Regular sponges can harbor dangerous bacteria and spread them to your kitchen counters.sponge purple image by robert mobley from Fotolia.comMold and bacteria thrive in warm moist conditions, which are often the same conditions in which dish rags, cloths and sponges are used in the...

Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide that is used as a food-thickening agent and gluten substitute. Xanthan gum is extracted from soy, corn and other plants. Those who are allergic to gluten use xanthan gum to replace gluten in baking. The substance typically comes in powder form. You may have difficulty

Natural-fiber wool rugs will last for many years when they are cared for properly. To protect your investment and ensure the lasting beauty of your wool carpets, it is important to keep them clean. Over time, the buildup of dirt, oils, air pollution and other debris can affect the appearance of your

A shop safety policy is a set of rules and guidelines developed to decrease the likelihood of an injury from an accident or misuse of equipment. Create shop safety guidelines that are easy to understand, and make sure everyone in the shop follows them.

After washing your dog's bed in the washing machine and removing it from the appliance, hair may remain in your washer's drum. Yet, the amount of hair left behind is typically much less than what was originally on the dog bed. You can manually remove the remaining hair or use another load of laundry

When it comes to removing fabric stains, certain homemade remedies are just as potent as commercial chemical stain removers. If applied promptly and before the stain is allowed to set in, a homemade solution may remove all traces of the stain, making the fabric look like new.

Whether you are nervous or hot from the heat, at some point or another, you are likely to end up with sweat stains on your clothing. If your sweat-stained garment is dark in color, you will want to proceed with caution so your garment doesn't end up bleached or discolored. Using supplies from home,

Certain areas of your home are at greater risk for experiencing the feathery blue or green signs of mold and mildew growth. These areas include your bathroom, laundry area and basement. You can take action to get rid of mold and mildew in your basement and prevent it from coming back.

An oil stain can create an unsightly eyesore on the floor of your garage. In an area where you walk, oil can easily transfer to the bottoms of your shoes and get tracked into your house and onto the carpet. Removing this kind of stain may seem like an insurmountable task, but it's fairly simple.

Pizza sauce stains are usually a mixture of tomato sauce and grease. Treatment for this kind of stain, therefore, must use methods that will work on both. Fortunately, many stain-removal products are formulated for tough stains like these, so you've a good chance of removing pizza stains from almost

Your deck floor is exposed to the weather elements, so it's no wonder it doesn't always look like it did when you first installed it. Leaves, pine needles, mildew, sap and even just plain dirt leave your wood deck looking less than attractive. You don't have to sand and stain your deck just to resto

Cat urine has a high ammonia content, which leaves a strong smell and can cause discoloration on your carpet. The best way to remove cat urine stains and smells from your carpet is to clean it quickly and thoroughly. Even if you're unable to get to the cat urine stain right away, a thorough cleaning

Keeping your tile floors clean and shining like new requires a regular maintenance routine. Most modern-day floor tiles are sealed, so restoring the shine doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment and chemicals. Regular cleaning helps ensure that floors retain their shine for many years, as dirt

Mildew is a fungus that thrives in warm, humid environments, making bathrooms a particularly good place for mildew to become a problem. The grout between the tiles in your bathroom is especially susceptible to becoming covered with mildew, because it is porous and can stay wet from baths and showers

Cleaning a spill like tequila from your car's carpeting is no different from cleaning liquid spills from any type of carpet. Because your car is an enclosed area, however, you should clean any liquid spills as soon as possible to deter mold growth. You don't need any expensive cleaning solutions to

With the right care, the cover to a gas grill stays clean and new for many cookout seasons. Whether lighting up the grill for a special occasion or just a family meal, the end of the occasion ends with cleanup time. While the inside needs careful cleaning to ensure food safety, the outside and cover

Weber gas grills must be cleaned periodically to remove grease and residue that accumulate during the barbecue season. Clogged burners will decrease the efficiency of your grill, and grease buildup on the racks can affect the taste of your food. Fortunately, cleaning a gas grill is easy and does not

Plastic vertical blinds can become quite dirty without routine maintenance. The advantages of plastic vertical blinds are that you can use most cleaning detergents and dusters to clean the blinds without harming them. If your vertical blinds are stained with mildew, you most likely will need to remo

Over time silver coins and money can tarnish, corrode or become dirty from dust, dirt and residue. Before attempting to clean the coins, you should determine their value. Some silver coins have numismatic value, or a collector's value, which can diminish if the coins are cleaned or no longer appear

The gooey components in caulk allow the substance to find its way onto many surfaces, including your clothes. The soft texture allows it to penetrate into threads, and as the caulk dries it bonds to the fabric, much like glue. Caulk turns rubbery as it dries and may unravel fabric threads if you try