How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free

How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free

2 How to Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free | www.tradeplumbing.co.uk

How to Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom

Stain-Free and Still Save Money

Introduction

Before you begin any cleaning task, always remember the most important lesson:

Start the process of removing any stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain

sits and sets, the harder it becomes to remove. This White Paper reviews the most

common types of stains, and describes some of the simple, environmentally friendly

and inexpensive things you can do to remove them.

How to Identify the Six Different Types of Stains

How many of us know that the colour of the stain indicates which mineral is building

up on the surface, and that different minerals need to be treated in very different

ways? Here are the six most common colours of stain that can be found in almost

every bathroom and kitchen, and how to deal with them:

Red or Brown Stains

These stains result from rust, or iron in your water. Rust deposits along the edge of

the surface are a common problem for those residing in an area with high iron

content in the water. There are certain kinds of bacteria that thrive in such water,

and these are responsible for creating this red or brown residue. There are several

ways of dealing with this problem, and you may have to experiment with more than

one method to find out which works best for you.



• A mixture of borax powder and lemon juice proves effective in certain areas.

Apply the paste to the rusted areas and allow it to dry before rinsing.

• Oxalic acid is a very effective rust remover. For best results, rinse after

applying a solution of one part oxalic acid to ten parts water.

• You can also use a combination of scouring powder, cream of tartar, and

hydrogen peroxide. This mixture takes approximately half an hour to remove

the stains. Scrub the stains, let the mixture sit, and then rinse it away.

Green or Blue Stains

These stains result from copper or acid in your water. When water is too acidic, it is

heavily laden with brass and copper contents. The result is blue or green stains on all

your plumbing fixtures. These stains slowly wear away all of your fittings. Acidic

cleaners or any all-purpose cleaner can remove these metallic stains. You can get

acidic cleaners in all forms—many toilet, bath or kitchen cleaners available on the

market are acidic.

• Among household products, white vinegar is a very effective agent for

removing brass and copper stains from sinks. Lemon juice, which contains

citric acid, is equally as effective.

• Phosphoric acid, which can be helpful in removing these greenish stains, is

commonly found in stain removing products, while oxalic acid is especially

effective as a rust remover.

• A heavily diluted combination of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid can be used to

remove long-term and extremely stubborn stains.



Brown or Black

These stains result from manganese and other minerals in your water. Because of

the presence of calcium and magnesium in water, hard deposits called limescale

gather on sinks. Common cleaners do not work as effectively on these deposits. You

can remove limescale with any solution containing "sequestrants". These are

compounds which prevent minerals from chemically bonding with other minerals to

produce scum, film, or limescale. Here are some examples of the more effective

sequestrants available:

• The combination of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide

• A solution of one teaspoon Calgon water softener in one gallon of water

• A mixture of white vinegar and baking soda

• Two to four tablespoons of trisodium phosphate mixed in one gallon of water.

Cleaning Products and their Methods of Removing Stains

There are three main groups of cleaning products. Each group has their own

advantages and disadvantages:



ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

Natural Cleaners Cost-effective

Environmentally friendly

Harmless if ingested

Most effective on simple stains

May not work on all stains

Takes time to see results

Chemical Cleaners Concentrated

Fast-acting

Highly effective

Dangerous if ingested

Can damage some surfaces

Special disposal often required

Commercial

Cleaners

Product is guaranteed

Convenient to use

Clear instructions for use

Expensive

Dangerous if ingested

Only effective on specific stains

Some of the most recognisable examples of these 3 cleaning groups can be found in

your own home. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the most commonly used cleaners.

Natural Cleaners:

• Baking Soda

• Lemon juice

• Vinegar

• Cream of Tartar

• Soap Nuts



Chemical Cleaners:

• Bleach

• Hydrogen Peroxide

• Borax Powder

• Oxalic Acid

• Diluted Hydrochloric Acid

Commercial Cleaners:

• Soft Scrub

• Barkeeper’s Friend

• Dettol

• Bath Rubber

• Flash

Baking soda is probably the best general-purpose

natural cleaning tool there is. As an alkali, it can soften

hard water, improve laundry performance under hard

water conditions and even remove hard water

calcification spots. Because it's an abrasive, you can

also use it to clean almost anything. Read an article

about the uses of Baking soda.

http://www.softscrub.com/

http://www.barkeepersfriend.com/

http://www.dettol.co.uk/home.shtml

http://www.diybathrepair.com/html/stain_eraser.html

http://www.uk.pg.com/products/products/flash.html

http://www.bakingsodabook.co.uk/baking_soda_book_cleaning.shtml



As both lemon juice & vinegar are mildly

acidic, they are great for removing rust

stains, cutting through filmy residue on

glass and ceramics, and sparkling up your

sink and toilet.

