Month: December 2020

We all want to have great hair, and the comb has been a tool to achieve that goal for as many as 5000 years. Combs are often made of wood because it offers many benefits for the hair, and it is natural and biodegradable. 

Woods commonly used to make combs include Cherry wood, Boxwood, Sandalwood, and Neem wood.  Cleaning a wooden comb is different from cleaning combs made of other materials, so it’s important to know how to clean a wooden comb to maximize its longevity and durability.

How to Clean a Wooden Comb

There are two main ways to clean a wooden comb: with water, soap, and oil, or with only oil. Before cleaning, there are several important things to remember about caring for your wooden comb:

• Beware of wetness: Water can cause swelling or cracking of the wood if overused. Water damage can also cause rough edges. A smooth comb is necessary to prevent hair breakage and for effective styling.
• Store your comb in a place with minimal moisture. A bathroom is a very moist place, so store your comb in a cabinet, a comb sleeve, or a closed container.  You might consider storing it in another room that doesn’t have as much moisture as a bathroom.
• Store it away from sunlight or other heat sources. Heat can cause the wood to dry out and split, so avoid drying it outdoors.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to do your cleaning regularly and carefully to maximize the life and benefits of your comb.

Cleaning with Water, Soap, and Oil

We have discussed the fact that water is bad for your wooden comb, but this method utilizes water only for a short time period.  

If the directions are followed closely, no water damage should occur.

1. Soak your wooden comb for 2-3 minutes in a mixture of warm water and a very mild soap. You can also add hair oil or other natural oil to this mix. Never soak the comb for more than 3 minutes to prevent swelling and splitting. You can also choose to wash the comb when you’re in the shower if you use it for detangling and skip the soaking. Be sure to keep the wash time to under 3 minutes and follow up immediately with the rest of the steps below.
2. Use a soft cloth to wipe the comb thoroughly to dry it and to remove all build-up and debris. Be sure to wipe between each time. You can also use a toothbrush or other small brush to scrub it gently and get into the narrow spaces.  Residue from hair products, in particular, can build up in those spaces, so make sure that you don’t miss any areas.
3. Ensure that the comb is wiped dry completely when you are finished with debris removal, including between the tines. Excess moisture can cause the damage process to start.
4. Use a cloth to coat the comb lightly with hair oil or another natural oil. This will help to protect the wood.  It can also prevent the development of bacteria on the comb’s surface.  When your wooden comb is new, it’s a good idea to coat it with a little natural oil immediately to start the protection process.
5. Let the comb sit on a towel or clean surface for several hours or overnight to let the wood absorb all the oil.
6. Wipe away any oil that may be left on the surface, and you’re ready to go.
7. Store in a dry place away from heat sources. Avoid drying it out outdoors, like your decking.
8. Repeat the cleaning process every few weeks.

Cleaning with Oil Only

Some wooden comb owners prefer to skip the water and clean the comb only with oil – in fact they swear by this method!  

Cleaning with oil removes the risk of water damage completely.  

1. Wipe the comb thoroughly with a natural oil or hair oil. Oil can kill germs and prevent bacteria growth. Olive and cotton oil are common choices. Many other natural oils will work as well. Choose an oil that you use on your hair itself or one that you like the scent and texture of. If your wooden comb is a beard comb, then you can use your beard oil.  Again, it’s a good idea to coat your comb lightly with oil when it’s new so that it is protected immediately.
2. Use a cloth or cotton wool pad to gently remove debris and excess oil.  Again, you can also use a toothbrush or soft brush to clean between the tines, but don’t use water.  Be sure to remove all debris from the surface of the comb.
3. Wipe thoroughly after scrubbing and let the comb sit for several hours or overnight to absorb the oil.
4. Wipe away any oil that may remain on the surface, and you’re ready to use your comb.
5. Store in a dry place away from heat sources.
6. Repeat the process every few weeks.

Benefits of Cleaning a Wooden Comb

First, let’s discuss why it’s important to keep your wooden comb clean.

Of course, you want it to look nice and keep its lovely wood color, but there are several other key reasons to clean it regularly.

Removing Grime

Many substances from your hair can build up on the comb’s surface, particularly between the tines. These substances can include:

• Hair product residue
• Dirt and dust that your hair picks up
• Oil from your scalp
• Any general debris that may land in your hair

If your wooden comb is not clean, you are putting these substances right back in your hair when you use it. 

To have healthy hair, you need clean hair which requires clean tools.  Proper cleaning also protects the comb from damage, so that it lasts and works the way you need it to.

Removing Nasty Bacteria and Germs

It’s easy for a wooden comb to pick up germs and for bacteria to grow on its surface.  

You don’t want these to end up in your hair or on your scalp. Bacteria can lead to many issues, including folliculitis which is caused by the hair follicles becoming infected. 

Folliculitis causes bumps or pimples on the scalp, itching, and pain.

Fungal infections can also occur if a fungus comes into contact with the comb and is allowed to grow. Proper cleaning can eliminate many common causes of hair and scalp issues.

Extending the Life of Your Wooden Comb

A wooden comb can last a lifetime if properly cared for.  Wood is a durable material, but can be sensitive, so it’s critical to clean your comb properly and prevent damage and wear.

Wooden combs are effective for more than just combing your hair. They are used as a styling tool to keep hair in place, beard combing, and even nit removal. 

Whatever you use it for, cleaning your wooden comb will extend its life. People who use wooden combs love the many benefits they offer in addition to their biodegradability. 

Wooden combs reduce hair breakage and have a gentle effect on the scalp that can promote hair growth. They can also prevent static electricity from developing in your hair.  Proper care will allow you to enjoy those benefits for many years without ever needing a replacement.

Final Thoughts

Wooden comb users swear by their benefits.  Healthy hair is important, and wooden combs promote that health in many ways. Cleanliness is also essential to healthy hair, which is why cleaning your wooden comb is important. 

Wooden combs are wonderful hair tools, but to reap all their benefits, you must clean and care for them properly.  If you do you can use your wooden comb for a lifetime!

Zinc is used as a material in many things—in countertops, decorative items, jewelry, and more. How to clean zinc is different from how to clean other metals and materials. 

Its unique properties make it a bit different to clean up and maintain. Depending on how you want your zinc to appear will have different care tips. 

How to Clean Zinc

Learning how to clean zinc is simple if you know what you want your zinc to look like and know the proper tips on how to clean it. 

What Is Patina?

Zinc is a living metal. Over time, natural patina forms on unsealed zinc. It’s a coating of material on the surface of zinc. 

It is easy to remove, but a lot of people like the look of a patina. Depending on the rest of the furniture or kitchen, it can give a rustic or industrial feel to any space. 

The patina is never the same on any piece of zinc, so it also can give a unique feel to a piece. You know that no one else has exactly what you do! 

Patina can change in color as it develops and in design. Unsealed zinc will age and have more patina on it over time. 

Is Patina Safe For Countertops?

So, zinc is a living, reactive metal that has finished growing on it. Is that really safe for a countertop? The answer is yes! Zinc is a food-safe metal and is also anti-bacterial. 

Even though it is continually changing, aging, and adding patina, it is a good metal for countertops.  In fact, zinc is fourth in the line of the most widely used metals in the world. 

It is used not only for countertops, jewelry, and home decor, but for galvanizing, alloys, and more. It’s also necessary for health—it works in tandem with the immune system and can help your body heal wounds. So, it’s definitely safe for countertop usage! 

How to Clean Patina Finish on Zinc Without Removing the Patina

Now that you are clear on what the patina finish is on zinc, you may want to preserve it. It takes a while—up to a year—to develop the patina. 

Unfortunately, if you use the wrong products on your zinc, the patina can be removed quickly by accident. We’ll walk you through how to clean your zinc countertops or pieces without removing the patina. 

1. Daily Cleaning

Zinc does not require harsh chemicals to clean up—in fact, it is important not to use chemicals such as bleach. 

They can react with the metal and cause permanent damage to your zinc! So, put the bleach away and instead pick up some Windex or mild soap. 

Materials

To implement a daily cleaning routine on your zinc, you should always have these materials on hand:

• Windex
• Mild soap
• Clean cloth or rag

Having these will ensure that you can quickly and effectively get your daily cleaning done. Cleaning daily is the best way to keep your zinc in top shape. 

Method

Cleaning your zinc daily should not take you long at all. Follow these steps and add them to your daily cleaning routine:

1. Spray Windex or a soap and water solution on the countertops
2. Wipe the liquid up with your cloth or rag
3. When your cloth or rag shows dirt on it, replace it with a new one

And that’s it! A simple way to make sure your countertops or other zinc materials are clean every day. 

If you are working with jewelry, or reusable straws, you can use a cloth or rag or even an old toothbrush if you want to get in the grooves of the piece. 

2. Deep Cleaning 

Deep cleaning patinated zinc can seem like a mystery. It’s crucial not to use harsh chemicals on zinc to avoid a reaction, and you want to make sure to keep that patina in place. 

