Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean: Second Edition

by Linda Cobb

Overview

NOW UPDATED WITH MORE EASY, TIME-SAVING TIPS FOR TURNING YOUR HOME INTO A SPARKLING PALACE!
Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean®
The down-to-earth housekeeping guide that brought the Queen of Clean® into your home is now better than ever! As always, her marvelous collection of tips and shortcuts gives you the keys to conquering dust, rust, stains, gum, clogs, odor, mildew, smudges, scratches, allergens, pet problems, and water damage. And she works her magic with the hidden cleansing powers of natural, inexpensive ingredients such as baking soda, lemon juice, petroleum jelly, tea, vinegar and more. Now, the Queen expands her domain with:

More penny-saving tips...
Thrifty hints for frugal living.

Waste not...
Don't trash it! The Queen finds fun, creative uses for everyday products.

An ounce of prevention...
Foil common household problems before they begin.

The Queen's favorite tales...
Happy endings to the most unusual and daunting cleaning challenges!

You'll also find handy sidebars, an updated index, and a revealing cleaning quiz to help you measure your status as a domestic diva.
Never be a slave to housework again!
Includes Helpful Hints From The Royal Guide To Spot And Stain Removal!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780743490405
Publisher:	Pocket Books
Publication date:	04/06/2004
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Previously the owner of a cleaning and disaster-restoration business in Michigan, dealing with the aftermath of fires and floods, Linda Cobb started sharing her cleaning tips in a local newspaper column. After moving to Phoenix she became a weekly guest on Good Morning Arizona—then the product endorsements and requests for appearances started rolling in. A featured guest on radio and television shows across the country, Linda Cobb lives in Phoenix with her husband.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

Beating the Bathroom Blues

Over the years I have found that there is one room that generates question after question and that room is the bathroom.

Once, when I was eating in a wonderful little Chinese restaurant, the proprietor — an elderly Chinese gentleman — followed me into the ladies' room to see if I thought his bathrooms were clean. He was using the methods that I had recommended on television and was making his own cleanser from my recipe. Let me tell you, his bathrooms were spotless! It made me think that of all the rooms in your house, the bathroom is probably the room that most guests always see and have the most private time to observe. I have tried virtually every cleaning product on the market and developed many of my own "Queen's concoctions" — what follows are the best and easiest cleaning tips I can offer.

Cleaning Fiberglas™ Showers and Tubs

Heat white vinegar until it is hot, but not too hot to pour into a spray bottle and work with. Spray it on the shower and tub heavily. Wait 10-15 minutes and then moisten a scrubbing-type sponge with more of the vinegar and scrub down the shower, using additional heated vinegar as necessary. Rinse well and dry.

Removing Hard-Water Marks

Many plastic-type tubs have a dimpled slip-proof bottom that defies cleaning. I have found that using a good gel cleaner or a mild cleanser, such as the homemade types listed on page 14, and a piece of fine drywall sandpaper (looks like window screen) works the best. Cut the sandpaper into a workable size, apply the cleaner and rub. Use this only on dimples in plastic and Fiberglas™ tub and shower bottoms.

Stubborn Spot Remover for Showers

For stubborn shower spots and scum buildup, use a dry soap-filled steel wool pad on a dry shower. Do not allow water to become involved in this process, as it will cause the steel wool pad to scratch. Follow up with the vinegar process described at the beginning of this chapter.

Keeping Plastic Showers Clean

To make shower upkeep simple, apply a coat of car wax. Do not use this on the floor of the tub or shower. After showering, use a squeegee to wipe down the shower door and walls, and your shower will stay clean and you'll have fewer problems with mildew.

Cleaning Porcelain Tubs

To clean and polish a porcelain tub and remove stains, make a paste of powdered alum (available in drugstores) and water. Rub well, as if using cleanser. For stains, make a paste of powdered alum and lemon juice; apply and let dry, then moisten with more lemon juice and rub well. Rinse thoroughly.

Borax and water is also a great cleaner for porcelain. Make a paste and rub well, then rinse.

Keeping Tile and Grout Clean

You can keep ahead of grout cleaning if you use a dry typewriter eraser on dry grout to remove mildew and stains as they appear. For bigger problems, make a paste of baking soda and chlorine bleach and apply to the grout. Let dry and then rinse. Do this in a well-ventilated area, using care near carpet or fabric. Even the fumes of chlorine bleach can remove color from towels left hanging in the tub area.

Tile and Grout Cleaner

Combine 2 parts baking soda, 1 part borax and 1 part hot water, adding additional water as necessary to form a thick paste. Apply to the tile and grout and scrub with a soft brush. Rinse well.

Cleaning Soap Scum and Mildew Off of Plastic Shower Curtains

Put the shower curtain in the washing machine with one cup of white vinegar, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your favorite liquid laundry detergent, and several old, light-colored towels. Fill the washer with warm water and run through complete wash and rinse cycle. Remove from the washer and hang on the shower rod immediately.

Cleaning Mineral Deposits from the Shower Head

Fill a plastic sandwich bag with undiluted white vinegar. Tie this around the shower head and leave overnight. In the morning remove the bag, scrub the head with a brush and it's ready to use.

Cleaning Chrome Faucets

Use white vinegar on a cloth or sponge to remove water spots and soap scum. Dry and buff with a soft cloth. Rubbing alcohol is also a great spot remover. Apply, then dry and buff.

