DIY Network

General Cleaning General Cleaning From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" episode DQOC-120

Outside of the kitchen, does the rest of your house have a lot of cleaning jobs demanding your attention? Check out these handy hints!

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	Figure A
	Figure B

• Porcelain tubs Pour lemon juice over stains, sprinkle on alum powder (available in the spice aisle of the grocery store) and work into the stain thoroughly. If the stain doesn't come out immediately, let the mixture sit as long as overnight, then add more lemon juice, scrub and rinse.

• Leather shoe stains Pour lemon juice on a cloth, add cream of tartar and massage into the shoe leather (figure A). When the stain is removed, rinse and buff.

• Pet stains / odor on carpet To remove discoloration after pet messes are cleaned, apply a generous amount of lemon juice to the area and let it soak for 15 to 30 minutes. Reapply if needed. Once the stain is removed, rinse and blot. You can also use a mixture of lemon juice and cream of tartar; let it dry, rinse and blot.

• Flower freshener Add 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon liquid chlorine bleach to a quart of water (figure B). Stir and use each time you water the flowers to keep them looking fresher longer.