We have two options for cleaners that will allow you to clean your countertops, jewelry, or anything else that has patinated zinc without removing the patina. 

Materials

To clean your zinc, you will need gentle cleaning agents. We have two options we like best:

• Baking soda
• Toothpaste

These will allow you to get an efficient clean. Depending on how large your zinc item is, you will want something that can clean it—such as a rag, or a toothbrush if it’s jewelry. 

Baking Soda Method

If you are using baking soda to clean up your zinc item, follow these steps:

1. Use a bowl that is big enough to create a paste for your item you are cleaning. Pour in baking soda and slowly add water and stir
2. You will want to mix this well until a paste forms
3. Dip your cleaning tool (cloth, toothbrush or other brush) in the paste formula you made and rub it on the zinc
   1. Make sure not to use a hard-bristled brush on your zinc
4. Use a damp cloth to clean up the surface after you are done

And, there you have it! A clean item without any of your patina being removed. 

Toothpaste Method

For cleaning with toothpaste, you can follow these steps:

1. Apply the toothpaste to areas you are cleaning
2. Rub in with your cleaning tool of choice
3. Wipe up with a damp cloth well 

Cleaning something large like a countertop might take a lot more toothpaste than you anticipate. You can spot clean larger items with toothpaste, but we don’t recommend this method for an overall clean.  

What About Scratches?

Scratches and dents are to be expected on zinc. Zinc is a softer metal, compared to wrought iron, so it will show scratches and buffs. 

However, with the patina as well, this helps it’s rustic (or industrial) appeal. You can sand down scratches on a larger surface, like a countertop, but this will remove the patina that has built up as well. 

Other Maintenance Tips For Patina Zinc Countertops 

Taking care of your zinc is important to keep it happy. For countertops, in particular, you should follow these basic tips to make sure your countertops stay in the best shape possible:

• Use a cutting board for cutting: Zinc countertops aren’t like butcher blocks. They aren’t made to be a built-in cutting board. Cutting acidic fruits, like lemons, directly on your counter can actually remove the patina. Also, zinc can damage knives as well! 
• Do not place hot items directly on the countertop: It is best practice to use hot pads or trivets for any items coming off the stove or out of the oven
• Clean promptly: If you spill on your countertop, make sure to clean it up as quickly as possible to avoid the zinc developing rings or spots from the liquid.  

How Do I Remove the Patina?

Are you looking to completely remove the patina? We can help you with that, as well. Patina can be easily removed with the right material.

Materials

There are two options to clean off the patina from your zinc. The options are as follows:

• Vinegar
• Lemon

Vinegar Method

To clean the patina from your zinc item, you can create a diluted vinegar solution and scrub. You can follow these steps to clean it:

1. Create a solution of two parts water to one part vinegar
2. For small items like jewelry, you can actually soak it directly in the solution
3. For larger items, you can use a spray bottle and cloth
4. Use a cloth or a small brush and wipe up the solution in a circular motion

The patina should come off easily with this method.

Lemon Method

Using a lemon is a very natural way to clean the patina off the zinc. Depending on the area you have, you may need more than one lemon! Follow these steps:

1. Cut the lemon in half
2. Hold the outside of the lemon and move the lemon over the zinc in a circular motion 
3. Continue on the entire surface of the zinc, squeezing more juice and replacing your lemon when needed
4. Clean up afterwards with a damp cloth, or Windex

Remove the patina doesn’t even have to require a brush if you use a lemon. 

How Do I Remove Scratches from My Countertops? 

Remember, if you want to keep the patina, we do not recommend that you try to remove scratches from your zinc. If you already have the patina removed, then you can follow these steps to remove scratches. 

Light Scratches 

If the scratch is light, you can simply use a scouring pad. You will want to move in circular motions around the scratch, and it will be gone in no time. 

Deep Scratches

Deep scratches can occur on zinc because it is a softer metal. Don’t worry—this can be fixed. You can get some sandpaper to sand out the scratch. 

Most often you will want to use a sandpaper with fine grit (150-180) to tackle this job. You don’t want to use anything medium or coarse because this can further scratch your countertops. 

Once you are satisfied with how the scratch looks, use a scouring pad to buff in circles to make the finish match the rest of the countertop 

How Do I Remove Rings from Zinc Countertops?

If your countertop had a spill and it wasn’t cleaned up quickly, it can possibly leave a ring behind. 

You can remove rings using a mixture of water to vinegar with a ratio of two parts water to one part vinegar. This will remove the patina if you use vinegar—so keep that in mind before you begin. 

Using a scouring pad, scrub in your mixture to the countertop gently, and the ring will be removed. Spray Windex after to clean it up. 

Conclusion

Zinc has specific care instructions—but once you know them, it is easy to maintain. If you like the patina look of your zinc, it is easy to clean and maintain with the proper steps. Remember to never use bleach on your zinc to avoid damage. 

Suede. We love it, but we hate the idea of cleaning it. Suede doesn’t do well with water, and it always seems impossible to clean. 

How to clean a suede bag has always been something that many people assume you just can’t do. They often only use their bags on special occasions to protect their purse. 

Although suede is different from most materials, it’s not as difficult as many assume. It takes some extra tender loving care, but being armed with the knowledge of how to clean a suede bag allows you to use your bag as often as you’d like! 

How to Clean a Suede Bag

Despite the care being a mystery to some people, suede is expected to boom over the next seven years. So, as your purse collection grows over the years, it becomes even more important to know how to clean a suede bag! 

The number one rule of suede cleaning is no water. Water can damage suede or discolor it. It may seem weird to clean something without water, but we have a couple of methods that will do the job! 

Method One: Using a Brush

Without water, you might be wondering just what cleans a suede bag. We have a simple answer for you: a brush. There are specialized brushes that work best to clean your suede bag that are reasonably priced.  

Materials

For this method, you will need:

• A specialized suede brush

If you have a growing collection of suede, or one bag, in particular, that means a lot to you—it is best to invest in a suede brush. 

These are the best ways to clean and maintain your bag over time. You’ll use it for a lot of things when it comes to your suede, and they aren’t that expensive. If you decide not to invest in one, you can also use a nail brush.

Method

To clean your bag of any dirt, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Take your brush and follow the direction of the suede
2. Cover every part of the purse 
3. Make sure to wipe your brush on a clean cloth to remove the dirt every once in a while instead of transferring it to a different part of the bag

If there’s a stain you are working on getting out, you can use your brush and move it in all directions over the stain. Be gentle still, though. 

Method Two: Using an Eraser

Does your bag have any stains, scuffs, or discoloration? An eraser can help with that. 

Materials

To use this method, you will need:

• A clean, new eraser

Use a white or light pink eraser rather than a colorful one. It’s important you don’t use an eraser that has been used for erasing pencil because it will certainly come off on your bag and make matters worse. 

Method

We know you remember how to use an eraser, even if it’s been a while! The good news is that this method is a lot like what you remember. To clean off specific areas of your purse with an eraser, simply:

1. Rub the eraser back and forth over the affected area

You do that until the stain is looking better, and then you can use your brush to brush it back to its former glory.

Method Three: Using a Cleaner

Sometimes, all methods fail if the stain is really set in. At that point, you are looking at three options. 

Make a cleaner using vinegar, buy a cleaner, or take it to be professionally cleaned. Vinegar can be used on suede handbags safely, although the smell deters some people. If this is you, you can use some drops of your favorite essential oil or purchase odorless vinegar.

Having a suede cleaner on hand is never a bad idea, as it can come in handy when you have emergencies. Suede cleaners can also work on very old stains—so if you have a bag you thought was ruined, you can try one of these out, and you will be surprised how well they work! 

Materials

To use a cleaning agent, you will need the following:

• Vinegar OR Suede Cleaner
• Essential Oils (optional)
• Clean cloth
• Suede brush

Method

To deep clean your suede purse, you can follow these steps:

1. Pour vinegar into a bowl
2. Optionally add essential oils
3. Dip your cloth in the mixture and wring out
4. Rub the wet towel on the area
5. Repeat as needed
6. Wait for your bag to be completely dry
7. Brush your bag gently

For the specialized cleaner, you can follow the instructions on the back of the bottle. Typically, you will spray it and work it in using your brush. 

Cleaning Stains from Your Suede Bag

Each stain has different care when it comes to removing it from suede. We will go over the most typical stains that happen on purses and then talk about the removal process. 

Stain: Mud or Dirt

Did mud make its way onto your beautiful suede bag? Don’t panic. The rule of this stain is to let it dry completely before trying to remove it. 

If you try to remove it too soon, you’ll only cause the stain to rub everywhere and set into the purse. You definitely don’t want that.

When the mud is completely dry, take your brush and remove the dirt with your brush. Again, no water! Simply brush the stain out using light strokes. It can take some patience to get this done, but it will come out. 

Stain: Spill

Oh no! What you feared has happened…something spilled on your bag and it’s stained. Don’t fret—you can clean it. 

First, remove as much as you can by blotting it out with a clean cloth or napkin. This removes all of the excess stain. Absolutely never rub the stain—this will work the stain into the bag and make it harder to remove. 