To shine chrome or any metal fixture in a hurry, use a used dryer fabric softener sheet on a dry fixture.

Removing Hair Spray Residue

You can use this formula to remove hair spray residue from any hard surface — vanities, tile, floors, walls, etc. Mix a solution of 1/3 liquid fabric softener and 2/3 water in a spray bottle. Spray on the surface to be cleaned, and wipe. Not only does it remove hair spray, it also acts as a dust repellent and shines vanities beautifully!

Removing Bathtub Decals

Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the decals and heat with a blow-dryer on high. Work up the edge of the decal with a dull straight-edge (credit cards work great) and keep applying the heat as you pull. If the decal is stubborn, lay down the foil as necessary and heat well and peel again. To remove the residue try petroleum jelly, denatured alcohol or nail polish remover. Test these products in a small area first before applying.

Cleaning Shower Door Tracks

Plug the drain holes in the door track with a little bit of paper towel made into a ball. Pour in undiluted white vinegar. Let this soak for 30 minutes, unplug the holes and rinse the track with a spray bottle of water and run a rag down it. This will flush the accumulated build-up out of the track.

Toilet Tips

If you have indoor plumbing, then you have to clean the toilet once in a while, whether you like it or not. Follow these tips and it will be a breeze:

Tang™ Tune-Up

To keep your toilet clean and your dog happy, put several tablespoons of Tang™ Breakfast Drink in the toilet before you leave for work or at bedtime. Let it soak, use your toilet brush to swish around under the rim, and flush. The great thing about this is you don't have to worry if the kids get into the toilet bowl cleaner.

Removing Hard-Water Rings

Shut off the water at the toilet tank and flush. Spray undiluted white vinegar around the inside of the toilet, then sprinkle borax onto the vinegar. Let soak about 30 minutes and then scrub with a piece of fine drywall sandpaper (looks like window screen — available at hardware stores and home centers). If you have an old hard-water ring you may need to repeat this several times.

Plop-Plop-Fizz-Fizz Cleaning

Drop a couple of denture-cleaning tablets into the toilet and let sit overnight. Brush under the rim with your bowl brush and flush.

Copyright © 1998 by Linda Cobb

Table of Contents

	Introduction	xiii
	Are You a Domestic Diva?	xvii
1.	Royal Flush	1
2.	Kitchen Duty	11
3.	Cleaning Products You Should Never Be Without	32
4.	Waste Not ...	43
5.	Rust Never Sleeps	48
6.	Leather Report	51
7.	Taming Dust Bunnies without a Whip	56
8.	Floor Cleaning--Now Step on It	59
9.	The Queen's Royal Carpet Treatment	67
10.	Today's Wood--Tomorrow's Heirlooms	78
11.	Wall to Wall	83
12.	Sitting Down on the Job--Upholstery Cleaning Made Easy	91
13.	Meticulous Marble--Leave No Stone Unturned	96
14.	Pet Projects	101
15.	Kidding Around	111
16.	The Nose Knows--Odor Control	121
17.	Hot Tips for Irons and Ironing Boards	129
18.	Taking Charge of Electronic Equipment	132
19.	Rogues' Gallery--the Care and Hanging of Pictures	137
20.	Paint by Numbers	141
21.	The Grill Drill	147
22.	Everything under the Sun for Patio Furniture	152
23.	All Hands on Decks	156
24.	Concrete Solutions for Cleaning Cement Driveways and Patios	160
25.	At the Car Wash	164
26.	Do Away with Window Pains	168
27.	Flower Power	174
28.	Bug Out--User-Friendly Pest Control	180
29.	Your Best Foot Forward	186
30.	Turning Down the Heat on Fire Damage	191
31.	The Big Drip--Water Damage Restoration	198
32.	Taking the Achoo out of Your Air Ducts	203
33.	Stop the Science Experiment--Mold and Mildew	206
	Resource Guide	211
	Index	221

Editorial Reviews

Dan Davis Good Morning Arizona, KTVK-TV, Phoenix Let's face it, cleanup problems are a stain on all of us, but since the Queen has been on the show we have all become sponges, soaking up every drop of information she has. And now with this book, the information...or sponge...is right there in your hands.

Carole Arnold The Carole Arnold Show; Metro Talk 14 KNOR Radio, Oklahoma City She's witty, warm, a walking encyclopedia. Linda Cobb knows how to take the 'oops' out of life!

Pat Simon The Pat Simon Show, WJBO Radio, Louisiana Linda Cobb is the undisputed Queen of Clean....If there's anyone who has the answers to the tough cleaning questions, it's Linda!

Joe Daily, morning show host WBNR Radio, New York Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her cleaning tips are both effective and fun. When Linda talks dirty everybody listens. She truly is the Queen of Clean.

John Nuzzo WBVP Radio, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania We all look for solutions to life's little accidents that spot our daily lives. Linda helps with simple remedies using everyday products. Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean is a must-read and a book to have at your side at all times. You're in for a real treat.

From the Publisher

It is simply amazing how much cleaning Linda Cobb can accomplish with a cadre of vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, club soda, and Spot Shot. Now readers can achieve the same when armed with Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean. Cobb, the Queen of Clean, shares her tips on how to repair scratches in wood -- lightly color over with a matching crayon, blow-dry it to melt the wax, and then buff with a soft cloth...what scratch? So the next time you need a handy solution to a household puzzler, reach for Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean.

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