How/when did floral, citrus, pine, and mint become associated with cleanliness?
posted by asockpuppet on Jun 30, 2009 - 13 answers

Corningware broke inside hot oven. Oil/grease caked on everywhere. No self-cleaning mechanism. No oven hood. No idea what to do. Help! [more inside]
posted by AceRock on Jun 27, 2009 - 10 answers

What is the best way to clean this mailing list of bad email addresses? Difficulty: No address cleaners, but I do have a snapshot - the results of sending a newsletter to the list, and the resultant bounce reports. I have this information in several forms.. [more inside]
posted by By The Grace of God on Jun 24, 2009 - 4 answers

How to unstickify a camera 'on/off' switch? [more inside]
posted by chrisinseoul on Jun 22, 2009 - 2 answers

Do you have your household HVAC ducts for a forced air furnace cleaned? [more inside]
posted by saradarlin on Jun 17, 2009 - 9 answers

When cleaning, what nooks & crannies might the maid accidentally miss? [more inside]
posted by curiositykilledthelemur on Jun 15, 2009 - 15 answers

Best way to clean a panini press with non-removable sides? I had a grilled cheese party last night (thanks AskMefi!) and now have to clean a few panini presses. The sides are not removable and I'm not sure how to tackle this. I've tried heating them up and then scrubbing, but there is still plenty of grease inside the grooves. Any tips? Best cleaning fluid? A secret old wives tale with rubber bands and a toothpick that I'm missing?
posted by melodykramer on Jun 7, 2009 - 9 answers

Most recommended roomba, hopefully sub-$200 [more inside]
posted by lrodman on Jun 3, 2009 - 15 answers

How do I safely clean a very stinky glass dish with plastic Tupperware-style lid that sat out on the counter for days after holding smoked mackerel? [more inside]
posted by cadge on May 26, 2009 - 11 answers

What's the best way to remove thoroughly sticky residue from furniture that appears to be vinyl? [more inside]
posted by kidbritish on May 25, 2009 - 11 answers

A couple of my mirrors at home have stubborn, sticky stains from drips of a resin-y oil. How can I shift them? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos on May 21, 2009 - 18 answers

No Insurance-Filter: I suspect I need some minor dental work done, where can I get it done cheaply and quickly in NYC? Caveat: No Insurance, but some savings. [more inside]
posted by The Whelk on May 20, 2009 - 8 answers

Can anyone recommend a good one-time maid/cleaning service in Manhattan? [more inside]
posted by kmtiszen on May 17, 2009 - 1 answer

How do I safely clean under the cook top of my gas range? [more inside]
posted by jennyb on May 16, 2009 - 8 answers

How do I remove dirt stains on pants? [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on May 15, 2009 - 7 answers

Can I salvage these wet and dirty coffee beans? [more inside]
posted by mqk on May 14, 2009 - 6 answers

Carpet Filter: My company in Washington, DC is looking for an eco-friendly company to come and clean our carpets. [more inside]
posted by alexherder on May 12, 2009 - 1 answer

What is this sticky residue on my tea kettle? [more inside]
posted by emd3737 on May 9, 2009 - 13 answers

Boyfriend has really sweaty hands. Any computer mouse he gets his hands on very quickly becomes really gunked up. [more inside]
posted by sailoreagle on May 7, 2009 - 19 answers

How do you remove plastic that has melted onto a heating element? [more inside]
posted by EatTheWeak on May 3, 2009 - 4 answers

i bought a vintage bike. it's beautiful, but some parts of the chrome are blotchy. [more inside]
posted by sucre on May 2, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I keep my 1st floor patio clean/dry while being able to spray clean an overhead balcony? [more inside]
posted by wongcorgi on Apr 20, 2009 - 6 answers

One of my kids broke a Color Change Squeeze Ball and whatever is inside it shot out all over the couch and rug. Does anyone know what this stuff is and how to clean it?
posted by qldaddy on Apr 12, 2009 - 5 answers

Do you rinse off your chicken before cooking? [more inside]
posted by wocka wocka wocka on Apr 6, 2009 - 40 answers

What's my best shot at removing a set-in orange soda stain from an off-white wool coat? I tried a spray-on stain remover with little success.
posted by zembla3 on Apr 5, 2009 - 3 answers

How do I clean a muddy pair of sheepskin (Ugg knock-off) boots before waterproofing them? [more inside]
posted by GJSchaller on Apr 1, 2009 - 2 answers

What's the best way to deep clean vinyl floors? [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on Mar 29, 2009 - 6 answers

Urban dwellers: how do you deal with windowsill grime? [more inside]
posted by CunningLinguist on Mar 29, 2009 - 10 answers

What's a simple, safe homemade anti-mold solution that I can spray on my child's toys that were in the basement? [more inside]
posted by pallen123 on Mar 21, 2009 - 9 answers

