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 A modern house, if you look at it from time immemorial, may seem like a real chemical laboratory. Is this good or bad?
Good, because chemistry helps us a lot. It is bad, because even on a tiny - in comparison with industrial - scale, it is a source of environmental pollution and often the cause of our diseases. But since neither tomorrow nor the day after tomorrow mankind will refuse to use chemical agents, we will take it for granted. And we will try to use what science gives us with more benefit and less cost.
When preparing to wash, we usually sort the laundry into at least 3 groups: white, colored, dark ... But do we always pay attention to what fiber the fabric is made of? It is possible that you will have to change the powder or paste once or twice in one wash. The packaging of detergents always contains instructions on how to use them.
By neglecting them, we run the risk of spoiling the thing sooner or later. For example, if you regularly wash cotton laundry in powder of the “News” type (neutral detergent), it will quickly lose its appearance, become gray, “washed out”. A woolen item in a composition intended for cotton products can deteriorate immediately: it will shrink heavily, "overgrow" with lumps of matted thread.
Most detergents contain optical brightener - it improves the quality of colored laundry, "refreshes" the paint. The special agent contained in other powders discolors stains from fruits and berries, therefore these compositions are effective for washing white linen.
The inscription on the box with the powder "Universal" should not be taken as a permission to wash anything and anyway. These compositions have a really wide spectrum of action, but there are also features: some show their properties better when machine washed, for others, soft water is a prerequisite, while others, with the wrong temperature regime of water, can ruin colored things. In short, if you do not follow the instructions, then the "helpers" will become our opponents.
Hygienists advise against hand washing with synthetic products that contain substances of biological origin - enzyme additives have a harmful effect on the skin of the hands, irritate it, degrease it, and cause brittle nails. In biological products, it is better to soak the linen, and if you have to wash it by hand, do it with rubber gloves. An ordinary candle, if you rub the legs of chairs, tables, sofas with it, will protect the floor from scratches.
Rinsing is a very important point when using synthetic detergents. It is possible to completely remove them from the fabric, as established by special studies, only after rinsing five times (in a washing machine with a centrifuge, 2-3 times are enough). We must take this into account first of all when washing underwear and all children's clothes. By the way, when teaching a child to do housework, do not let him wash his T-shirts, tights and other trifles in a solution of washing powder, let him work with ordinary laundry soap. Just keep in mind that hard water must be softened by adding a little soda ash.
So, the recently purchased blouse needs to be washed. To find out with what degree of care you need to handle a thing, let's look at a cloth tag stitched somewhere from the inside of the product. This table will help you figure out what the icons on the label say.
You can learn to determine what fiber a fabric is made of. Pull out one thread along and across the fabric and set it on fire with a match. Cotton thread, linen (i.e.of plant origin) or viscose cloth will burn quickly, evenly, brightly, the ash will easily crumble, and the smell of burnt paper will remain in the room for a short time. Animal fabric (wool, natural silk) will burn badly, spreading the smell of burnt bone; a sintered ball will remain at the end of the thread, which, if you touch it a little, will collapse. Acetic acid smells when burning acetate silk, at the end of the thread - a dark and hard ball; try to remove the flame of the match - the combustion will stop. As you do these simple experiments, keep in mind that fabrics are often made from blended fibers.
When washing products, many stains of various origins are removed. The situation is more complicated if the item cannot be washed or dry-cleaned. Then we look for stain removal products. Nowadays there are a lot of them. Using them, as with washing with synthetic detergents, you must follow the instructions attached to the stain remover, so as not to completely spoil the thing. But it happens that the necessary product is not on sale. Let's try to help ourselves.
Before removing the stain, make sure: the selected product will not negatively affect the color and structure of the fabric. To do this, we will test it either in an inconspicuous place, or on a piece of material that is usually attached to the finished product. Under the fabric from which we are going to remove the stain, put a folded clean rag that absorbs liquid well. To prevent streaks (halos) from forming around the spot, first moisten this place with water, gasoline or fill it with starch. We moisten a small spot with the prepared solution using a pipette, wipe the large one with a cloth soaked in the solution - from the edges to the center.
You can try to remove fresh grease and oil stains as follows: put a blotter or paper napkin folded several times on the stain and iron it with a warm iron. If this does not help, we use a purified solvent (gasoline, turpentine, ether, alcohol, acetone).
You can prepare a paste-like composition of gasoline and dry chalk powder, spread a thick layer on the stain, rub in lightly and let dry.
Then brush off the paste. This procedure may need to be repeated 2-3 times. This method is best used for light colored fabrics. For dark - dry chalk powder, talc. Fill in the stain from the wrong side, cover with paper and put a press on top. After a day, peel off the powder.
The thing with blood stains must be soaked in cold water, adding ammonia there. If the fabric is white, cotton, linen or woolen, you can use hydrogen peroxide to remove the stain.
It is recommended to wipe fresh traces of sweat with a solution of table salt (1 tablespoon per glass of water) or hyposulfite (1 teaspoon per glass of water). If the fabric is colored, woolen, take a solution of vinegar essence or citric acid (1 teaspoon per glass of water).
