We sometimes pay a lot of money for household items, hoping that we'll see them last for a long time. But sometimes, no matter how careful we are, some of these items can get worn down from wear and tear over time. Instead of buying new stuff and letting the money you spent go to waste, why not try restoring these items? No doubt, breathing new life into a household item is not an easy and quick process, but it can be well worth the effort when you have a beautiful item to enjoy for years to come. Here are some tips to help you restore your older household items. Removing carpet stain Carpet stain remover and refresher:Mix one part of vinegar with two parts of water in a spray bottle. Spray it over the stain and cover it with a damp rag. Put your iron on the steam setting and iron the rag for about 30 seconds, depending on how bad the stain is. You may have to repeat if the stain is really dark, but this will work wonders to remove stains from food, pets and other origins and help to make your old carpets new again. Rusty iron-skillet restoration Rusty iron-skillet restoration:No matter how careful you are about cleaning and drying iron skillets, sometimes they get a bit rusty. Scrub the rust away with steel wool and then re-season the skillet with vegetable oil or butter. Leather-boot renovation Leather-boot renovation:You can easily restore your leather boots to their original shape by cleaning them with petroleum jelly. Vaseline will shine your boots and make them look brand new again. Cutting-board stain remover Cutting-board stain remover:Squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto your stained cutting board. Use the lemon peel to spread the juice so it covers the stain and to work the juice into the nooks and crannies of the board surface. You can also use lemon oil by stirring five to ten drops of oil into 1/4 cup of water and then pouring the mixture onto a sponge. Use the saturated sponge to wipe the lemon solution onto the cutting board.Put it in sunlight until the sun goes down and then wash in soapy water. The stains will disappear and your cutting board will look new again. Bath-towel restoration Bath-towel restoration:Add a cup of white vinegar to the wash cycle when you're washing your towels and half a cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle. The two work together to remove dirt and grime, as well as odours, then fluff the towel material back up to its original condition. Baking-tray restoration Baking-tray restoration:Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and enough hydrogen peroxide to form a paste. Scrub the greasy, dirty mess off your baking trays with the paste and leave them shining like new. This miracle scrub also works with pizza pans, silver trays and cake pans. Wooden-spoon restorer Wooden-spoon restorer:Rub your woodenware down to help remove any stains and then add a coating of edible oil like vegetable, olive or peanut oil. Rub in the oil and let it cure for a couple of days and then the wooden items will look like new again. Aluminium patio-furniture fixer Aluminium patio-furniture fixer:Car wax works perfectly to bring your aluminium patio furniture back to its original beauty. Take off the cushions, wash and rinse the aluminium patio furniture. Dry well, then wax your furniture, one section at a time. With a clean dry cotton cloth, wipe off the wax. As you do so, the result will be a smoother, darker, shinier surface. It will look as good as new again, and you won't even have to paint it. Drinking-glass fog remover Drinking-glass fog remover:Soak your drinking glasses for five minutes in white vinegar. If stubborn spots persist, gently rub them off with baking soda. Rinse the glasses by hand and dry them with a lint-free towel or microfibre cloth before drinking out of them again. The vinegar removes the minerals that have built up on your glasses over time and makes them look brand new again.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 18 June, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
