let a friend borrow my pressure washer at the beginning of the summer, and he's out of the country for awhile. ...
4
votes
2answers
618 views
How do I replace an old Roomba's battery?
I've got an old iRobot Roomba "3100 Pro Elite" whose battery has died. A new Roomba is EUR 300 and upward, so I would prefer to revive the one I have.
It's difficult (impossible?) to find replacement ...
2
votes
2answers
681 views
How do I clean an AC condensate pan?
I have a Ducane HVAC system that started leaking out of the evaporator coil housing. Mine looks like the EU1P. I read that i need to clean out the drip pan.
II tried cleaning it by sucking out the ...
2
votes
5answers
199 views
Is there an alternative and less toxic way to clean an oven than using oven spray?
I have drippings that have caked on to the botton surface of my oven. Now, every time we use the oven, they start to smoke and set off the smoke detector.
What are some natural ways to clean the ...
3
votes
5answers
5k views
What is the best way to clean toilet bowl stains?
Bought a house a little over a year ago and it was previously a foreclosure and sat for a while. Because of that, it hadn't been cleaned for a while and developed some stains around the water line in ...
7
votes
8answers
7k views
How do I clean a very dirty refrigerator?
I just got a new house and inherited a very moldy and mildewy refrigerator. My first though it to get some cleaning spray with bleach and just go to town, but I'm worried the bleach might damage the ...
3
votes
3answers
297 views
Small amounts of moss on asphalt shingles?
What's the best way to remove moss from asphalt shingles?
4
votes
4answers
940 views
What is the best way to remove spray paint from a blacktop driveway?
I have an area on my blacktop driveway that some kids thought needed some spray paint, what is the best way to remove it without damaging the blacktop?
3
votes
3answers
330 views
How to best clean the inlet vent screen on a microhood?
Over the years, my microhood has developed a greasy buildup in the inlet vent screens on the underside of the microhood. They're an aluminum mesh that comes out easily with a label near it saying not ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
What are the red streaks in my toilet occasionally?
What are the red streaks in my toilet occasionally? It seems to come from where the water flows when flushing and go around the bowl. Sometimes settling in the bottom where the little bit of water ...
3
votes
3answers
391 views
How do I clean my jetted whirlpool tub?
The master bath of our new house has a jetted whirlpool tub. We haven't used it yet, since the previous owners were, um, lacking hygiene. Is there a good way to clean it out without taking the whole ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a home made solution that will clean drains?
Not sure if this counts as "Home Improvement", but it's worth a shot:
I'm currently in an apartment where I'm not supposed to use chemicals to clear drains, like in the sink/tub.
I've cleared out ...
3
votes
4answers
3k views
How often should I run a bleach and water solution through heat pump lines?
How often do you need to run a bleach and water solution through the heat pump lines to keep the bacteria away?
What are the recommended parts (e.g. 1 part bleach, 10 part water) ?
4
votes
5answers
2k views
How do I clean the oven really well?
I need to clean my kitchen's oven really well. It is electric, has a "grill" element on top, and a fan behind a grating which, apparently, cannot be removed. I tried with the spray products for ovens ...
3
votes
4answers
700 views
How does central vacuum suction compare to regular vacuum?
We recently moved into a new home with central vac. The vacuum unit is in the garage, as is typically the case, and seems to be in good working condition. I cleaned the "bucket" underneath and made ...
4
votes
2answers
975 views
How can I clean out my gutters while still on the ground?
My roof is taller than I'm comfortable getting on a ladder. I've got a couple weeds/trees starting to grow in them. Is there a tool that would somehow let me scrape or use water-pressure to clean the ...
12
votes
6answers
495 views
Is it worthwhile to have ductwork cleaned?
Was rearranging some ductwork in my basement, and noticed that the stuff I took down was pretty filthy inside (especially the return air ducts).
Is it worthwhile to have ductwork cleaned out? What ...
