I forgot about this earlier today...
DH and I are moving next week and I could use your help on a couple cleaning issues...
#1 - I had a messy roommate before we got married and old, light colored carpets. The combination was not good and we have some really tough stains to take care of before we turn over our keys. I already had a cleaner come out after roommate moved but he didn't get all the stains out. It was a super cheap deal and I know the stains are tough (think coffee and/or energy drinks not being cleaned up well in high traffic spots that naturally get alot of dirt) so I'm hoping if I pay a little more, they'll be able to do a little better. I'm thinking about trying a bit of pre-treating in hope that will help. Has anyone had any luck with do it yourself carpet cleaning that I might be able to try before the pros come?
#2 - The kitchen sink was a MESS before we moved in... super scratched up and stained. It looks 100% better but one of the things we're supposed to work on is the sink. I'm pretty sure I put on our move in sheet that it was in bad shape. If I did, I'm safe (I still have to dig up the paperwork). If not, I'm going to have to get it looking a little better. Anyone used anything especially great to make a dingy sink look new(er)?
#3 - Any good methods to getting burned food off the metal pan thingies that rest underneath the burners on the stove?
If you have any thoughts on one or all of these issues, I'd appreciate it!
Re: Cleaning help...
Good luck with the cleaning. Did you try Resolve Carpet Cleaner yet to spot treat? When I cleaned our stove at our old apartment I never thought it would get finished, but I used Easy Off Oven Cleaner. Yes, the fumes are horrible, but when the leasing office did our walk through they said they'd never seen an oven/stove that clean upon move out. I even used it on the drip pans under the electric stove burners where we had some burned on food issues. Most of the food came off, so when I finished they just looked a little old. If you use the Easy Off make sure you open windows, turn on your kitchen fan and get out of there after coating all surfaces to 'let it work'.
GL!
Not sure how well it works on older stains but I have a dog who eats stupid stuff and barfs so I use Spot Shot (blue and orange can) on my rugs. It is cheap and worth a shot I guess!
Ditto P for the stove. If you have a self cleaning oven, don't use it inside but you should be able to use it on your drip pans. Depending on how stuck on something is, you could try soaking and scrubbing but if its been there for a while, it won't work. I was actually going to get some oven cleaner myself for my drip basins under my burners (I have a gas stove so anything that goes down there burns on impossibly and i've tried everything else) so I'm glad to see that someone else had good luck.
Is your sink porcelain (white colored) or steel? If it is stainless steel, you can try using Barkeepers Friend on it. Should be in your local grocery store or Target/Walmart etc. - gold can with a blue label. Make a paste with it and scrub it on all surfaces of the sink and then rinse. Make sure you wash your dishcloth in the washer before you use it again because it is a scouring powder and will scratch your counters if you aren't careful. You can use that on your pots and pans and car bumpers too!
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1 - ditto SpotShot. It's cheap and amazing!
2 - if it's stainless steel, ditto Barkeeper's Friend or Comet and Dobie scrubbers by ScotchBrite - basically a sponge with netting on it. Abrasive enough to scrub really well, but not too abrasive to scratch.
3 - buy new ones.
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Re: the oven cleaning
I take all the pieces that can come out into the backyard, throw them in a large black garbage bag, spray them with easy off, and leave them in the sun for a day. That way you're house won't stink as bad.