Shining Surfaces

Smart Solutions : Episode SSL-726 -- More Projects »
Household expert Joey Green shares bright ideas to liven up dull surfaces with items from your kitchen cupboard.

  • Clean brass by rubbing on ketchup and letting it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Wipe off with a soft cloth. The acids in the ketchup do the work. Other options include Worcestershire sauce or a paste made from powdered fruit drinks.
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Figure A
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Figure B
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Figure C
  • To clean chrome, rub white toothpaste on the surface of the object and rub off with a soft cloth. The mild abrasives in the paste do the job. Another option is to pour cola onto the surface and rub with a wad of aluminum foil (figure A).

  • For copper pieces, spread ketchup over the copper surface (figure B), let sit for 10 to 15 minutes and wipe off. Tabasco sauce also works.

  • Clean a scratched compact disc by rubbing it white toothpaste and a coffee filter (figure C). Furniture polish or peanut butter can also be substituted for toothpaste.

  • Place jewelry in a container of water and add two tablets of denture cleaner. The tablets can also be used to clean the toilet bowl.
  • Resources
    Joey Green's Encyclopedia of Offbeat Uses for Brand-Name Products ...
    by Joey Green
    Hyperion / Buena Vista Books, 1998
    Order this title from Amazon.com.

    Guests
    Joey Green
    Author
    Website: www.wackyuses.com
    Also in this Episode