You can also add a squeeze of lemon to

your other homemade cleaning products

to add a fresh, lemony scent. Find out

more about natural kitchen acids.

Normally used for baking, cream of tartar is a

powder that can simply be mixed with water to

create a powerful cleaner. Great for cleaning

aluminium and stainless steel, a well-mixed

cream of tartar cleanser is all you need to get

those kitchen appliances shining. Learn more

about Cream of Tartar.

http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm

http://razorfamilyfarms.com/crafts/cream-of-tartar/

http://razorfamilyfarms.com/crafts/cream-of-tartar/



Soapnut shells are economical and leave your

surfaces fresh and clean, eliminating the need

for artificial softeners. Natural and chemical-

free, simply add a few nuts to cold water, bring

to the boil and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

Then soak a clean cloth in the mixture and wipe

away those stubborn stains. Discover the

secret properties of Soapnuts.

Cleaning with bleach is one of the best ways

to disinfect your home and remove stains.

Use bleach, diluted in warm water, as a

powerful cleaner. Making sure to wear

rubber gloves, dip a clean cloth in the

solution, wipe down the affected area and

after 10 minutes, rinse it with a fresh damp

cloth. Understand bleach better.

Hydrogen peroxide works best on stains that are protein-

based, on carpets, grouting and work very well as

deodorisers. However depending on the acidity level of

the cleaning product used, it may not work as well on

hard floors, since it could damage the surface layer.

Check out this page on hydrogen peroxide.

http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/

http://www.clorox.com/our_story/article.php?subsection=understanding_bleach&article_id=using_bleach

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/64/1/Hydrogen-peroxide-tips.htmlhttp:/www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/64/1/Hydrogen-peroxide-tips.html



Borax powder, made from the naturally occurring

mineral sodium borate, has many applications and is

widely used as a cleaning agent. It acts as a water

conditioner, controls alkalinity and can be used to clean

walls and floors. It leaves sinks and toilets sparkling and

is a very effective stain remover. Find out more about

Borax.

Oxalic acid is widely used in commercial rust

removers as an acid rinse, where it is extremely

effective at removing rust stains. A weak diluted

solution will remove rust stains from tubs and sinks,

but caution must be taken as this substance is toxic.

Learn how to use acid cleaners safely.

Hydrochloric acid in particular needs to be handled with

great caution. Ensure you have adequate ventilation.

Heavy gloves, eye protection and mask must be used.

Dilute the acid to a 60% acid 40% water solution. Apply

the mixture and scrub the area with a toothbrush or a

soft bristle brush. Once the stain is removed, quickly

rinse the area.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5104186_borax-powder.html

http://www.ehow.com/about_5104186_borax-powder.html

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/acidcleaners

http://cartwright.chem.ox.ac.uk/hsci/chemicals/hydrochloric_acid.html

http://cartwright.chem.ox.ac.uk/hsci/chemicals/hydrochloric_acid.html



Simple tips to prevent damage to your surfaces

Always take the condition of your porcelain fixtures into consideration before using

any cleaner. An older sink that is stained may have lost its finish, in which case the

stain could be permanent, and some cleaners may make it even worse.

There are also circumstances where it is not advisable to use an acid solution,

depending on the particular type of fixture or fitting being cleaned. An example of

this would be porcelain enamel. As it is a glass surface fused to a metal base it is

advisable not to use acid cleaners on these types of surfaces.

Porcelain enamel is acid-resistant but not acid-proof, and the glass coating can be

gradually dissolved by repeated contact with acids, exposing the metal underneath,

and resulting in a lot of damage.

Keeping Yourself and Your Family Safe

• Use only one product at a time

• Rinse well before applying a different cleaning product

• Respect any instructions given and follow them exactly

• Never mix chemicals as this can be extremely hazardous

• Keep cleaning products out of the reach of little hands



Conclusion

Always give the product you’re using time to work. Don’t think a product is useless if

it doesn’t start acting immediately. You may have to wait up to 30 minutes for the

product to get to work once you’ve put it on a stain, before you start seeing visible

signs of cleaning.

If you follow these simple tips, you can easily keep your bathroom and kitchen

sparkling clean and be sure you and your family are safe from chemicals; all while

saving money and being kinder to the environment.



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Date post:	03-Sep-2014
Category:	Business
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How To Keep Your Kitchen and Bathroom Stain-Free

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