Dear Cleaning Lady: My mom gave me her old cast iron frying pan which is really rusty. I’d like to save it if I can - should I throw it out or is there a way to make is usable again? Thanks, Sue C. Dear Sue C.: Don’t throw it away - you can clean the rust and bring the pan back to life with the following steps: 1. Place pan over low heat and put a few turns of oil in the pan. 2. Sprinkle a handful of kosher salt over the oil (leave the pan on burner for this entire exercise). 3. With a paper towel, scrub the salt into the...

In the past year three of my close friends all shared a dirty secret - they had bugs in their cupboards - specifically an infestation of tiny moths, beetles or weevils in their dry goods (flour, sugar, cereal, dog food, etc.). Each of these friends are fastidious house cleaners so it doesn’t matter how clean you are, you are not immune to this risk. How did they get them then? Usually the bugs come to you already in the food you have purchased at the store - dried pet food is a common carrier. They all had the hardest time getting...

Dear Cleaning Lady: How do I get rid of cooking odors? I cooked a seafood medley on Sunday and this is Wednesday and I’m still smelling it, all through the house! My house is small and older so it doesn’t have a stove fan and I can’t afford to install one. What can I do? Sincerely, Rita Q Dear Rita Q: Great question! Here are some ways to get rid of funky kitchen odors like fish: Set out a small bowl of vinegar (hooray for vinegar - the Cleaning Lady is ready to start a fan club) next to the stove to absorb odors - it will take a...

Winter is here and if you live in a snowy area, chances are you deal with salt stains on boots and shoes. Salt stains are best dealt with as quickly as possible before the salt really gets a chance to stake its claim and ruin your boots permanently, especially when it comes to suede. Here are two methods to try to kick the salt to the curb: Removing salt stains from leather: Combine 1 TBS white vinegar (our favorite natural cleaning agent to the rescue again) with 1 cup lukewarm water. Dip a clean rag in the solution and rub on the...

For many of us, the holidays means entertaining. Not have some friends over for pizza entertaining but special occasion entertaining. Now is the time to pull out the china, silver, serving platters, and other special occasion items that are pretty much rarely used most of the year. As a lot of these items stay hidden in a drawer, they sometimes aren’t in top condition when we go to pull them out. Especially when it comes to silver. Silver tarnishes easily, yet cleaning silver sounds more time consuming than it is; plus, no need to run to the store for special silver cleaner -...

The holidays are officially here and with family and friends gathering for celebratory food and drink comes the inevitable spills. Don’t panic - here are some tips on how to treat some common holiday spills - the key is to act fast before the stain sets! Coffee: Soak up excess coffee with a clean white towel. Make a solution of half water and half vinegar, soak a clean white towel, wring and gently blot - don’t rub - spot with the towel. Blot from the outside of the stain and work in toward the center. No need to rinse - just let dry.  Red wine:...

Zip lock bags are commonly used for storing leftovers, but they can be used for a heck of a lot more. Plus, if you are really thrifty, these can be washed and reused as long as they weren’t storing raw meat or poultry in the original use. Just turn inside out, wash and let dry. 1. Store and organize toys. Separate by type of toy and group in bags - i.e., all the Polly Pockets go in one bag, Little People in another, Barbie clothes in another, each Lego set has their own bag, etc. 2. Store and organize craft supplies like markers, beads, ribbon,...

My just about six year old son wrote all over his wall in ball point pen this past weekend. He is not an out of control, disobedient kid; he was writing in a notebook, sitting on his bedroom floor, while I was putting his laundry away and he literally lost his mind. He continued his doodling from his notebook onto the painted wall, and very meticulously wrote his name and and drew a little person. I looked over (it had been quiet too long), saw what he was doing and shrieked “What are you doing?!?” which surprised him, and he...

It’s fall, which is my favorite time of year with changing leaves and comfortable temperatures, but it is also the season of mud. If you have pets or children (or active adults!), mud is easily tracked inside and can wreak havoc on your floors, carpets and clothing. Here are some tips on removing mud stains, and keeping mud where it belongs - outside. Stop mud in its tracks If you have a dog, set up a clean up station outside your door, or if you have the appropriate space, just inside your entry way. The best thing to do is to hose...