Cleaning Tools of the Trade

In the vintage/ reselling world, a fair amount of of cleaning and mending must be done.  Any good junk picker has a slew of products used to spiffy up their finds. 

Here is what works for me:

1) Mixture of olive oil and vinegar- I believe this is a 3:1 mixture. Dab a small amount on a soft cloth and buff into wood items.  It moisturizes, cleans, and makes the wood look so much brighter and better.

2) Baking soda paste- Apply to scorched pans and scrub.  I completely removed the scorching from an adorable fondue pan that I thought was beyond help.  I also recently let a pink Pyrex pie plate soak in a baking soda/ water mixture to help remove scorching.  I am not a particularly clean cook, but seriously people!!!  How are you scorching every cute pan and container that I come across??

3) Magic Eraser- Or rather, I use the Dollar General generic version.  I use this to remove the annoying grease pencil prices written on thrift store items.  I also use it to remove any stains/ marks from kitchenwares.

4) Silver polish- Brightens up any silver objects, including silver plate.

5) Shout Stain Remover- This removes EVERY stain from polyester, including rust stains.

6) Bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap- This is good for stains in cotton fabrics which can be more difficult to remove.

7) Goo Gone- Removes the pesky remnants of price stickers.  Lighter fluid also works for this.

Comments

Frugal Scholar said…
Love your blog. Your adventures sound a lot like mine--esp in my younger days.

How about MAGIC MARKER--permanent. Alcohol doesn't always work.
Thanks, Frugal Scholar!! I really enjoy your blog also. :)

Sadly, I have found nothing really effective for permanent marker. :(

Gloria said…
Have you tried acetone? AKA nail polish remover. There exists non-acetone remover so check the label.

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