When you get back home, break out your cornstarch and sprinkle it generously over the stain the night it happened. Leave it alone overnight. In the morning, shake gently to remove the cornstarch and take a brush to it. 

You’ll be able to work out most of the stain this way, but if any remains, you can use an eraser or vinegar to get the rest out using the methods above. 

Stain: Wax or Gum

You may be tempted to try to pick off the gum or wax immediately after it happens, but that’s not a good idea! Instead, take your purse home and freeze it. 

You can wrap it in a bag or saran wrap before placing it in the freezer to make sure nothing transfers onto it. When the gum or wax is completely frozen, it’s much easier to pick off. Then, you simply need to brush off any excess that remains after you remove it. 

Conditioning Your Suede Bag

After you’ve finished washing your bag, you may consider purchasing a conditioner to use on your bag. Many conditioners can be purchased for less than fifteen dollars. You’ll want to read the instructions and follow them exactly. 

Conditioning can help your suede look like new. Some of the conditioners on the market actually clean and condition simultaneously. Make sure that it is a suede conditioner, as using one for other materials will damage your bag instead of enhance it. 

It’s a good idea to use specific suede brushes to work in your conditioner, and pay attention to all areas of your bags, including the corners and the seams. 

Sealing Your Suede Bag

Sealing and protecting your suede bag can make it a lot easier to clean when the time comes. It will also protect it from damage. 

Have you seen suede shoe sealant? It can make suede repellant of extra moisture and protect it better than if it were not sealed. Typically, these are made for suede shoes, but they also work for suede bags! Typically, this is a spray. 

You’ll want to follow the instructions on the label, but it will look something like spraying a generous amount over your suede bag and letting it dry. Most sprays require drying of at least 24 hours to make sure the sealant has fully set. 

Professionally Cleaning Your Suede Bag

If your bag is a designer bag, it’s a wonderful idea to have it professionally cleaned every once in a while. Depending on how often you use your bag will change the frequency. 

If you use it every day, consider taking it once a year. If it’s a seasonal bag, you may just need to take it every couple of years. 

Getting a professional clean will keep your bag looking amazing and will extend the life of your purse. Professional cleaners have materials that we don’t, so it gives your bag a level of TLC that you can’t give it alone. Professionals will also   

Storing Your Suede Bag 

When your bag isn’t in use, you should store it properly. Many bags come with a dust bag. It may be tempting to throw this away, but keep it! 

It’s the best place to store the bag when not in use, as it protects your bag from collecting dust or any other materials floating in the air.

Dust is made of animal dander, insect waste, and dirt, so you definitely want to protect your bag from that! Store your bag in the dust bag in a dark place, such as a drawer or closet, to protect it best. 

If you already threw out the dust bag, you can buy a replacement or use a pillowcase instead. You’ll want to make sure that the pillowcase doesn’t transfer color and that it is at least 

Conclusion

Suede is a beautiful material for a bag. Most people don’t know how easy it can be to maintain and take care of suede, and only use their bags for special occasions. 

Now that you’ve read this article, you have all of the knowledge you need to use your suede bag without fear as often as you want. 

Faux sheepskin rugs add such a luxurious feel to a space. They look fabulous in any room and are extremely comfortable to walk on. 

The downfall is that they get dirty pretty easily and seem to collect dirt on their own. Luckily, how to clean a faux sheepskin rug doesn’t have to be a mystery. 

We are assuming you aren’t one of the lucky ones that have a machine-washable faux sheepskin rug if you’re reading this article. If you haven’t already, check your rug’s tag to see if it can be thrown in the wash. 

Also, pay attention to the tag’s special instructions, if any. Still here? Don’t despair—cleaning a faux sheepskin rug isn’t difficult. Let’s go over how to now. 

How to Clean a Faux Sheepskin Rug: 4 Steps

Rugs and carpet can hold four times their weight in dirt and bacteria. Obviously, with a statistic like that, you’ll want to wash your rug pretty regularly. 

Also, while faux sheepskin rugs look luxurious, they only do when they are clean! So, what exactly do you have to do to clean a faux sheepskin rug?

As we said before, most rugs are not machine washable and can’t be thrown in the dryer. We’ll go over each section of care, starting with washing. 

1. Washing Your Faux Sheepskin Rug

Assuming your rug can’t go in the wash, we are looking at handwashing your rug. It’s important to be gentle with your rug. 

We recommend washing your rugs in the bathtub as opposed to getting a giant tub to clean it in, but you may also have a storage tub big enough to clean your rug in. 

Materials

To wash your faux sheepskin rug, you don’t need much! For the hand wash method, you’ll simply need:

• A large tub or bathtub
• Liquid detergent (mild) or castile soap

Method

This looks like a lot of steps, but it isn’t that hard. You can easily wash your faux sheepskin rug by following these steps:

1. First, go outside and shake your rug vigorously to remove loose dust and debris
2. Pour a good amount of soap in the bottom of the tub or bathtub; the amount of soap depends on the size of your rug
3. Fill the bathtub or tub with cold water to a level that will let your rug be fully submerged
4. Submerge the rug fully
5. Use your hands to rub the rug together and work the soap into the rug
6. If focusing on any area, make sure to use your fingers to comb through the dirt or stain underwater
7. You can put soap directly on the area, but make sure to scrub it out after you are done
8. Drain the bathtub and rinse the rug in cold water, making sure to remove soap and any leftover particles
9. Squeeze out all of the water you can from the rug

Your rug may look matted and not as you expected—but don’t worry. By the time you are done drying and combing the rug, it will look like new! 

2. Drying Your Faux Sheepskin Rug

As tempting as it may be to throw your rug in the dryer, generally, that’s a no-no. Unless your rug specifically states it can be thrown in the dryer, it’s best to avoid doing this for a few reasons:

• Some faux sheepskin rugs are flammable
• Others will be damaged by the heat
• Some rugs’ backings will shrink in the dryer

As you can see, there’s a lot of reason to avoid throwing your rug in the dryer. However, there are other ways to dry your rug as well. 

Materials

For drying the rug, we recommend you at least have:

• Enough towels to lay your rug on with at least one to blot out the water
• It is great if you also have a place to hang or drape your rug where it can freely drip water on clean concrete.

Method

Drying your rug is extremely important. Letting it completely dry will make sure to deter unwanted odors. You should follow these steps immediately after washing your rug. To dry your rug, follow these steps:

1. After squeezing out all possible water with your hands, shake the rug to get any excess water off it
2. Lay enough towels out on the ground to spread out your rug
3. Place your rug over the towels 
4. Using your extra towel, press down firmly to absorb water on all sections of your rug
5. If your towel becomes wet, grab another one—we don’t want to be pressing more water back into the rug! 
6. Using this method, absorb as much water as possible
7. Hang your rug in an area where it will get airflow and be able to dry itself the rest of the way

It’s important to note that you do not want to place your rug in direct sunlight—the heat and UV rays of the sun can have a damaging effect on your rug. 

3. Combing and De-matting Your Faux Sheepskin Rug

Right after your rug dries, you might be panicking because it looks matted and definitely not as fluffy and chic as it looked when you first bought it. Don’t worry! This is normal after washing your rug and is easily fixed.

To comb and de-mat your rug, you must wait until the rug is one hundred percent dry. This will allow you to gently get through each hair and get your rug looking new again. 

Materials

To comb out your rug, you will only need a wide-tooth metal comb. 

Method

This process must be done gently or you can rip out pieces of the rug, damaging it in the process. Before you proceed, make sure your rug is completely dry. 

Run your hand through it all the way to the base to make sure of this—otherwise, you may rip out pieces of the rug. 

Follow these steps to comb your rug and have it looking as good as new:

1. Spread the rug in an area where you can get to all sides of the rug 
2. Start at a corner of the rug and gently comb the fur, removing the tangles 
3. Comb the fur in the direction the strands are trying to go 
4. Repeat in all areas of the rug

When you are done combing it out, you can fluff it out by giving it a couple of shakes. Now, you are done! You can place the freshly cleaned rug back where it originally belonged. 

4. Spot Clean Stains on Your Faux Sheepskin Rug

Did you spill something on your rug and don’t want to go through the whole process of cleaning the entire rug? 

There’s an easy way to spot clean spills and fresh stains from your rug. But be warned: if you have waited too long after the spill, this may not get the stain off completely and you may have to wash the whole thing. 

Materials

To spot clean your rug, you will need:

• Mild liquid detergent or castile soap
• Water
• Spray bottle
• Clean cloth or rag

Method

When you just want to clean a single area of the rug, follow these steps:

1. Pour some dish soap in your spray bottle and fill with warm water
2. Feel free to give your spray bottle a little shake or swirl to mix together the water and soap well
3. If there’s any excess liquid from what you spilled, make sure to take a clean cloth and remove as much of it as possible
   1. Press on the stain—do not wipe or it will rub the stain in more
4. Spray your cleaning material on a new clean cloth
5. Press on the stain firmly with your soapy cloth
6. Repeat until the stain is gone, replacing your rag when it is dirty 
7. Once the stain is gone, empty your spray bottle and fill with cold water
8. Spray the soapy area with your water to rinse it off
9. Press with a new clean cloth to dry as much as possible

When you’re done with that, assuming it was a small area and you didn’t completely soak your rug, you can leave it alone to air dry. If your rug is extremely wet from your cleaning, it would be best to hang it up to dry on your Azek decking, if you have one. 

