Dos and Don'ts of Cleaning Your Stainless Steel Sink

• Do...It is best to rinse stainless sinks thoroughly after each use. Thorough rinsing can be done by running the water for a few minutes and rubbing the cleaned area with a sponge.
  
• Do...Avoid exposing stainless sink to strong chemicals, such as paint removers, oven cleaners, etc. If contact occurs, quickly flush the surface with water.
  
• Do...Run cold water when pouring boiling water into sinks to try to minimize temperature shock. With stainless it isn't as important to remember that compared to other materials though.
  
• Do...Towel dry after each use to prevent mineral deposits from building up on the surface of the sink (although with a good quality stainless sink you can buff it back to the original "new" finish even after many years of scale and mineral build-up.
  
• Do...Scour the sink once a week, being sure to rub in the direction of the satin finish lines (best not to purchase a "mirror" finish).
  
• Do...Remove nail polish with a non-acetone based nail polish remover and flush with water.
  

• Don't...Allow food or beverage residue, or metal canned products to remain on sink surface.
  
• Don't...Cut directly on sink surfaces.
  
• Don't...Set hot pans directly into sinks.
  
• Don't...Scour the sink across the satin finish lines. Scouring across the satin finish lines can damage the original sink finish.
  
• Don't...Allow liquid soap or other household cleansers to dry on the surface of the sink. Most brands contain chemical additives, which will affect the finish.
  
• Don't...Leave standing solutions of chlorine bleach and water in the sink for extended periods of time. Chlorides, which are found in most soaps, detergents, bleaches, and cleansers, are very aggressive to stainless steel. If left on the sink too long they can cause surface pitting.
  
• Don't...Use a steel wool pad to clean your sink. Steel wool pads have a tendency to break apart and small particles of steel can become embedded in the surface of the sink. The steel particles will rust and will give the appearance that the sink itself is rusting.
  
• Don't...Use rubber mats or dishpans in the sink to protect the finish. Leaving rubber mats or dishpans in the sink can lead to surface rust or possible pitting. However, if you do use mats or dishpans please remove them after each use.
  
• Don't...Leave wet sponges, cloths, or cleaning pads on the sink. This can lead to surface rust.

Article Source: Plumbing World

Care and Maintenance Tips for Solid Surface

• Regular cleaning is easy using a non-abrasive cleaner and a damp cloth or sponge. If the product has a factory matte finish, then abrasive cleaners may be used. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
  
  
• Prompt clean up of spills will minimize even stubborn stains such as food dye, tea, fruit drinks, and some juices. For stubborn stains on polished surfaces, use full strength bleach for two to five minutes followed by a general cleaner, then flushed with water. On a matte finish, follow the same procedure or use a bleaching abrasive cleaner.
  
  
• Cigarette burns on the surface are usually a nicotine stain or scorch that can be easily removed by cleaning with an abrasive cleaner or buffing with a plastic (not metal), abrasive household sponge.
  
  
• Never set hot pans directly on a solid surface. Use a trivet or potholder to protect the top. Using your countertop for a cutting board will result in unnecessary damage that may require professional repair.
  
  
• Repairing superficial scratches is a breeze on solid surface products. Sand lightly with 350 grit sandpaper or buff with a plastic (not metal) household sponge. Deep scratches or chips should always be removed professionally.

Article Source: ICPA

10 Uses for Beeswax

1. Unstick a drawer. A thin coat of beeswax on wooden rails makes the wood drawers on Granny’s old bureau slide smoothly. It does windows, too. Use wax to lubricate sashes.
   
2. Free frozen nuts. Help loosen a rusted nut by lubricating the bolt’s threads with melted wax.
   
3. Wax wood. For structural elements that need to look good but take no wear (such as exposed ceiling beams), heat equal parts beeswax, linseed oil, and turpentine. Apply with a burlap rag while the mixture is still warm.
   
4. Preserve bronze. To ward against oxidation caused by moist air, brush on a solution of 1/3 pound beeswax melted in 1 quart turpentine. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat.
   
5. "Whip" frayed rope. Wrap a waxed length of string tightly around the rope’s tip about a dozen times. Tie off the loose end and trim the excess.
   
6. Lube screws. Georgia Beekeepers’ Association president Robert Brewer rubs wax over the threads of screws to make them drive smoothly and resist corrosion.
   
7. Condition a wood cutting board. Add a half-teaspoon beeswax to a cup of mineral oil, microwave until the wax melts, and apply the mixture to the board with a soft cloth.
   
8. Polish concrete counters. Give a sealed, dark concrete countertop a muted, natural luster by rubbing melted beeswax over the surface with a chamois cloth. Let it dry and then wipe, says Fred Hueston, director of the National Training Center for Stone and Masonry Trades.
   
