In the same way that we love to refinish and restore your furniture to make it look shiny and new – we know you like to make the rest of your house shine as well! We’ve put together a few techniques for keeping things extra bright around the house!
Shine silver with banana peels or toothpaste
Is your grandmother’s cherished silver tea set tarnished? Polish it with banana peels or toothpaste. Whichever you use, rinse the pieces well after wiping them clean and then buff then dry with a soft cloth.
Banana Peels – Remove the banana, and massage your silver with the inside of the peel. For tougher tarnishes, puree the peel in a blender, and massage in the paste. Remove with a soft cloth.
Toothpaste – Rub non-gel white toothpaste onto the tarnished pieces and work it in with a damp soft cloth.
Cleaning monitors and TV screens
Less is more when cleaning a computer monitor or TV screen: Turn off the monitor, and then simply dust with a clean cloth, preferably an anti-static wipe. Wipe the creen with a clean cloth barely dampened with water, from top to bottom: if fingerprints and other marks remain, add a small amount of white vinegar to the cloth and wipe again. Liquid crystal displays (LCD) laptop screens should be wiped very lightly, and only with a clean cloth (paper towels can scratch the sensitive surface). Never clean an LCD screen with commercial glass cleaners, which contain ammonia, acetone, ethyl alcohol, or other substances that can do serious damage.
Keep glass tabletops sparkling
If you have a glass table, you’re used to cleaning it often to remove smudge marks. To add a nice shine every time, squeeze the juice of a halved lemon onto the surface and rub it with a clean cloth. Remove any excess juice, then buff the tabletop with a wad of newspaper.
Mirror, mirror …
Your mirrors will show a nary a streak if you wash them with equal parts water and white vinegar. But it’s your technique that matters: Spray-cleaning a mirror can end with moisture seeping behind the glass and turning the silvering black. Instead, dip a clean sponge or wadded-up newspaper (without colored ink) into the solution and clean the mirror. Wipe dry with a soft cloth, a paper towel, or more newspaper.