Get Rid of Smells from Your Faux Sheepskin Rug

Is your rug clean but has an odor you can’t seem to get rid of? This can happen if the rug is used by a pet or in contact with moisture a lot. 

There are many other reasons a rug can develop a smell—but the good news is, it can be fixed. 

For this problem, you can use the natural deodorizer of baking soda. Simply follow these steps to remove any smells from your rug:

• The rug should be fully dried before you do this process 
• Sprinkle the baking soda over the entire rug
• Wait at least 6 hours or overnight 
• Shake off the baking soda outside
• Vacuum the rug using a hose—do not use a vacuum made for hardwood floors

Baking soda is an effective and simple way to get rid of any smells that your rug has seemed to pick up.

Maintenance Tips for Faux Sheepskin Rugs

Despite the maintenance being a bit more than regular rugs, thousands of shoppers are buying faux fur rugs. 

This is mainly because they are so luxurious and soft! Now that you know how to clean faux sheepskin rugs, the next step is knowing how to maintain that cleanliness. 

Quickly Wash After Stains

The worst thing you can do for your rug is letting a stain sit on it for too long. This allows the stain to make itself at home and set in your rug. Spot clean your rug as soon as possible. 

Avoid Moisture

It may be tempting, but don’t use your rug as a bathroom mat. Moisture and faux sheepskin rugs result in odors that are hard to remove.

Wash Regularly

It may seem tedious, but washing your rug is an important way to keep it maintained and clean. It is good to make washing your rug part of your cleaning routine. 

Conclusion

Maintaining faux sheepskin rugs takes a little more TLC than other rugs, but it is worth it! A rug that you maintain well and clean regularly makes a wonderful addition to any home. 

Now that you know how to clean a faux sheepskin rug, you can make it part of your cleaning routine as needed. 

Unfinished wood floors add a rustic and charming appearance to homes. However, when it comes to how to clean unfinished wood floors, it gets a little tricky. 

Some cleaners on the market will cause permanent damage to your floors. We definitely don’t want that! In this article, we will go over how to clean unfinished wood floors safely and effectively. 

How to Clean Unfinished Wood Floors

If your everyday cleaning isn’t cutting it and you need something a little deeper, you may need to pull out some materials 

1. Using a Natural Method for Cleaning

If you don’t want to use chemicals or go buy anything to clean up your unfinished wood floor, you can use vinegar to do a deeper clean of your unfinished wood floors. 

Materials

To use this natural method, you will need a few materials to get the job done:

• Vinegar
• Water
• Bucket
• Clean Mop

Method

To clean your floors with vinegar, execute the following steps:

1. Create a vinegar solution using half a cup of vinegar to every gallon of water
2. Pour the solution in your bucket
3. Dip your mop into the bucket and squeeze it out
4. Mop the floor and stains following the grain of the wood
5. Dry the floor with a towel

It is very important to dry the floor with a towel—water and unfinished wood definitely aren’t friends. Leaving any water leftover on your wood can cause damage. 

Some people hate the smell of vinegar. If this is you, or someone in your family, you can get an odorless vinegar or you can use essential oil to help with the smell. 

2. Alternative Method

If you only have a small area to clean, getting out a bucket and a mop can sound like a little bit too much for spot cleaning. 

If this is the case, you can use a spray bottle to spray the solution on. Then, you can use a microfiber towel to scrub the area and clean it. 

How to Perform Everyday Cleaning for Unfinished Wood Floors

Wood floors are growing in popularity. The market for wood flooring is anticipated to be at 16.2 billion square feet by 2024. 

Unfinished wood floors can add some great charm to your home. If kept clean routinely, the floors will survive longer and look better. 

1. Use a Vacuum 

A vacuum is a simple way to clean wood floors. A good vacuum for unfinished wood floors will be specifically marked as a hard floor vacuum cleaner. 

These have the suction lower to the floor, whereas carpet vacuums tend to be a bit higher off the ground to be able to go over the carpet.

You will want a vacuum that has powerful suction—this will allow it to pick up all the debris and dust that are in the grooves of the wood. Vacuuming should be done at least once a week. If you have shedding pets, you may need to do it daily!  

2. Use a Soft-Bristled Brush Broom

If you don’t own a vacuum that does the job completely, you can use a soft-bristled brush broom to gently sweep the floors. 

There are brooms that have stiffer bristles, and using this can potentially damage the floor. So it’s important to make sure you get a soft broom for this job, or even a mop 

Of course, you’ll need a dustpan as well in order to get it off your floor! Sweeping with your broom, or vacuuming, should be done at least weekly to keep your floors looking nice. 

3. Use a Dry Microfiber Cloth 

Dry is the key here. Make sure the cloth is completely dry before using it. If it’s just a little dirt, you can wipe it up easily with this microfiber cloth. It will pick up the dirt from the floor and can be shaken out in the trash. Do this as needed. 

If you use a microfiber cloth on your floors at least once a month, along with a regular vacuuming and sweeping routine, you will avoid needing to use chemicals on your unfinished wood floors, such as your Azek decking. 

How to Clean Stains from Unfinished Wood Floors

Having unfinished wood floors in your home looks beautiful…until there’s a large stain that seems to have soaked into the wood. Don’t panic! We can help you clean that stain right up. 

Cleaning stains can be frustrating—but don’t think about replacing that wood floor just yet. While they may have some maintenance, they are also a healthier choice, proven to improve indoor air quality. You have a couple of cleaning options here that will remove the stain once and for all. 

1. Using Trisodium Phosphate to Clean Stains

If there’s an unsightly stain, you can use trisodium phosphate (TSP) to clean it right up. The great thing about TSP is that it has no fragrance, no bleach, no additives, and it is actually reasonably priced. It cleans anything ranging from mold to stains on your wood floor. 

TSP is a strong cleaner and is toxic—you will want to wear gloves and eye protection while working with it. 

Materials

You will need a few materials to use TSP to clean a stain off your wood floor:

• TSP
• Bucket
• Gloves
• Eye protection
• Hot water
• Microfiber cloth or soft-bristled scrubbing brush
• Clean, dry towel or rag

Method

This should also be on the package of TSP, but you should use ¼ cup of TSP per 2 gallons water to make your solution. Make sure this is hot water. Then, you will need to mix the powder in the water by stirring or shaking. 

Once you have your cleaner ready and your gloves and eye protection on, follow these steps to get that stain off your floor:

1. Dip the microfiber cloth or scrubbing brush in your cleaning mixture
2. Scrub your floors—it is best to go with the wood grain while scrubbing
3. Repeat as needed until the stain is gone
4. Rinse immediately afterward with water
5. Use your clean, dry towel or rag to dry the floor

Again, it’s important to dry your floor promptly when you are done! 

2. Using Mineral Spirits to Clean Stains

Mineral spirits is a deep cleaner that can make a good option for unfinished floors. For this method, you will also need to be safe. Create some ventilation in your room, and wear those gloves and eye protection. It would also be good to wear a mask. 

Materials

This method has the least amount of materials needed and is a simple cleaning method. To clean with mineral spirits, all you need is:

• Rags
• Mineral spirits

Method

To execute cleaning with mineral spirits, follow these steps:

1. Make sure you are wearing your protective gear
2. Using your rag, apply mineral spirits to the rag
3. Work with the wood grain and scrub the stain
4. Repeat as needed until the stain is gone
5. Dry up any remaining mineral spirit with your other rag

When you are done, your floor will be looking as good as new! 

3. Using a Sanding Method to Clean Stains

Sometimes, if nothing else works, you may need to sand the stain down. The good thing about sanding unfinished floors is that you don’t have to retreat it! 

For this method, if it’s a small stain, you can use sandpaper. If it’s a larger stain, you may need to bring in a sander. When using a sander, make sure that you do not stay in one spot for too long—this can cause the floors to look uneven.

Some professionals offer this service as well if you aren’t comfortable using a mechanical sander. 

What Not to Do to Clean Unfinished Wood Floors

Cleaning your floors is important, but there are some mistakes that people make quite often that can cause damage to your floors. 

We don’t want you to make the same mistake! We’ll talk about the top three mistakes people make when cleaning unfinished wood floors that you can avoid. 

Do Not Use Wet Cleaning Methods Without Drying

Some of the methods require water—but it is extremely important to dry your floors entirely. Never leave water, especially sitting water, on your unfinished wood floors. 

Do Not Use Products Not Specifically Marked for Unfinished Wood Floors

A lot of products on the market are made to clean finished and treated wood floors. Make sure the cleaner you are using specifically states it’s made for unfinished wood floors, and not for cleaning concrete floors. 