9. Preserve a patina. Seal a copper sink by rubbing it with softened beeswax and polishing off the excess with a lint-free rag, says Shane Jost, owner of Mountains Edge Copperart.
   
10. Waterproof leather. Combine equal parts beeswax, tallow, and neatsfoot oil (available online). Warm the mixture and use a rag to rub it on your work boots or gloves.

Article Source: TheOldHouse

How To Clean The Kitchen In 15 Minutes

A day can be completely eaten up by cleaning a kitchen. After breakfast, lunch, and supper, your kitchen can look like a disaster area in need of federal attention. We all know that if we leave our dishes and countertops until the morning, we need an ice pick to scrape off dried on food. After a long day few of us want to spend an hour scrubbing a room that is just going to need it again in 8 hours. Use this method to keep your kitchen running smoothly without making you feel rundown.

1. Grab all of your needed supplies together
   Don't underestimate the value of this step. Trying to find cleansers, dishcloths, sponges, etc. not only eats up time, but increases the risks of distractions that let you forget what you were working on in the first place. Gather all supplies together before you begin.
   
   
2. Run a sink of hot, soapy water.
   If you have a double sink with a garbage disposal on one side, make sure to use the disposal-free side. Keeping the disposal side free will allow you to scrape leftovers down the drain quickly while you work.
   
   
3. Scrape off all the dishes into the trash or garbage disposal.
   If step 2 has blocked your disposal, scrape the dishes off onto a dirty plate.
   
   
4. Place dishes that need to soak into the water.
   Try to choose the dishes that are going to give you or your dishwasher the most trouble to get clean. Put the heavily soiled dishes on the bottom. Large dishes like pans and bowls can be filled with hot soapy water and set on the counter to soak.
   
   
5. While the dishes are soaking, go through the kitchen clearing out trash from your floor, countertops, cupboards, etc.
   Don't worry about things that are out of place, or don't belong in the kitchen. Worry only about trash.
   
   
6. Move on to gathering all the items that do not belong in the kitchen. Put all these items into a basket (see supplies).
   If you have a helper (willing or unwilling) send them off to put away these items. Do not stop working on the kitchen to take these misplaced items to their homes.
   
   
7. Put away all of the items that belong in the kitchen but are not in their proper places.
   Don't allow yourself to get distracted by rearranging cabinets, drawers, etc. Simply place the items that are out back where they belong.
   
   
8. Load the dishwasher or wash by hand.
   If you do not have a dishwasher or don't like to use one, this process of cleaning the dishes may take more time. If possible grab a couple of other people and form a wash, rinse, dry and put away assembly line. This is a great way to catch up with family members. Empty the dirty water and scrape the plate of food off into the disposal if it was previously blocked. Add the plate to the dishwasher.
   
   
9. Wash down your countertops, appliances, and sink.
   Rinse out sponges and rags. If needed put them in the dirty clothes. We're not heavy duty cleaning here. I literally mean wash down the visible surfaces. Don't open the microwave and scrub it out. We're not cleaning the crumbs out of the toaster. Quickly wipe it down.
   
   
10. Sweep and mop, or vacuum.
    
11. Take out the trash
    If the trash is full, or tomorrow is trash day, take the trash outside and reline the trash container so that it is ready for tomorrow's trash.

What You Need:

1. Trash container.
   
2. Basket for stuff that doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
   
3. Dish soap.
   
4. Other cleaners you normally use.
   
5. Dishrag or sponge.
   
6. Scrubber for stuck on food.
   
7. Broom, mop, or vacuum.

Tips:

1. The more people you have who live and eat in your home, the more time this process is going to take. But, you have an advantage, more people to make messes means more people to clean them up. Make cleaning up the kitchen after dinner a family affair. Divide the steps between your family members, and you really can have the kitchen done in a short time.
   
2. Train your family members to clear and rinse their own plates after each meal. This simple act takes little time for each person, but saves so much time for the dish person later.
   
3. Run a sink of hot soapy water before food preparation begins. As mixing bowls, cutting boards, knives, etc, become dirty, quickly wash them out to prevent food from drying and sticking.
   
4. Create some "Family Clean up CD" and let each person contribute a favorite song. Kid's will be a lot more likely to help out if they feel they have some input into the job. Letting them choose the music can go a long way.
   
5. This quick cleanup is designed for daily maintenance. It can also be used for a fast fix when unexpected company is on the way. Doing this routine will not substitute for the inevitable need to clean more deeply on a regular basis.

Article Source: Sarah Aquirre