Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cleaning and dirt

How do I get dirt stains out?

otherwordlyglow — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:22:55 -0800

How do I remove dirt stains on pants? My daughter came home from daycare with the knees of her pants totally saturated with a mixture of sand and dirt. She's a crawler and I expect this to happen a lot but have no experience with dirt stains. (I don't do a lot of stuff that leads to dirt stains on me). For the most part it doesn't matter too much: the pants were cheap and I'm sure she'll grow out of them in another month but what's the best way to treat these kinds of stains? I'm sure there will be plenty more.

The complicating factor is that they've already been washed and dried and still have stains on the knees. Is there any hope of getting them totally clean? Generally, I know to pre-treat stains but I neglected to do that this time. So the question really is two-fold: What are best practices for dirt stains and then what do I do in this case where it's already been laundered but the stain remains? I'm in the U.S., so product recommendations will be most helpful if they're available here.

Bonus side question: Does anyone remember a solvent/stain removal product that used to be available maybe up to the 70s and 80s? It was alcohol based and came in a narrow, tall-ish glass jar with a felt tip that you dabbed on to stains? I can't find it anymore which leads me to believe it was toxic and so they've taken it off the market but it worked like a charm on a lot of things.

Cleaning the mouse every day is getting old.

sailoreagle — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:27:41 -0800

Boyfriend has really sweaty hands. Any computer mouse he gets his hands on very quickly becomes really gunked up. The mouse gets what looks like a mixture of sweat and dead skin, not very sticky once rubbed off, greyish colored, both caught in the various cracks and joins and stuck to the mouse buttons (roughly in a finger shape).
What, exactly, is causing this, and is there anything we can do to stop it? He washes his hands rather often but it doesn't seem to help any. (Meanwhile, no matter how sweaty my hands are and whether I wash them or not, I don't have the problem.)

Help me cover or clean a grimy windowsill

CunningLinguist — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 10:54:18 -0800

Urban dwellers: how do you deal with windowsill grime? I'm not much of a housekeeper, but the window thing is getting to me. I live on a lower floor in NYC and the grime that builds up on my kitchen windowsill is really vile. The sill itself is very old, pockmarked painted wood and very hard to clean, but I rent so can't really change it. I wondered if anyone has any tips about covering the sill - maybe with contact paper or some kind of foil? (How would I deal with the pockmarks?) Or maybe top it with a wooden board? (But then how to secure the board?)

I'm surprised Google hasn't been much help here. I would have thought this was a common problem. It wasn't so bad when I lived higher in the sky, but this close to the street means there's a new film of grime every day and wiping with windex seems to just smear the dirt around.

What is this sand-like dust under my rug?

kmel — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:51:51 -0800

What the hell is the sand-like dust under my rug, and why won't it go away? The rug is from IKEA, Skagen I think. It seems to be shedding a powdery sand and it just won't stop. Seriously, it's been over a year with frequent vacuuming on both sides. And there's a lot of it -- not just a light dusting, I sweep up piles of the stuff every time. Is the backing slowly disintegrating, or is the rug filtering room dirt? (shudder) Can this be stopped, or do we just need to get rid of the rug?

accident involving lots and lots of soot-like dust and my bedroom...

krautland — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:01:04 -0800

accident involving lots and lots of soot-like dust and my bedroom... my landlady has a bunch of guys converting the loftspace below her roof into a proper attic she can store items in. one of them broke through the floor and into my bedroom below. we're talking a big hole here - he actually landed in my bed.

the whole room is covered in 2cm of soot-like fine black dust. it went into all the cupboards and closets. all my clothes are severly blackened. it looks sort of what you'd imagine the inside of a chimney to be like and the stuff it itchy and makes me cough.

if you have dealt with this kind of problem before, would you mind giving me some basic info on what to do? I'm not talking financial issues here, obviously that needs to be worked out but my questions at this point are more basic:

how do I clean that kind of mess thoroughly?
are all my clothes ruined or can I get that stuff out?
is this something dangerous beyond just a hassle or nothing to be too worried about?
I'm also not sure what to ask her to do before I go back and sleep in there again. the mattress is covered, the sheets are ruined, do we need professionals to clean this or how do I do it?

one more thing on the soot: I washed my hands four times now and I still feel it all over them. this stuff does not go away easily.

Dirt Floor

chuckdarwin — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:16:27 -0800

I need a carpet cleaner that won't break the bank. What current model do you recommend? (UK models/links only, please) Are there features that are essential? (ex: Do I need one that uses hot water?)

Out, out, damn dust!

minervous — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 15:48:14 -0800

City dwellers! How do you dust? I live in New York City, but I assume this issue can be found in any big, dirty city.

I'm the tidy sort, and I generally dust and vacuum and clean 3-4 times a month. But the dust that accumulates in my apartment is a whole other kind of dust than what I'm used to. There is a lot of it, which I expect. But ... it's black. And it's sticky - for example, when I wipe my windowsill with my usual method of damp, clean rag, the dust doesn't get picked up, it's just smears around at most. It takes persistant attacking with cleaner, numerous rags, and sometimes, for goodness' sake, scrubbing. What is this madness?

I've tried Swiffers - no better (and I don't like paying for them). I've tried vacuuming first - not great. And keeping my windows closed is a winter-only option, as I would much rather dust more often than use an air conditioner. I just want a better dusting option.

Any and all help - different materials, home-made ideas, etc - much appreciated. Thanks!

How can I clean a dirty pasta maker?

teem — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 19:42:54 -0800

What is the best way to go about cleaning a very dirty pasta maker? I bought an Atlas Marcato at a very reduced price because it had been sitting on the display shelf of a supermarket's deli section (along with the other props they use to make it look like a cosy little Italian grocer). It is in great structural shape, and there is no rust or corrosion to be seen, but it is covered in grease. What would be the best way to clean this thing up?

It says here strictly not to wash with water. I'm trying to understand why. If it's to prevent rusting, would thoroughly drying it be enough to combat rust? Or is there something inherently damaging about the machine contacting water?

What cleaning methods would be fine to try, and what should I definitely not do?