Otherwise, it could be too harsh for your floors and cause permanent damage. If you are determined to use it, test it on an inconspicuous area first to make sure there is no reaction. 

Do Not Use a Hard-Bristled Brush

Using a hard-bristled brush and a lot of force will scratch the unfinished wood, especially softer wood types. 

Always make sure to use a soft brush for any type of scrubbing you are doing. Even then, we recommend that you use a lighter touch with any bristles. 

Conclusion

While unfinished hardwood floors can truly add a lot of rustic charm to your home, maintaining and cleaning them can be tricky. 

However, after reading this article, you have all the information you need to succeed and keep those unfinished hardwood floors looking as good as new! 

When it comes to shoes, the outside tends to get more TLC than the inside. Cleaning the inside of a shoe is just as important as cleaning the outside. It also helps your shoes smell fresh and last longer. 

How to Clean Insoles: 3 Methods

Are you now wondering how to clean insoles? We will go over the best methods in this article. 

1. Use Soap and Water

It’s natural for the inside of a shoe to get dirty and potentially smelly over time. In fact, the most active sweat glands are in our feet. It makes sense that, over time, the inside of our shoes become dirty or smelly. 

The good news is, cleaning it with soap and water is very simple! If you have insoles that are any material besides leather, you can use this method.

Something to note here is that while soap and water will have your insoles looking better and smelling better, it does not kill any bacteria that your shoes have collected. 

If you dry it on your Azek decking, the sun can help with killing bacteria. You also can use shoe spray or baking soda after using this method to kill the dirt and the smell. 

Materials

For the soap and water method, you will need:

• Soap
• Hot water
• Large bucket or tub
• Stiff-bristled brush

You can use any type of dish soap or liquid laundry detergent as your cleaning soap of choice. Either one of those will work—but don’t use any hand or body soap for this task.

Method

To clean your insoles with soap and water, follow these steps:

1. Fill your bucket or tub with warm water
2. Pour some soap into the water 
3. Take your insoles and dip them in the water, swirling them around a bit to activate the soap
4. Pull one insole out and take your brush and scrub the insoles
5. Repeat the process with the other insoles
6. When your insoles look clean, place them on a clothesline outside or on a towel inside and let dry

Make sure your insoles are completely dry before putting them back in the shoe. There you have it! A simple method to get your insoles looking cleaner and smelling fresher. 

2. Use Vinegar and Water

Vinegar will help clean your insoles, kill the odor, and also kill the bacteria lingering inside. While this method is simple as well, it takes a bit more time than the soap method. You can use this on most materials of insoles, just don’t use this method on leather insoles. 

Materials

For this method, you will need:

• Vinegar
• Hot water
• A bucket or tub large enough for the insoles to submerge

Method

Some people don’t like the smell of vinegar. If you’re one of those people, you can use drops of essential oil in your cleaning mixture, or you can look for odorless vinegar. 

Follow these steps to use vinegar to clean your insoles:

1. Create your cleaning mixture with a vinegar to hot water ratio of 2:1 in your bucket or tub
2. Place your insoles in the bucket or tub
3. Leave submerged for at least three hours
4. Remove the insoles and scrub them if there’s any visible dirt
5. Dry the insoles on a clothesline or a towel inside

Again, you’ll want to make sure that your insoles are completely dry before inserting them back into your shoes. 

3. Use Baking Soda

Baking soda helps remove odors from many places, and insoles can be one of those places. This method includes no water or submersion in water, so it is safe for all materials of insoles, including leather. 

Materials

To follow the baking soda method, you will simply need:

• Baking soda
• Ziploc large enough for the insoles

Method

So, how do you clean insoles with baking soda? This method will deodorize your insoles but will not remove any dirt from insoles. To complete this method, follow these steps:

1. Place baking soda in the bag—at least a couple of ounces
2. Put the insoles in the bag with the baking soda
3. Shake the bag to cover the insoles—the more you cover, the better
4. Make sure that the upper side is completely covered
5. Leave for at least 6 hours or overnight
6. Shake off any extra baking soda
7. Let them rest for a while 

After that, you can put them back in your shoes. Fresh smelling insoles have never been easier! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Before we wrap up this article, let’s address some commonly asked questions regarding insoles cleaning.

What If I Can’t Remove My Insoles?

Are you looking to clean insoles that aren’t removable or part of sandals? For these, it’s a little tougher to clean as you can’t remove them to dump them in your cleaning materials. 

For this, you can use baking soda to absorb the smell. You can sprinkle them in the shoes, wait a couple of hours or overnight, and then shake out the baking soda. This should eliminate some of those smells. 

There are also shoe sprays and pouches that should remove the smell and the bacteria. Look for some shoe deodorizers, and you can use those on shoes that do not have removable insoles. 

For sandals, you can use the soap and water method, but you’ll have to get a little creative on how to do it. You can place soap directly on the insole in your sandal and scrub around the straps. Let them dry in the sun outside. Once they are dry, you can sprinkle baking soda to deodorize. 

What If I Have Leather Insoles?

Leather insoles are a little different because water tends to warp leather. You definitely don’t want to soak leather insoles in water directly. 

For these, you can use a similar method and materials as above. You can use the baking soda method on leather insoles, as there is no water involved.

For the other methods, instead of dunking the insoles in the water, you can dampen a cloth with your cleaning mixture and dab at the parts you want to clean of your insoles. 

When you are finished, you can dab at them with another cloth that is moistened with water. Then, you can let dry and reinsert. 

Why Should I Clean Insoles?

If your insoles don’t look dirty and don’t smell right now, do you even need to clean them? We recommend cleaning insoles become a monthly routine at least. Why? Because they absorb sweat and bacteria from your feet. 

While no one sees your insoles, your feet are touching them directly or through a sock every time you wear them. It’s best to clean them regularly, especially if you aren’t wearing socks with your shoes. 

How Can I Keep My Shoes From Smelling?

Now that you know how to clean your insoles, you may be wondering how to keep them from smelling and getting dirty again.

Clean Them Often

The best way to keep your insoles clean is to introduce a regular cleaning routine of insoles. You can clean them monthly or bi-weekly if they are shoes you are often wearing. 

When you tackle this job more often, it keeps your shoes clean and also lets you catch the problem before it’s noticeable. 

Wear Socks

Obviously, we aren’t going to ask you to wear clean socks with sandals. However, if you are wearing low-cut shoes, you may be foregoing the socks. 

It is much better to get some no-show socks and wear those with your shoes. This helps the sock take all the odor and most of the bacteria instead of the insole.

Of course, your insole will still get some of the odor and bacteria, but wearing a sock will definitely help cut that down. 

Change Your Socks

Stress is a significant factor in smelly feet, so if you get particularly stressed during work, you may look into having some extra socks in your office to switch those out. 

This will keep your feet smelling fresh. If you don’t feel like changing socks in the middle of the day, look into socks that have high absorbency, such as merino wool. 

Replace Your Insoles

If you have particular shoes you need to wear for work or a favorite pair of shoes that are always your go-to, the heavy usage can lead to dirty insoles. 

Even with regular cleaning, the life of an insole is only so long. If you are cleaning it regularly and it seems to be wearing down, instead of getting all new shoes, consider buying a new insole for your shoes. 

Use a Shoe Deodorizer

There are many shoe deodorizers out on the market. There are sprays, pouches that have charcoal in them, and many more. 

Using these regularly on your shoes can prevent them from smelling and prevent you from having to clean more than the recommended amount. 

Conclusion

Cleaning your insoles is an often forgotten task until it’s noticeably dirty. With the methods we’ve outlined, it doesn’t have to be a daunting task! 

Cleaning insoles should be something you do regularly to help your shoes last longer and smell better. Everyone likes a fresh-smelling shoe, and with these methods, you can keep your shoe insoles smelling and looking great! 

Awnings give a unique look to a home and offer protection from the sun and other elements while you are outside enjoying your space. 

Awnings are durable and can withstand quite a bit of weather and elements. However, over time, awnings do tend to build up on dirt and grime and need a wash. If you’re wondering how to clean awnings fabric, you’re not alone!

A lot of people will realize one day that their awnings are looking a little dirty and wonder, how do I clean those? We will cover how to clean your fabric awnings in this article.

How To Clean Awnings Fabric

Awnings have been around since ancient Egypt and Syria. Their ability to shield the home from the bright, direct sun has been in use for longer than we normally realize! 

Yours probably look a lot different than the ones used in ancient Egypt, though. They might even be able to be controlled through your smartphone! 

The first step in washing the fabric of your awning is preparation. A prepped awning washes much simpler and cleaner than one with no preparation. There are different preparation steps for attached awnings vs. removable. We’ll go over those now.

How to Prepare Removable Awnings for Cleaning

If you have removable awnings, the preparation is a little different than if your awnings are permanently attached. You’ll first want to take them down to make the process easier. 

