AskBrini.com: Banish Hard Water Stains for a Sparkling Spigot

This week, Timothy from Ontario asks: "Hello Brini, I can't seem to get my bathroom plumbing as clean and sparkling as I would like. Do you have any clever tips for cleaning taps and faucets?"

Keeping your faucets festive shouldn't be a problem. Mine wipe clean with just a touch of foaming bathroom cleaner and a few passes of a sponge. This may not be the case if you have hard water stains. These pesky white spots cling to your chrome and brass like nobody's business. They can be polished away, however, with a little toothpaste. Keep them sparkling by drying them after use or applying a little automobile wax.

Here's to a shine you can see your face in!

Drown the Dirt Doldrums - Lick Limescale where it Lives

Dingy glassware, dull aluminum, scummy bathtubs... These things are homemaking nightmares that can depress even the most cheerful Suzy Sunshine. Banish their gloomy clouds of dirt and limescale with a simple solution made from common household ingredients!

I had a few things to clean up, so I put them all in plastic bin and filled it with a solution of hot tap water, half a bottle of white vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of cream of tarter. I let the bin sit until the water had cooled to room temperature, then pulled the items out and washed them with dish soap and a nylon scrubbie and all the offending detritus just rinsed away.

It's the perfect solution for aluminum, which can't be cleaned with ammonia because it pits. While it won't remove burnishing, it will eat through all that accumulated, dulling residue.

Crystal vases, when used regularly, can develop limescale and hard to remove bits of plant matter that cloud their clarity. This treatment will soak through all that unpleasantness and leave a crystal clear shine.

This method also works on bathtubs and other plumbing fixtures. Just fill the tub with hot water, pour in a bottle of white vinegar and some cream of tarter and let sit over night. The next morning all that hard to remove scunge will just wipe away! My friend Mike from California, who's more of a clean freak than I am suggested this to me. It's especially effective on fiberglass tubs which can't be scrubbed with abrasives. Give it a try!

Alcohol - It's Not Just for Cocktails Anymore

As most of you know, I can be a bit obsessive. I like things nice and neat. While moving, I removed some beautiful lucite shelves from my old bedroom and found that they had taken some of the paint off the wall with them.

I tried carefully chipping it away with my nail, but it didn't do the trick. If the pieces had been anything other than plastic, I might have used acetone - my go to solvent for removing gunky build up, sticker residue and paint from most surfaces. But acetone dissolves plastic, so I would have had a frosted, marred mess on my hands. I chose rubbing alcohol. It's every bit as good as acetone, and doesn't mar the finish of Lucite, acrylic and other plastics.

It takes a bit of elbow grease, but a touch of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball will remove all sorts of detritus. I had to use several cotton balls, and it was a messy process.

But the results are stunning. Just look how clean and clear that corner is now! If you'd like to try it yourself, here are a few tips: Be sure and test the alcohol on a small, hidden corner to be sure it doesn't mar the finish. Depending on how much paint or build-up you're trying to remove, it may take some time, and patience. Never smoke while doing this - alcohol is flamable. It's so satisfying to see things all nice and clean again!

I've just listed these shelves on eBay. Have a look!

I'll have some holiday posts up soon - I promise!

Out, Out Damn Spot - The Fine Art of Oven Cleaning

This post comes a little late in the day because it's content took longer to create than I expected. I've been slowly cleaning up my new vintage Frigidaire Flair range.

Bit by bit, I've been stripping away the grime to reveal a little gem. Today, I tackled the oven cavity.

Having come from a home that had been rented to multiple tenants (none of whom seemed to have the slightest interest in domestic cleanliness) and, well, being almost 50 years old, it was quite a mess, as you can see - and this was after the initial attempt at cleaning it out with hot water and bleach cleaner, which picked up the majority of the crusty drips and spills.

I have a great way to make cleaning an electric oven quite a bit easier and I was excited to implement it on my new baby. I made sure I had everything I needed for the job on hand before I picked a day to start. This method entails filling a bowl with household ammonia and putting it on the top rack, over a pot of water that has just come off a rolling boil.

