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Canvas Shoes

Canvas is made from hemp and is used for casual shoes and sneakers. Some “canvas” sneakers are made from cotton. Rubber is traditionally used for the sole. They are considered low-maintenance footwear.

Tools:

  • Nylon bristle brush or old toothbrush
  • Cleanser such as laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid or a “suede and fabric” shampoo
  • Nylon scrub pad
  • Baking soda
  • Plain paper
  • White cream shoe polish (for white canvas tennis shoes)

Manufacturers may suggest spraying the tops of new canvas sneakers with a fabric care spray before you wear them. Your best bet is to follow any care instructions included with your sneakers.

Technique:

  • If the sneakers are muddy, wait until they are dry before cleaning
  • Knock off any loose dirt by smacking the sneakers on the pavement or tapping the soles together over a waste basket or newspaper
  • Wipe them with a damp cloth to remove any remaining caked-on dirt
  • Remove laces
  • Rinse shoes with warm water inside and out
  • Scrub the canvas sneakers’ outsides, insides and liners gently with a toothbrush or nylon brush and a mixture of water and mild detergent
  • Rinse with clean cool water
  • If scuff marks remain, scrub gently with nylon pad. Rinse again
  • If the liners still retain foot odor, scrub them with a paste of baking soda and water
  • Wash laces in with a load of like-colored laundry
  • Stuff canvas sneakers with crumpled brown paper bags, paper towels or white office paper, not newspaper or colored paper as the ink can transfer onto the canvas
  • Let them air-dry along with the laces. Do not dry them near a fireplace or heater. Direct heat breaks down canvas fabric and causes shoes to become dried out and brittle
  • When the shoes are thoroughly dry, replace inserts and laundered laces
  • Sneakers with mesh inserts can be cleaned the same way as plain canvas shoes
  • If stains persist on white canvas sneakers, lightly dab on white liquid shoe polish

Colored Canvas Sneakers and Special Detailing

When cleaning colored canvas sneakers, be sure to use a non-bleaching soap, and do a small spot test with your cleaning mixture to be sure it doesn’t fade or leach out color.

If your sneakers have leather detailing, dampen and clean the canvas as directed and use leather cleaner on any leather parts.

Washing Canvas Sneakers in a Washing Machine


I also have gotten good results by cleaning canvas sneakers in the washing machine, but most shoe manufacturers discourage machine washing sneakers since it can break down the adhesives used to glue the shoe together.

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Hard Water or Soap Stains from Showers Stalls

I started using a small plastic squeegee in my shower to keep the hard water stains and soap stains to a minimum, although it didn’t last long (too cold to be cleaning the shower down after the water stopped).

You should clean hard water and soap stains away regularly. The longer they sit, the harder they are to remove. If allowed to sit for long periods of time, the stain may become permanent.

A good home cleaning remedy is plain white vinegar and lemon juice. It helps to loosen and remove hard water deposits from glass shower enclosures.  Apply a generous amount of cleaner and agitate with a nylon scrub brush and rinse off using a plastic squeegee.

Store bought cleaners listed below will remove stains on your surfaces. Caution:  Use eye protection and gloves

A commercial acid based cleaner found in any janitorial supply store are what professional cleaning companies use to scour hard water deposits.

Lime-A-Way or CLR are products that remove hard water deposits, rust stains and soap scum. There are tub and tile cleaning products that remove soap scum and also contain sequestering agents and heavy duty acids such as phosphoric acids.

Glass shower doors become stained easily with hard water deposits. The lime scale attracts soap scum, dirt, mold and mildew. To remove these stains with this buildup, try cleaners made for hard water scale or lime removal such as Wink, Zud or Comet.

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Wine Spill on Carpets

A quick tip is to pour salt over the spill and allow the wine to soak into the salt and then vacuum up the salt.  Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of Stain Removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:

  • dish washing detergent or fine fabric detergent
  • white terry towels
  • white vinegar
  • warm water
  • measuring cup.

Technique:

  • Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.
  • In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting)
  • Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.
  • Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.
  • Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed. Be patient.
  • Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may disort the texture of the pile.
  • Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.
  • Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed.
  • Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).
  • If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never use laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.

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Anaerobic Resin

Anaerobic resin is most commonly known under the trade name Perma-lok. Used for locking the threads of bolts and nuts, it cures to a permenant bond in the absence of air.

Before glue cures, simply wash with mild detergent and water. Once glue has hardened the only way to break the bond of the glue is with shear brute force.

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Water Stains from Carpets

2F%2Fwww.howtocleananything.com%2Ftipdetails.asp%3Ftid%3D902&j=y&srw=1440&srb=32&l=http%3A//web.archive.org/web/20050111091041/www.howtocleananything.com/hca_tlist.asp%3Fsid%3D70&rs=41" alt="" width="1" height="1" />A question submitted by a reader;

“How do you remove water stains from the carpet?”

