How to Clean Stubborn Stains

When you’re a kid, summer was the time to relax. No school, no homework and no worries. Your life was totally carefree for three glorious months.

As an adult...not so much.

You work, run errands, the kids are home from school and there are birthday parties, barbecues, slumber parties and graduations. You cook up a storm during the summer for friends and family. You love the hustle and bustle, but your kitchen and cookware suffers from a lot of use and a little neglect.

Sometimes hours pass before you realize there’s an awful stain on your counter tops, pans or other surfaces. By the time you see it, the stain is hard and grimy. To clean anything that’s caked on, try a few simple tricks.

1.    Cover the stain with soapy water and walk away. Play with your kids. Walk the dog. Watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix. Then come back. Sometimes letting warm water sit on the stain can loosen it enough to clean it off of whatever surface it’s stuck on. You can also repeat this multiple times as needed.

2.    Depending on the surface, try spreading a small amount of abrasive cleaner over the stain. Let it stand and then scrub.

3.    If you have a particularly greasy stain, use a cloth dipped in white vinegar. Clean the surface and then wipe with another cloth soaked in warm, soapy water.

You needn’t let a lack of time or stubborn stains ruin your summer. When you’re busy, these simple cleaning hacks can save you time and give you peace of mind. With a little ingenuity and elbow grease, your kitchen will absolutely sparkle all year long.

Answers, price, selection. West Coast Appliance and Furniture locally owned since 1980.

Located at 6439 Crater Lake Highway, Central Point.  

The Right Way to Wash Wool

Spring is on the horizon. You can almost taste it through the recent rain and windy weather. The scales are beginning to tip and the upcoming forecast shows more sun than rain clouds.

Now is the time to use the remaining cold, rainy days to properly clean and store your winter clothes. For most of us, our wardrobe is cotton or polyester based. Wool is an underutilized winter fabric. Wool blankets are perfect for snuggling up by the fire and wool sweaters are a staple at the ski lodge. But when spring rolls around, wool is the last thing on your mind.

It’s time to pack up and store your winter clothes. Before doing so, you need to wash everything so it stays fresh during the off season. How do you go about washing a unique fabric such as wool?

Our Speed Queen laundry tip says it all. To refresh wool and retain the integrity of the fabric, put washable wool in a mesh bag on a gentle cycle. Lay flat to dry. And, you’re done! It really is that simple.

Where you wash your clothes is just as important as how you wash them. A Speed Queen washer is built to last longer and clean better. It spins each load as it drains, so no dirt is left behind on your laundry. Fresh and clean every time; Speed Queen has you covered.

It’s time to embrace spring! Wash your wool and store it. Warmer weather is on the way.

Answers, price, selection. West Coast Appliance and Furniture locally owned since 1980.

Located at 6439 Crater Lake Highway, Central Point.  

3 Ways to Naturally Remove Stains

Summer provides additional opportunities for dirty clothes — stains from mud, dirt, grass and food — but let’s be realistic. Stains happen 24/7, 365 days a year. Stains don’t know which season it is or how little time you have, or may not have, to treat them. When stains happen, you need a handy set of tips and tricks to combat them.

1.         Act now

            The first tool in your stain-fighting arsenal is time. Treat stains quickly because the two things which makes stains permanent is time and heat. It’s not always realistic to drop everything to clean a stain. But at least wash out the stain quickly and then let the clothing sit in salt water until you can return to it later. The salt naturally starts to break down the stain and keeps the fabric from drying out. Make sure you completely remove the stain before drying the fabric.

2.            Vinegar is your best friend

            Vinegar works well on most stains. Simply rinse the stain; then soak in vinegar and water. Like magic — presto! — the stain disappears.

            If you have a protein stain, such as blood, eggs or meat juices, you’ll use a different method. Rinse the stain in a lot of cold water. Sometimes this removes the stain and you don’t need to go past this step. If it’s a stubborn stain, soak the clothing in cold salt water. Do not use hot water as it will set the stain into the clothing. After soaking, rub with a mild soap and rinse again in cold water. Launder as usual once the stain is gone.

3.            You’re very own DIY stain remover

            Lemons are pleasant in iced tea or water. They also have tremendous stain-fighting power. Lemon essential oil works as a natural stain remover. It can corrode plastic, so keep your mixture in a glass spray bottle. Here’s a simple and effective recipe:

• 1 cup vinegar
• 10 drops lemon essential oil

To use: Combine vinegar and lemon essential oil in a glass spray bottle. Spray onto stain, soak and wash as usual.

There you have it! Easy and natural tips to keep stains from ruining your clothes — or your day.

Answers, price, selection. West Coast Appliance and Furniture locally owned since 1980.
Located at 6439 Crater Lake Highway, Central Point.