You then close the oven door and let it stand over night - or in my case, all afternoon (don't try this method on a gas oven - the fumes are flammable). After about 7 or 8 hours, I opened up the oven to begin the real work. In most cases you can just wipe away the spots and stains with a damp sponge. The ammonia fumes are very good at softening grime. In my case it wasn't quite so easy. I had to resort to a nylon scrubber dipped in the ammonia, mixed with dish washing detergent and water to remove the baked on splatters of melted hard candy or exploded batch of crystal meth or whatever it was that had so tenaciously adhered itself to the walls and floor of the oven. It took several hours of scrubbing, letting the ammonia mixture sit on the spots, then scrubbing again. In between times I worked on the racks in the sink. I eventually had to put the racks in a black plastic bag, pour undiluted ammonia over them, tie the bag and put it on the fire escape for several hours to soak off the crusty residue. It was quite an afternoon. My back and shoulders are sore - not to mention my hands. And my fingers are dry, even after being sheathed in fetching orange rubber gloves. However, it was worth it. I can now step back and admire a clean oven.

It's not perfect, but it's decidedly better than it was, and, once it's installed, I believe I'll feel comfortable making a roast or my coconut brownies in there now. Next, the stove top!

#03-24 A Word to the Wise - Tips for a Better Life

Hi people! Brini here with some fun tips. This week we're featuring a couple of tips from the last season of the original show. It's about tooth brushes - use them to clean your grout - and folding fitted sheets. It's not as hard as it looks. Watch and see!

#03-22 Bright and Clean, Always Under Foot - The Care and Cleaning of Carpets

Hi people, Brini here, and this week on the show we’re taking care of your carpet! It’s important to keep your wall to wall looking fresh. It’s a big investment, and a shabby floor makes for a shabby home.

A clipper comb is perfect for shaving the pills off your low pile Berber carpet. You can also find a little electric razor designed for the purpose that’s better for high or loose looped pile carpets. Simply run the clipper along the surface of the carpet with the blade tilted just above the surface and the pills come right off!

Carpet dents can be removed with a spritz of water. The dents will relax with the water and a little fidgeting.

I was pleased to find that the spots on my carpet almost all came up with Kaboom, that product from late night television. Although Orange Glo no longer makes the stain remover (they’ve migrated the Kaboom brand over to bathroom cleaners) I’m pleased to recommend Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover. Though I haven’t used it myself, I’ve had positive reports from other’s about the effectiveness of it. Of course, be sure and test any spot remover on a hidden area of your carpet before using it on an exposed area.

For more useful tips on home maintenance have a look at the tips section of the part of my website devoted to my Style Network show.

#17 Butter Fingers

Hello people, time for another episode! This week it's all about keeping your rubber gloves from getting holey, (just put cotton balls in the finger tips), and making sure your butter doesn't burn (add a drop of olive oil to the pan). Be sure and watch!

Next week we'll resume featuring longer episodes, though I'm still on hiatus so you won't see new intro and wrap up segments, I'm afraid. You'll have to wait until fall for that. 

Until next time!

#13 Still More Kitchen Capers

Hello people! Brini here with some more ideas for a commodious kitchen. This week I have tips for avoiding torn slices of bread (butter the end of the loaf before slicing) and keeping your watch dry while doing the dishes (hang it on a cup hook placed conveniently by the sink).

#08 More Kitchen Capers

Hello people, This week on the show I have some more kitchen tips for you.  

Have you been stymied my skid marks? It's a problem for linoleum vinyl flooring. There's a simple solution, however - lighter fluid. It lifts those unsightly blemishes like magic. You may have noticed in the comments from last week that a viewer, Donald, suggests citrus room deodorizer for the same task. I haven't tried that, but it's certainly worth a looksee. If you try it let me know how it works! 

Splitting an avocado can be messy business unless you use this little tip: Give it a twist instead of trying to pry the halves apart. It separates as if by magic! I also use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, rather than trying to peel the skin back, and pits can be removed with a good whack with a sharp knife and then a twist once the knife is lodged firmly in the pit. If you want to keep your avocado fresh in the fridge, leave the pit in the half you're saving and cover it with plastic wrap, similarly, place a pit in a bowl of guacamole and cover it with wrap as well and it will stay fresh too.

