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Show " Do you groan at the thoughts of washing down the walls? Getting organized makes the job so-0-0 much easier. Just as with painting, you need to prepare the walls. Start by erasing all the marks you can with the art gum eraser . For the more stubborn spots, use baking soda on a soft damp rag or regular toothpaste applied with a cloth over the tip of your index finger. Spray crayon marks with WD-40, WD-40, wipe with a paper towel, then with a cloth dipped in a solution of hot water and dishwashing detergent. deter-gent. For Magic Marker spots, use hair spray (the cheapest brands work just as well) or rubbing alcohol. If this doesn't do the job, use denatured alcohol carefully and sparingly only on the spots. ) Now you're ready to wash down the walls. You'll need two nice, big natural (not plastic) sponges; two buckets; a third container for wringing dirty water from- the sponge; drop cloths (fabric not plastic; plastic gets slippery, especially when wet). Wrap your wrists with strips of terry cloth held in place with rubber bands. Put clear warm water in one bucket and your cleaning solution in another. (It can be commercial or It Makes Cents By Vi Judge Blake ! : , homemade. See recipes below.) Put down your drop cloths. Now, ready, set, go! Wet your sponge and start washing with long steady strokes. Start at the bottom and work up to the ceiling. (You will appreciate the wrist . wraps as you work up.) Do one whole wall without stopping; otherwise the stop marks will show. Some cleaning solutions do not require rinsing, but a final rinse with clear water is better and it doesn't take that much extra time. Dip a clean sponge in the warm water, squeeze out most of the water, and go over the wall you just washed. Repeat with all walls. Recipe for Homemade Cleaning Solution: One gallon warm water, 1 cup ammonia and one teaspoon mild dishwashing liquid. Some Tips for Cleaning Wallpaper: Grease spots: Apply a paste of cornstarch and water. When dry, brush or vacuum off. OR: Put a double fold of brown grocery bag paper over the spot and iron it with a warm iron. Repeat until the spot is gone. Crayon Marks: Baking soda on a damp cloth. Or rub gently with a soap-filled steel wool pad. Or (for vinyl wallpaper) rub with silver polish. Other stains: Since you won't always know what they are, try an art gum eraser or a ball of soft white bread. Vinyl wallpaper can be washed with one of the above homemade cleaning solutions. Dear Vi: I prefer liquid detergent for washing clothes in the machine. To make it go farther, I measure the amount for a load and rub all of it into the soiled spots on wet garments and let it soak while I do another load. Don't add more detergent when you wash the pre-treated pre-treated clothes. There is already enough detergent on them. This is another little thrifty I use all the time: Instead of discarding paper written on one side only, I cut the sheets into halves or fourths and staple them together to make scratch pads. I keep one of these by each telephone, in my purse, on the desk, and in the kitchen for grocery lists and errand plans. I staple a piece of cardboard to the back of the one for the kitchen and glue a magnet on it so (See VI BLAKE on Page 7A) VI BLAKE (From Page 5A) that it can be held in place on the refrigerator door. The pre-gummed note pads you buy may be handier, but these serve the purpose and they cost nothing. Every little bit adds up. READERS: Thanks for sharing your good ideas. Send yours (and your questions) to IT MAKES CENTS, 328 So. 300 E. 5, St. George, Utah 84770 or e-mail (viblakeinfowest.com.) If used here, I'll send you $2 or a copy of one of my booklets, "Kitchen Tricks," "Vinegar, the Homemaker's Best Friend" or "What Else is it Good For." Please state your choice. |