Some types of awnings are difficult to remove. If this is the case for you, it might be best to wash in place. Look at the next section if you aren’t feeling up to the task of removing them. 

Materials

To prepare your removable awning for washing, you will need:

• Ladder
• Old sheet or tarp (optional)
• Broom
• Awning’s directions on how to remove 
• Hose

Method

In order to properly prepare your removable awning for washing, follow these steps:

1. Follow the directions on how to remove your awning—all manufacturers have different steps, so it’s important that you follow the directions for your brand.
2. Be careful for taller awnings—make sure your ladder is properly placed with both legs on the ground. 
3. Lay out your tarp or sheet and place the awning on top of it.
4. Sweep away any excess leaves or dirt.
5. Flip the awning.
6. Sweep away any excess cobwebs on the underside.
7. Using your hose, run water over both sides of your awning to remove any loose dirt.

After following those steps, your awning is ready to be washed! 

How to Prepare Non-Removable Awnings for Cleaning

Awnings that are attached or non-removable must be washed in place. This isn’t hard to do when you prepare properly!  You may opt to use this method if your awnings are difficult to get off and back on, as well. 

Materials

For non-removable awnings, you will need slightly different materials than you will for removable awnings. To prepare properly, you’ll need:

• Tarps or coverings
• Ladder
• Broom
• Hose

Method

To properly prepare your awning for a wash, follow these instructions:

1. Cover anything nearby that you don’t want to get wet with your tarps or coverings, this includes furniture, shrubbery, flowers, etc.
2. Set up your ladder near the first awning you want to tackle—remember, safety first! 
3. Using your broom, brush all the dirt and debris that you can from the awning.
4. Pay attention to the bottom, as well, and knock down any cobwebs.
5. Use your hose to remove any loose dirt from both sides of the awning.

Now, you are ready to wash your attached awnings! 

Washing Your Awning

The moment you’ve been waiting for: it’s time to learn how to clean awnings fabric. There are different methods again for attached awnings and removable awnings. We will go over two methods: hand washing and machine washing.

If your awnings are attached, you will be on a ladder the entire time. If you have already removed your awnings and they aren’t machine washable, you will be able to do this on the ground with your awning.

Hand Washing Your Awnings

Hand washing the top of awnings is relatively simple if you have the right materials on hand. Luckily, it’s something that doesn’t need to be done more than once a year unless you are noticing dirt and debris. 

Materials

With the proper materials, cleaning the top of awnings is a breeze. You will need:

• Dish soap or mild detergent
• Warm water
• Cleaning bucket
• Baking soda
• Sponge
• Soft-bristle brush
• Ladder (if awnings are attached)

Method

Depending on where your awning is, you can follow these same steps on the ground or on a ladder:

1. Create your cleaning mixture
   1. Use your soap or detergent and warm water until you have a soapy mixture
   2. Add in baking soda and mix together well
2. Use your sponge to get a good amount of cleaning mixture on the awning
3. Let soak for a while to make sure the mixture penetrates the surface—remember these are made to withstand water and elements! 
4. Use your soft-bristled brush to scrub and activate the mixture, removing the dirt
5. Repeat the same process on the underside of the awning
6. Rinse both sides well with a hose 

For drying, leave the awnings extended if they are attached until they are fully dry. If they aren’t attached, lay them out in a sunny area, like your Azek decking, where both sides can get good airflow. 

Machine Washing Your Awnings

Check the tag on your awnings. You may be one of the lucky ones who has a machine washable awning! While this sounds extremely simple, you still will need some materials to get the awning down and in the wash.

You should still follow the preparation steps. At this point, you will have the awnings down already and rinsed off any extra debris.

Materials

To machine wash your awning, you will need:

• Mild detergent
• Washing machine

Method

Take your rinsed awnings from the end of the preparation step and follow these steps:

1. Place your awning in the wash with your mild detergent
2. If there are stains and mildew, you can optionally add non-chlorine bleach or color-safe bleach
3. Set your washer for a gentle cycle—although they are built to withstand elements, washing machines can be rough on awnings
4. When the cycle is complete, hang dry your awnings in the sun outside
5. Make sure they are completely dry before hanging them back up

And, there you have it! Clean awnings to return to your windows. 

Removing Stains or Mildew from Your Awning

Did you finish washing your awnings and now you’ve noticed there’s either mildew or stains leftover? Don’t worry, this has a simple solution.

Materials

You’ll need similar materials as you used when you washed the awning, but one added ingredient, non-chlorine bleach or color-safe bleach depending on your awnings.

Method

First things first, create your cleaning solution in a bucket:

• Use a large tub and mix together a ratio of bleach, soap, and water using the ratio 2:1:32
  • This means water should take precedence here with 32 c for every 2 c of bleach. You can take your best guess at this, it’s more of a guidance than anything! 

The method differs for removable awnings and attached awnings. If you have a removable awning, follow these steps:

1. For removable awnings, soak the awning in the mixture for at least 15 minutes
2. Remove the awning and hose it off well to make sure no bleach remains
3. Repeat for stubborn stains, adding in some scrubbing if needed
4. Rinse entirely
5. Hang to dry

For non-removable awnings, you obviously can’t soak the material! Instead, follow these steps:

1. Dip your soft-bristled brush in the bleach solution and work on the stained or area with mildew in a circular motion
2. Re-wet your brush frequently
3. Continue working on it until it is gone
4. Alternatively, you can dump some on and wait a few minutes before going to scrub it
5. Rinse off your awning well
6. Let dry in extended state

Following this method, the mildew or stain will be gone in no time! 

How Often Do I Need to Wash My Awning? 

Now that you know how to clean awnings fabric, you may be wondering just how often you need to do this. 

Awnings are on the rise in popularity and are expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.4 by 2024. That’s for a reason other than the elemental protection! They are also relatively simple to maintain. 

An awning consists of material that can withstand the elements. It only needs help cleaning itself when it’s noticeably dirty or one time a year. Whichever happens first! If you have a large tree, you may need to clean off the leaves from the awnings in fall more often than if you didn’t have that tree. 

If you catch the leaves soon enough, it may be as simple as wiping the leaves off and not having to go through the full wash process—it depends on if there are any stains left behind! 

Conclusion

Cleaning your awnings doesn’t have to be a difficult task. You can follow the methods above to have your awnings cleaned in no time. Remember to make this a yearly habit and you shouldn’t need to use anything heavy duty to clean your awnings fabric. 

A window air conditioner is a breath of air on a hot summer day. That is unless it’s exceptionally dirty. If your window air conditioner unit is dirty, it may be making the air smell weird, running extremely loudly, or not working as efficiently. 

Symptoms like these are probably leading you to wonder how to clean a window air conditioner without removing it. 

Removing a window AC can take a lot of time, effort, and labor. It is tedious, to say the least. So, it’s important to know some methods about how to clean your window unit without removing it and reinstalling it completely. 

How to Clean a Window Air Conditioner Without Removing It

Okay, so you’re ready to take on the task of cleaning your window AC unit as long as you don’t have to remove it from the wall. 

With a little setup, preparation, and elbow grease, you’ll be able to clean that unit all on your own. Plus, you can do it all without removing it from the wall. Let’s get started. 

Components You’ll Be Cleaning

If you’re new to the world of air conditioning units, the terminology can get confusing very quickly. We’ll talk about each component and where you’ll find it. That will make the next couple of sections a breeze! 

• Filter: This is what filters the air that your window unit is pushing into your home. It should be able to be removed easily and slide out of the air conditioner.
• Front Panel (or grill): This is what you look at every day. It’s the front of your unit and the part that faces you.
• Control Panel: This is what you use to control your window unit. It typically has the temperature, the fan setting, and other settings you can control.
• Adjustable louvers: This is what the air blows out of on a window unit. Some units have levers that can be moved up and down which allow you to direct the airflow. 
• Fins: This is the part in the window air conditioner that look like fish fins. They are close together and wavy. They can sometimes get smashed and dirty, so we will give them some TLC.

Materials

You’ll want to gather your materials, so you have them on hand ready to use. Gathering your materials will help the job go much smoother. Get together the following:

• Warm water
• Dish detergent
• Soft-bristled brush
• Spray bottle 
• Clean rags
• Tarp or newspaper to lay under the AC to collect dirt
• A screwdriver compatible with your unit
• Your user manual
• New filter, if using disposable filters
• Vacuum with a brush attachment
• Compressed air (optional)
• Fin comb if your fins are smashed or especially dirty (optional)

Once you have everything ready, you can get set up to clean your window unit without entirely removing it.

Preparation

There are a few things you need to do before you start cleaning your window air conditioner. Follow these steps, and you’ll be ready:

• Spread out your tarp or newspaper directly under the unit
• Shut your unit off
• This step is extremely critical: unplug your unit completely
• Remove the filter
• Remove the front panel (or grill) with a screwdriver

Make sure you place your screws in an area where you won’t easily lose them—that would cause an unnecessary trip to a hardware store to get replacement parts. 

After you have completed these steps, you are ready to begin cleaning the window unit.