How can I remove serious tarnish from a silver bangle. Difficulty level: malachite inlay. [more inside]
posted by burntflowers on Mar 14, 2009 - 12 answers

Why do my plastic containers smell like garbage after I mix protein shakes in them? [more inside]
posted by David Fleming on Mar 14, 2009 - 11 answers

Effective, inexpensive, cordless mini-vacuum. Does it exist? Please help out a fur-covered Corgi owner. [more inside]
posted by radioamy on Mar 14, 2009 - 17 answers

Why is hot water more effective at cleaning than cold water? [more inside]
posted by Pope Guilty on Mar 11, 2009 - 8 answers

How do you keep your laundry system running smoothly in a bi-level (or larger) house? I want to hear how others have set up hampers, etc or otherwise established a system to efficiently move clean and dirty clothes to and from the laundry room. [more inside]
posted by jacksides on Mar 2, 2009 - 17 answers

how can i get better at washing dishes by hand? i am inefficient (it takes me lots of time, energy and water). my results are not always sparkling (some of the stuff i wash ends up kinda greasy). i am clumsy too (i feel like i break a wine glass every few sessions). also, i am rarely motivated to wash (in part because i'm objectively bad), so i also need some kind of kick in the pants in that regard too. [more inside]
posted by k7lim on Feb 25, 2009 - 27 answers

How can I prevent or remove polymerized oil from aluminum sheet pans? [more inside]
posted by saeculorum on Feb 17, 2009 - 14 answers

Where can I get my Canon d40 cleaned? [more inside]
posted by atayah on Feb 17, 2009 - 8 answers

Culinary emergency filter: I just spilled a cheese cassesrole onto the bottom of a heated oven. It's a mess. Help us clean the oven quickly and ressurect dinner.
posted by Xurando on Feb 13, 2009 - 8 answers

I want to improve my house cleaning skills... improve my speed, efficiency, thoroughness, etc. And use the best cleaning products for the task. [more inside]
posted by valannc on Feb 12, 2009 - 23 answers

Kid's due this spring, and we've amassed huge piles of used baby gear. What are some safe disinfecting procedures that will reliably rid all this stuff of any lurking mold, bacteria AND viruses? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on Feb 11, 2009 - 12 answers

How can I clean vomit off leather shoes? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Feb 5, 2009 - 3 answers

What type of toilet seat hardware is easiest to keep clean and also doesn't break? [more inside]
posted by jenfu on Feb 1, 2009 - 10 answers

How to stop my mouse from feeling all greasy and sticky. (Despite the sound of the question, this is in fact SFW.) [more inside]
posted by Doctor Suarez on Jan 31, 2009 - 14 answers

The hip flask I haven't used in a year smelled like mildew when I opened it. I last used it to hold a cream-based liqueur. Is it safe to use? How can I clean it properly? [more inside]
posted by cadge on Jan 16, 2009 - 23 answers

My main gripe are the dirty hallways. I rent a 1BR in a 32-unit apartment building in Brooklyn. The rent is well below market and the location is good, but the building isn't properly looked after. The super and landlord and by-and-large my neighbors just don't care. What's the best approach? [more inside]
posted by timnyc on Jan 14, 2009 - 17 answers

My dog needs his teeth cleaned, we're nervous over the anesthesia. Can anyone calm my fears or even, talk me out of having this procedure done? [more inside]
posted by dearest on Jan 14, 2009 - 21 answers

Help me rid my computer of clutter for faster performance. [more inside]
posted by mintchip on Jan 9, 2009 - 15 answers

I live in a place that is rainy or snowy half the year, and during that half it is impossible to keep the floor of my car dry. It has begun to smell pretty bad. I recently had the interior detailed, which included washing the floor mats, and it smelt fine until the floor got wet again, which was almost immediately. Does anyone have a good technique for keeping wet carpet from smelling bad? Drying it is not an option. For bonus points, exactly what is it that causes the smell?
posted by ubiquity on Jan 3, 2009 - 12 answers

ChoresFilter: My fiancee and I are living together and both happy as clams - except we both HATE doing the dishes. They keep piling up, and even though I cook, I always keep putting them off. How do you manage chores like this, especially ones that both of you hate doing? [more inside]
posted by SNWidget on Jan 2, 2009 - 62 answers

I know a couple of folks with gas stoves, and they have trouble with a sticky residue coating their walls and ceiling around the range. They describe it as inherent to cooking with gas. (It's really disgusting.) Yet other folks I know who cook with gas don't report any such problems. Is this a known problem? Any idea why it would affect some people, but not others? Different types of gas (natural vs. propane)? Badly-tuned stoves? Something they're cooking? [more inside]
posted by waldo on Dec 31, 2008 - 33 answers