SOFT SWAB
Amy Weber soaks her mops in fabric softener to make them soft and odorless; Barry Ginsbarg, A. Bartley, N.M. McGee and Larry Maras share cleaning applications for cooking oil; Nellie Chestnut uses instant coffee to touch up minor wood scratches; Alice Terry washes windows with dishwasher detergent; Ted Clair, Jr. cleans his radial saw blade with oven cleaner; Chris Martin collects dog hair and scatters it in his garden to scare off critters; Joyce Mason wipes down the inside of her refrigerator with vinegar to prevent mildew; Rick Baldwin shares a homemade poison ivy remedy; Angie Tower cleans her sink and tub with toothpaste; Margaret Slafka cleans stainless steel appliances with rubbing alcohol.
May/June 1988
Reader letters
COUNTRY LORE
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After using my string mop, I rinse the head in cold water and then soak it for an hour in a bucket of warm water into which I've mixed a capful of fabric softener. No more stiff and smelly mops for me.
—Amy L. Weber
Valdosta, Georgia
For Oil We Know
When I work on my car, I invariably get grease all over my hands and under my fingernails. This is tough stuff, but every last bit comes off (the odor, too) with vegetable oil. After rubbing it in really well, I add a little dish detergent and water, rub some more and wash it off. The oil also gets rid of that sticky residue from adhesive labels.
—Barry Ginsbarg
Delano, California
Instead of turpentine or gasoline, I use cooking oil to take paint off my hands. It's much kinder to skin, and it also doesn't smell for a long time afterward like the spirits do.
—A. Hartley
Middletown, California
When spring cleaning involves getting behind and under such large appliances as the washer, dryer or refrigerator, they can easily be moved by rubbing some cooking oil in front of the casters and giving a little pull.
—N.M. McGee
Daly City, California
My spring cleaning includes the cast-iron woodstove. When the evenings are finally warm and the stove is cool, I shovel out the ashes and any debris, then wipe the exterior with a damp cloth. When it's dry, the metal is given a light coating of vegetable oil. This restores the rich black finish and makes the stove look like new. If you try this, remember to open the windows for a few minutes when you light the first fall fire, as any remaining oil will smoke a bit.