When the collar, sleeves, cuffs or other parts of clothing begin to shine, we take gasoline, acetone, ammonia as our "helpers", and preferably a mixture of these substances in equal parts. With a woolen cloth soaked in the solution, we wipe the shiny places, then we dilute 1 teaspoon of ammonia in 1/2 glass of water and wipe again. If you have dry fine sand on hand, you can use it. Wet a woolen skirt or trousers spotted from the seat with water, sprinkle with a layer of sand and clean with a brush, also slightly damp. Iron the cleaned thing through a wet cloth.
When arranging "dry cleaning at home", we must be very careful: solvents, acids and other improvised means, if mishandled or carelessly handled, can turn to us unhealthy and even life-threatening.
However, this possibility must be taken into account, even when doing such a mundane matter as washing dishes.Some housewives, in order to give a crystal salad bowl or glasses made of glass, the pristine shine and transparency, use the same means for washing them as for cleaning glass. This cannot be done, because the windshield wipers contain substances harmful to the body. It is better to dissolve 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a liter of warm water, wash the dishes, then rinse well with clean cold water and wipe without leaving stains. Both shine and harmlessness are guaranteed. (You can add some vinegar while rinsing the crystal.)
It goes without saying that you cannot use detergents for washing dishes. Hygienists have established: if you boil water 5 times in a saucepan that was washed with washing powder, harmful substances remain on its inner surface!
Special sorts of soaps, liquids, powders, pastes, the same soda or mustard solution - these products are enough to keep all kitchen utensils clean.
When washing aluminum pots, avoid metal brushes and hard powders, as well as products with high alkalinity ("Dishwasher", "Light") - they destroy a thin oxide film that protects the metal from further oxidation. If blackness appears on the sides of the pan, wipe it with table vinegar, then rinse well with hot water. Food cannot be stored in an aluminum dish for a long time, especially - sauerkraut or cucumbers.
Enameled dishes are very convenient - and it is not difficult to take care of them, and cook, store anything. Is it just the second courses, pasta, porridge ... They often burn; spoil the enamel, and you cannot cook food in dishes with damaged enamel. But we also have aluminum pans - they are more suitable for cooking porridge (if they burn, it doesn't matter: we fill it with water immediately, as soon as it gets wet - it's easy to clean). And it is better to get rid of aluminum borscht and compotes. So it turns out: we will use each item for its intended purpose - we will save ourselves from unnecessary trouble.
But probably no household chores give us as much trouble as the fight against unwanted "tenants" who suddenly appear in the apartment.
For example, a moth ... A butterfly flying during the day indicates that these harmful winged ones have already settled in the house. It is useless to chase after her: somewhere in the depths of the closets are numerous of her sisters, with and without wings - caterpillars. If you take the time to systematically dry and clean things (especially in March when the moth lays its eggs), you will win. If you are late, turn to chemistry.
"Antimol" (3-4 tablets per cabinet are individually hung in gauze bags) should be thrown away after 15 days. Leave it - the drug will attract moths from other closets and suitcases. "Molemor" can hang for six months, but use no more than two records in one room. It is good to use "Aeroantimol" as a prophylactic agent.
Did you know that moths can't stand the smell of ink? So fresh newspapers after reading can be used as a deterrent - along with tobacco, hops, camphor.
Other flying insects, flies, do not like the scent of bird cherry. If the windows of your apartment are not on the 17th floor, you can check this observation by planting bird cherry under them.
Protection against mosquitoes and midges
Mosquito control
A wonderful neighbor settled in our house (moths, ants and others like them)
Ginger house ants are also sensitive to odors, therefore, when preparing and laying out bait for them, make sure that the dishes are clean.
The baits are as follows:
1) 1/3 teaspoon of borax, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, 2-3 tablespoons of hot water. When the solution has cooled, add 1 teaspoon of honey. Pour the mixture into small bubbles and leave them lying down in the areas where the ants live. After a week, replace the bait with a fresh one.
2) Mix 2 tablespoons of minced meat and 1/2 teaspoon of borax. These proportions must be observed: in case of an overdose of poison, the worker ants will not bring the bait to all "family members".
We will not dwell on the methods of controlling cockroaches - due to the spread of these insects, all the means used are widely known. The most effective, in our opinion, is the use of the drug "Borax" or boric acid mixed with a small amount of granulated sugar. This powder should be scattered in a thin layer along the paths of insects, in places of their probable appearance: along the baseboards of the kitchen, bathroom and toilet, in cracks, along the water supply and sewerage pipes.
Where possible, leave the poison bait constantly, renewing it after thoroughly cleaning the room. In any case, 2-3 months after the disappearance of the cockroaches, pour the powder again, as in an apartment building insects can "migrate" from neighbors.
Do I need to remind you that when using poisonous substances, we must be ten times careful when there are children and pets in the apartment.
Sashina E.Yu. The ABC of Home Economics
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