Method

Cleaning the window unit may seem difficult with all the things you need, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. 

There are a lot of steps, but each of the steps are simple to complete. By the end of this article, you’ll be a pro. 

To clean your window unit, take your prepared unit, and follow these steps:

1. If you have access to a hose, take the parts you removed outside and hose them down, this will remove a majority of the dirt
2. If you don’t have access to a hose, create a cleaning solution of warm water and dish detergent. Spray your cleaning solution over all parts of the front grill, louvers, and control panel and let that sit for a while.
3. Use a dry brush to brush off any loose debris and dirt from the front grill, louvers, and control panel. Use the dry brush to clean what you can from the filter without water. Then, wash with water and remove all the dirt and grime, let that sit to dry.
4. Take your vacuum and turn your attention to the AC unit on the wall. Vacuum the majority of the dirt and grime out of the unit
5. Take your cloth and wet it in your cleaning solution and wipe over the inside. Don’t worry about electronics here: they are made to withstand water—plus, you unplugged your unit
6. Spray the inside of your unit with your cleaning solution and wipe everything down 
7. If you have your fin comb, use this in the fins to remove water and properly space the fins again
8. If you have compressed air, spray this in areas that are hard to reach with your cloth and fingers. Let this dry, and let’s turn our attention back to the front panel
9. By now, your front panel has soaked in the cleaning solution for a while. So, let’s take our brush and scrub any remaining dirt off of it
10. Let all parts of the AC dry—you can help it along with a dry cloth, but be careful not to squish your AC fins
11. Finally, put your AC back together (this is the part where you may need to consult that manual!) 

It looks like a lot of steps, yet following these steps one by one is easier than you think. 

How to Maintain Your Window Unit

After that deep clean, you probably don’t want to be doing that every day. It can be a time-consuming practice. Don’t worry! Now that your unit is clean, the maintenance is a lot more simple. 

1. Replace the Filter Often

In the peak of summer, if you’re using your window air conditioner regularly, you may replace or clean the filter at least one time a week. 

This will prevent debris from building up long term. When you aren’t using it constantly, you can do it bi-weekly or even monthly.

2. Clean the Front Panel Often

Even if you are simply brushing it with a dry rag or using a soft-bristled brush on it, making sure the dust is off the front of the unit is very helpful to your window unit.

3. Complete a Deep Clean Every Other Month

To keep your window air conditioner in top shape, you will likely need to clean it bi-monthly when it’s in use. 

This sounds like a lot, but remember, it’s taking in all the air from your dirty concrete and cleaning it for you to cool down the house. It’s doing a lot of work, so we need to make sure to keep it in good condition! 

4. Store the Unit Properly When Not in Use

The best thing to do during winter (especially if you live where it gets very cold) is to take the unit off and store it. 

Rain and snow can build up in your unused AC unit and cause mold, clogging, or other problems that you definitely don’t want to face. It’s best to store it somewhere covered, away from your decking, where it won’t have to face the elements! 

Why Should I Clean My Window Unit?

We get it. It sounds like a whole lot of work to complete the steps above to clean your window air conditioning unit. 

The maintenance seems more doable, yet the initial clean seems like a drag. This is all for a good reason, though. Here are our top reasons we have found which show the importance of cleaning your window AC:

• A dirty AC unit can add 15% to your AC bill
• A dirty AC unit can cause the AC to not work as efficiently
• A dirty AC unit can dramatically increase allergens in your home
• A dirty AC unit can make the unit work unnecessarily hard and increase the sound of the unit as it’s working
• Finally, a dirty AC unit can actually make your home smell due to pushing dirt back into the home

Hopefully, this has convinced you to keep your unit maintained and clean as well as possible! If you aren’t feeling up to the task, there are professionals that will give your window unit a great clean for you. 

Conclusion 

After following the cleaning steps and keeping up with maintenance, your window air conditioning unit will certainly be performing better and pushing cleaner air throughout your house. 

You may notice a decrease in bills, as well! All of those positives are definitely worth the time and work it takes to learn how to clean your window air conditioning unit. 

Has your gas can become unsightly on the inside or the outside? If so, you are probably wondering how to clean a gas can. Many homeowners own gas cans, but cleaning becomes a little bit trickier when it comes to gas. Instead of buying a new one, we will go over how to clean a gas can. 

How to Clean a Gas Can: The Outside 

Sometimes, the outside of the gas can will attract dirt, grime, oil, and other things that give it an old, dirty appearance. If you’re trying to put your gas can in a car, you may not want a dirty gas can to sit in your clean vehicle. 

It’s pretty easy to clean the outside of the gas can. We will go over how to do just that! 

Materials 

To clean the outside of a gas can, you will need:

• Dish soap
• Soft-bristled brush
• Water
• Bucket to hold soap and water (optional)

Preparation

You need to do a couple of things to prepare before you start cleaning the outside of a gas can. It is best to make sure that the gas can is completely empty. If there is gas in the can, either use it up or dispose of it properly. 

Make sure to look up the regulations in your area on how to dispose of gas properly—it is a hazardous material, so this is an important step. 

If you’re looking for what kind of dish soap to use, Dawn is more effective than any other at cutting down grease and oil.

Cleaning Steps

When you’re ready, follow these steps to clean your gas can:

1. Use warm water and drops of dish soap—no particular ratio is needed
   • If using a bucket, prepare a mixture
   • If using no bucket, place the drops 
2. Dip your soft-bristled brush in the water if using a bucket
3. If no bucket is being used, place your soap directly on the soft-bristled brush
4. Scrub the dirty areas of the gas container
5. Make sure to rinse and re-wet your brush often
6. Feel free to turn the can over to reach all of the areas
7. Rinse with water 

How to Clean a Gas Can: The Inside 

Cleaning the inside of a gas can seems like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve rounded up the best methods to clean the inside of a gas can. 

There are more than “100 million plastic gas cans in circulation in the U.S.”. Cleaning them doesn’t have to be a mystery.  

All Methods: Preparation

First, properly dispose of any leftover gas in the gas can as per your local regulations. Most of the time this will be at a hazardous waste disposal site. 

Remove the top of the gas can. This could be a spout or a cap. You can clean that with any of the methods, but we need an open container to clean. 

Another important reminder is to make sure you are not next to an open flame or any sparks while cleaning—we know you probably know that already, but just a quick reminder! 

Method 1: Dish Soap

Just as dish soap can clean the outside of your container, it can work on the inside as well. This is the best method for gas cans that haven’t accumulated a lot of dirt on the inside. For this, you’ll simply need a few materials:

• Dish soap
• Access to hot water
• Agitators such as screws (optional)

To clean a gas can with dish soap, you can follow these steps:

1. Drip some dish soap in the gas can
2. Partially fill the gas can with hot water
3. Cover the top of the can with your hand or the cap
4. Shake the can vigorously 
5. Dump the water out
6. Repeat as needed
7. If the mess on the inside isn’t cleaned up, add your agitators
8. Add dish soap and hot water
9. Shake again
10. Repeat as needed
11. Rinse well with water only

The agitators here will help with any particularly stubborn sludge. They help act as a cleaning and scrubbing agent without you having to do any actual scrubbing. 

When you are done, make sure all of the dish soap has been rinsed out well. Let dry in an area that will have plenty of airflows, like an open and clean concrete, and make sure it is completely dry before using it for gasoline. 

Method 2: Pine-Sol

For a bit tougher sludge, you can use the ever-famous Pine-Sol to clean your gas can. The method is relatively similar to using dish soap, but it does have a ratio you can follow for the best results. For this method, you will need:

• Pine-Sol
• Access to hot water
• Agitators such as screws (optional)

If you want to know how to clean a gas can with Pine-Sol, follow the steps below:

1. Create a Pine-Sol to water mixture using a 2:1 ratio
2. Pour in the gas container
3. Let soak for a while (depending on the degree of sludge, could be one day to 24 hours)
4. Add your agitators (optional step)
5. Shake vigorously
6. Dump out the mixture
7. Repeat if needed
8. Rinse well with water

Like the dish soap method, the agitators help remove any particularly touch sludge. Make sure to rinse well with water only. When you are done, let your newly cleaned gas can dry in the outdoors, your clean Azek decking, or somewhere with good airflow. 

Before using, make sure that you have let dry completely and there is no water leftover before filling with gas. Gas and water don’t go together very well. 

Method 3: Official Fuel Tank Cleaner

If the other methods have failed to remove your gas can sludge or varnish, you can go to an auto company and look for a fuel tank cleaner. There are multiple brands on the market that will work to help you clean your gas can. 

Make sure to do your comparison shopping, and read all instructions before you begin. For most brands, you will still need to make sure that your gas can is fully dry before you use it for gas. 

When Do I Need to Clean a Gas Can?

You may be wondering, why do I need to know how to clean a gas can? They are meant for gas, after all. If I’m only using gas, shouldn’t I just be able to use it again? 

In some ways, yes, and in other ways, no. Let’s discuss when you need to clean a gas can (and why!).  