I am assuming that your carpet is a synthetic fibre (nylon or polypropylene) and not a natural fibre (wool). In most cases what you are looking at is the outer edge of a high water line that has left alkaline materials on the tips of the fibre as it has dried.

  • Gather a white terry towel and regular household strength white vinegar.
  • Make a 50:50 water: white vinegar solution.
  • Make the towel very moist and gently rub the towel over the surface of the carpet. Do not soak the carpet just try to get the tips of the fibres moist.
  • The vinegar has an acidic pH and will dissipate leaving no residue.

If the stain persists and your carpet is a cut pile (as opposed to a level loop) you may have a condition called pooling which is not reversible.

If the fibre is natural you may have cellulosic browning which may be treated by an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration) certified technician that are available in your Yellow Pages.

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How to Clean Urine Stains from Carpet

How to Clean Urine Stains from Carpet

Ideally, you would catch the culprit who’s peeing on your carpet right away in order to have the most success in not only stopping them, but being able to clean urine stains from carpet right away! 

clean urine
How to Clean Urine from Carpet

Tools & Chemicals:

Dishwashing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, white vinegar, cool water, measuring cup.

Technique:

Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.

If the urine is fresh and wet, blot, tamp down and absorb wet urine using a white terry towel. Vacuum any excess dried urine bits or gently scrape up materials with a spoon, if necessary

Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of cool water.

In a small, inconspicuous area, apply a small amount of the cleaning mixture to test that it doesn’t damage or react with the carpet fibers. If there is no damage or reaction, blot or tamp and repeat on the urine spot until the stain is removed. Be patient. Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of the pile.

Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.

Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed. Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. If residue is left on the carpet, it can attract dirt and soils.

If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a test spot on a small, inconspicuous area of carpet to check for reaction or damage first. If the test spot is fine, then apply a small amount to the stain and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never use laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.

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Tea stains from carpet

General Info:

Be sure to check the helpful hints for the Do’s and Don’ts of stain removal and Six Sure Ways to Set Stains.

Tools & Chemicals:

Dish washing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, white vinegar, warm water, measuring cup.

Technique:

Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.

In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting). Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.

Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.

Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed. Be patient. Complete removal may require repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of the pile.

Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.

Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed. Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).

If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.

Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never use laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.

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Dull Whites

“My white clothes look dull and dingy. Most of the labels say “NO Chlorine Bleach” – is there another way to whiten them?”

There are many reasons for whites to become dull. A very common factor is hard water. The trace elements in the water can prevent soap from lathering properly and the residue can leave a dull or gray appearance. Check with your local utility to see if this is a concern. For slightly hard water, it is possible to overcome the problem, by simply adding more detergent.

You can try an all fabric bleach (Bleach for un-bleachable), or an oxygen bleach, but always test for color fastness on the clothing, and add the bleach to the soap and water, BEFORE adding the clothing. Even these ‘safe’ bleaches can cause damage if poured in concentrate, directly onto wet clothing.

You might also try soaking in a solution of water and lemon juice overnight before washing. Then add this soak water into the wash water with the regular detergent when washing.

The final tip would be to hang these articles to dry in the sun. The sun is an excellent natural bleaching tool, which can actually even lighten some stains to the point they are invisible. The other huge benefit of air drying, along with the fact it is free, is that stained clothing will not have the stain ‘set’, whereas a tumble dryer gets so hot, that the stains are baked into the fibers.

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Yellowing on Kitchen or Linoleum Floors

“I removed a rubber backed mat from my white floor in front of my kitchen sink, and the area under the mat has turned yellow. What will remove this stain?”

The short answer is nothing. It is likely a linoleum floor, which as a result of having moisture trapped under the mat has left this permanent yellowing. There is no way to remove this type of stain. The best solution is yet another mat to hide the stain or to replace the flooring.  A jute or natural backed mat will permit moisture to escape and will not cause further damage.

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White Linen Care

Here are some helpful hints for keeping white sheets looking good.

  • For cotton sheets, wash separately with regular detergent in warm or hot water. Use slightly less detergent than you normally would  this keeps sheets whiter, longer.
  • Cotton sheets can be put in the dryer or outside. The sun is a natural brightening and sanitizing agent  hang your sheets on the line to soak up the suns rays.
  • On linen or delicate white sheets use oxygen based bleach instead of chlorine bleach. Alternatively, you can use a natural whitening agent such as vinegar or lemon juice mixed with water.
  • Pressing or ironing sheets when they are slightly damp gets the best results. To avoid damaging any detailing such as raised stitching or embroidery; iron the back of the sheet on top of a soft, clean towel. Try using a spray bottle of water and a tablespoon of vinegar to iron out wrinkles.
  • Always store linens in an airy, dry closet with the shelves lined with paper. Also, avoid leaving your folded, fine linen stored for too long. The fabric can deteriorate along the creases.
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