Sign up for my weekly email for my guacomole recipe!

#06 Socks and Boxes

Hello people! This week it's about socks and boxes on the show. 

Lost socks is a perpetual problem for laundry doers everywhere. You can solve it easily by pinning them together before washing them. They'll stay mated until you remove the pins to fold them and put them away. 

Collapsing boxes can be a chore - especially when they're glued together. Soak them in the sink and they'll easily crumple into a ball. 

I'm happy to tell you that a film I did is premiering at the Philadelphia Film Festival. It's called 2 Minutes Later and is a charming murder mystery with snappy dialog and stylish characters. I play Emily, the owner of an art gallery. I hope you'll look for it!

#05 Putting It Away

Hello people! Another week of tips is upon us and this week it's all about storage. 

Under bed (or in my case, under sofa) storage bins are a great way to utilize otherwise wasted space. You can find them in many home stores, but a more eco-friendly and efficient way to create them is to attach small casters to drawers from an old piece of furniture. The casters can be found at hardware stores for a nominal fee and you may already have an old chest lying around. If not you can find them inexpensively at thrift shops and garage sales. Make sure the drawers fit under your bed, allowing for the added height of the casters first.  

I like to store my soap among my towels. Unwrapped, it makes them smell so fresh and pretty. Give it a try! 

Storage can be quite a problem in smaller homes. I like to take advantage of every space I can by finding the proper storage equipment. Stores like The Container Store and Hold Everything have great products that make organization easy. The first step is to assess what you have to store. Open up that cabinet or closet that you've been dreading looking at and bring out the clutter. Look it over and categorize it, then you'll have a sense of what sort of containers you'll need. Will everything fit in small shoebox sized bins or do you need larger ones? Will you need small trays with compartments in them? Once you've made you decision, buy the pieces right away. Don't put everything back until you've put it all into the new containers. 

Decorative storage can be extremely useful as well. I'm particularly fond of my beautiful leather jewelry boxes. They have a place of honor in my bedroom. Not only do they organize my jewelry beautifully, they serve as a delightful accent in the room. This can apply to all sorts of decorative boxes of many sizes that can be used to store everything from games to remotes to office supplies. Remember, keep your clutter down to a minimum and your home will be a much nicer place to inhabit!

#03 Now, Why Didn't You Think of That?

Hello people, time for tips, tips, tips - well, tips, tips, anyway. This week on the show I'm talking about light bulbs and irons.  

Store your light bulbs in empty cardboard drink containers. They're handy and display what you have on hand so you know when to buy more. 

Make your clothing smell pretty by adding a few drops of your favorite perfume to the steam chamber of your iron. It will infuse the garments with your scent of choice! 

 
I'm cooking up a new season of podcasts which should go live sometime next month. Thanks for bearing with me while I take a little time off! 

Until next week...

#01 Why Didn't You Think of That?

Hello people. I'm taking a little time off shooting new intros and wraps for a while. I'll be back soon with regular length episodes. In the mean time the feed will be featuring some of the tips segments from the original show. This week I'm giving you ideas for storing and dispensing string and keeping your sleeves clean. I hope you enjoy them! 

01-08 Streamline Storage, Clear Clutter - The Basics of Organization

Organizing is the subject of this week’s vidcast, and cleaning and organizing are kissin’ cousins. Straightening up a room doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Organize the chore with these tips:

Start by picking a place in the room to deposit all the things that need to be put away. It’s best to pick a spot that will inconvenience you if you stop before finishing – like the sofa. Take everything that doesn’t belong out and put it in that spot. Getting your belongings out of their comfort zones on the tables and counters will force you to actually look at them so they can be more easily put away.

Once everything has been returned to its little home, you can simplify the task of cleaning by thinking of your room as a big clock. Focus on one “hour” at a time – work your way around from 12 back to 12 again and the task will fly by.

Here are some related tips from the archive section of my site:

Episode 102

Episode 103

Episode 104