1. When You Have Old Gas in the Can

Gas can get old. Generally, if it’s been in storage for longer than you can remember (and you don’t remember putting fuel stabilizer in it), you may want to dispose of it and start over. Why? 

• Gas can evaporate: There are chemicals that help vaporize gas to make things that need it run better. These chemicals are the first to go when gas starts evaporating. This can cause slow turnover, less power, and worse fuel usage. 
• Gas can become contaminated: Old gas can either have condensation, rust, bacteria, or more. This happens more often if it was not sealed or stored properly. 

2. When You See Black Coatings

If you see black coatings in your gas can, that’s generally a sign to clean it. This is often sludge or varnish that has accumulated from the gas.

The gas that has been stored in the can may also let out hydrocarbon deposits that will cause black coatings. To best prevent contamination, if you see black coatings, you should start planning to clean that gas can. 

3. When You’re Not Sure What’s In It

Not quite sure that what’s in your gas can is actually gas? Does it seem to be gas, but you can’t quite identify what it is? 

Better safe than sorry here. The best course of action is to take that unknown material to a hazardous waste station (just in case) and follow one of the methods above to clean out your gas can. 

4. When You Get a Used Gas Can

Did you just acquire a gas can from a friend or neighbor or buy some online? If you’re not positive that it was recently used for gas, it’s probably a good idea to clean it before using it for gas. 

The problem you can face here is having some old, build up sludge or varnish that could contaminate your new gas. If acquiring a new-to-you gas can, it’s always best to examine it and make sure it looks clean. If unsure, it’s better to quickly clean it using one of the methods above than to risk contamination. 

Conclusion

There are many reasons you may want to clean a gas can. It can seem intimidating to clean hazardous material, but there are ways you can do this quite easily. Make sure when you are finished to let the can dry completely before you use it for anything else. 

Are your shoes losing their once like-new qualities? Are you looking at your shoes, wondering how to clean yellow soles? When soles are new, they have perfect soles. Over time, it is natural for them to turn yellow for many reasons. However, you can make them look new again using a few different methods! 

How to Clean Yellow Soles: a Guide

Your soles have turned yellow, and now you’re looking for a method that works to clean those yellow soles. There are a few methods out there that will make your shoes look new. 

In the process, you may get off some of the bacteria on the soles of your shoes, too. According to a study done by Arizona State University, shoes are even dirtier than toilet seats.

Use Baking Soda (and Hydrogen Peroxide If You Have It!)

You can use common household items to clean your yellowed soles. Baking soda has been used as a cleaning agent, especially when mixed with hydrogen peroxide.

Baking Soda Only 

Only have baking soda around the house? No problem. First of all, make sure you have at least an old toothbrush sitting around that you can use for cleaning shoes. Make sure it’s one that will never be used for brushing teeth again! 

Otherwise, you could try using a paper towel or napkin, but a brush with soft bristles will work much better. Then, simply follow these steps:

1. Mix the baking soda with water using double the amount of baking soda to water
2. Use the brush to scrub the yellow soles
3. Rinse the soles
4. Observe the result in good lighting
5. Repeat as needed
6. Dry by a vent or under the sun covered with tissues

Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

This mixture will be more powerful than the baking soda only. If you have both household items around and a soft-bristled brush, follow these steps to clean your shoes:

1. Create a mixture using two parts baking soda to one part Hydrogen Peroxide and one part water
2. Use the brush to scrub the yellow soles
3. Rinse the soles
4. Observe the result in good lighting 
5. Repeat as needed
6. Dry by a vent or under the sun covered with tissues

Clean Yellow Soles with Toothpaste

Do you have whitening toothpaste around? You can use that to clean your yellow soles! Ideally, the whitening toothpaste would be white and not a gel. Otherwise, it may leave some stains or not work as efficiently. 

Toothpaste isn’t for stains that are set in deep or tough stains, but it will work in a pinch on newer stains. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Use an old toothbrush or a soft-bristled brush
2. Use the same method you would as brushing your teeth—wet the brush, and start scrubbing
3. When you are done scrubbing, rinse the shoe off completely
4. Leave to dry by a vent or under the sun (covered with tissues!)

Clean Yellow Soles with a Magic Eraser

A magic eraser doesn’t only clean bathtubs and counters. You can use that same magic eraser on those yellow soles. For this method, follow the instructions on the magic eraser. Often, all you have to do is wet the magic eraser, squeeze, and scrub. It will do its magic in no time! 

Clean Yellow Soles with a Shoe Whitener

If none of these methods work for you and you’re looking for something guaranteed, you may search for a shoe whitener. There are products out there that can work to help restore your yellow soles back to white. 

If you follow this method, pick a shoe whitener and purchase it. Make sure to read all of the instructions thoroughly before you begin. Follow all the instructions, and you should have restored white soles when you are complete. 

Clean Yellow Soles with Bleach

While bleach is definitely a quick way to get your yellow shoes white again, it actually contains some yellow in it. This means if it is improperly cleaned (even by accident), yellowing will speed up. 

If all other methods fail, you can use bleach. We suggest for longevity to try the other methods first. Only use this as a last resort!

If you must use bleach, make sure to:

1. Wear gloves
2. Create a 1:1 ratio of bleach and water
3. Use a soft brush to scrub the shoe using your bleach-water
4. Rinse extremely thoroughly immediately after—use a different soft brush to scrub the mixture off
5. Repeat if needed
6. Dry by a vent or in the sun covered with tissues

Bleach is extremely effective at removing yellow from white shoes! There are times where this may be necessary. Using the method above, you should be able to get the best results without sacrificing your shoe to a future of quick yellowing. 

How Not To Clean Yellow Soles

While the methods we mentioned are the best way to clean yellow shoes, there are methods we do not recommend. Some methods can cause problems down the road, such as continued (and increasingly fast) yellowing. 

Do Not Clean Yellow Soles with Laundry Detergent

You may be tempted to throw your shoes in the wash using laundry detergent. We do not recommend this method for white shoes for a few reasons:

• Your shoes might not be made to withstand the washing machine, causing damage to the shoe
• If the detergent is not thoroughly washed off, it can cause the shoes to yellow further

Detergent can actually be a cause of why your shoes are yellow. If you keep throwing them in the wash, they may look good for a while but quickly return to their yellowed state. 

For other color shoes, this is a proven way to get rid of the bacteria. Washing shoes with detergent can help cut down on the transfer rate from shoes to tile. 

The shoe to tile or hardwood floor transfer rate is an alarming 90 to 99 percent! It is even more on carpets. So, while we don’t suggest it for white shoes, feel free to do it for other colored shoes that are machine washable. 

Why Do Soles Turn Yellow?

Have you cleaned your shoes thoroughly and now want to know why they yellow in the first place? There are a few reasons white shoes turn yellow over time. 

The Sun

The sun can cause a chemical reaction called oxidization that causes shoes to turn from white to yellow, especially after a wash. If you leave your newly white shoes out to dry in the sun, you should cover them with tissues. Otherwise, you may come out to some yellow shoes and have to start the process all over! 

The sun will naturally cause yellow discoloration over time, but leaving wet white shoes to dry in the sun unprotected is a sure way to speed that process up. 

Dirt

Repeatedly stepping in the dirt will not only make your shoes dirty, but it can leave discoloration even after the dirt is wiped off. White soles turning yellow from dirt happens naturally over time and can’t be fully avoided. 

Leftover Detergent or Bleach

If any detergent or bleach is left on the shoe, the shoes will turn yellow quickly all over again. This is why we don’t recommend this method unless it’s a last resort. If you do need to use bleach or detergent, make sure to cleanse it off the shoe as best as possible. 

How Can You Prevent Yellow Soles?

White is the cleanest looking color, but it’s also easily dirtied. Keeping them looking like new is important to many people, especially when they are some of your favorite shoes! 

Don’t Wear White Shoes in the Mud

Okay, so this one may be unrealistic. Many people don’t intentionally step in bird poop covered concrete with their white shoes. However, if you know you’re going to a place where your shoes will get dirty, maybe leave those pearly whites in your closet. 

Clean Your Shoes As Soon As Possible

The dirt residue that causes the yellowing of shoes gets worse over time. Especially if dirt is left on there for a long time. So, when you inevitably step in some mud with your white shoes on, make sure to clean it at your earliest convenience. This will at least cut down on the time you spend re-whitening your soles. 

Regularly Clean Your Shoes

To avoid the long process of whitening shoes, you should clean your shoes regularly. This does not have to take a long time. You could simply make sure the dirt is removed after you get home and take them off.

If you happen to notice them yellowing slightly, do a quick version of the whitening process. This may seem tedious, but it will certainly help cut down your time in the long run! 

Conclusion

When you see your white soles yellowing, don’t worry! It is a natural thing to happen and is easy to clean. Once you have found the method that works for you, make sure to dry them by a vent, in your clean Azek decking, or out in the sun covered with tissues. 

After your soles are clean and white again, try to keep up with maintenance, and you won’t need to worry about how to clean yellow soles anymore.