An amazing green cleaner you probably don’t use.
Any half-decent chef or baker most
likely has a jar of it stashed somewhere, something that they bought long ago,
for that one project that one time, and then ignored forevermore. And the name
may ring a bell for you, but maybe only in that vaguely-familiar way.
Snicker doodle cookies? Fish sticks?
All the way at the very back of your
spice cabinet, pushed into the farthest corner and long forgotten, is that
little jar of eco-friendly DIY green cleaning gold: cream of tartar.
Tartaric acid is a white crystalline
by-product of wine making that’s affectionately referred to as “wine diamonds.” What
a name! And when it’s collected and ground into powder, it becomes cream of
tartar: the secret ingredient in snicker doodles, and the newest secret weapon
in your green cleaning arsenal. There’s about a million and one ways to use
cream of tartar around the house, but here are 10 of the very best:
1. Polish copper using a paste made
from 1 part cream of tartar and 1 part fresh lemon juice. Just use a rag to rub
it on, then rinse it clean and use a fresh rag to dry.
2. Shine up stainless steel with a
paste made from cream of tartar and water. This works on everything from flatware
and jewelry, all the way up to large kitchen appliances.
3. Buff aluminum pans and get rid of
rust or discoloration using a paste of cream of tartar and either water or
hydrogen peroxide. Use a scrub brush to apply the paste, then rinse clean.
4. Make a general soft scrub by
combining 2 cups distilled vinegar with ½ cup cream of tartar and mixing well.
This can be used on counter tops, or pretty much any other surface where you’d
usually use a mildly abrasive cleanser.
5. Clean and polish your stove top burner
pans using a mix of equal parts cream of tartar and distilled white vinegar.
Apply the paste and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it away.
6. Make a bathtub rub that is
especially effective against the dreaded “bathtub ring,” by mixing equal parts
cream of tartar and baking soda, and then making a paste with a bit of fresh
lemon juice. Scrub it onto stains, allow it to sit for 30 minutes, and then
rinse it away.
7. Remove bathtub mold and mildew
with a simple paste made from cream of tartar and water. A toothbrush or other
stiff-bristled brush will really expedite the process.
8. Eliminate stains from porcelain
too, like sinks, toilets and more. Simply make a paste of cream of tartar and
vinegar in equal parts. Rub the mixture over the stains, wipe it away, and then
rinse the area clean.
9. Brighten up your coffee pot by
adding 3 teaspoons of cream of tartar. Top it off with water, allow it to heat
and sit for a bit, then wipe it clean and rinse as normal.
10. And finally, you can effectively
remove that awful “spider webbing” and other scuff marks from your plates and
mugs. Make a thick paste from cream of tartar and just a bit of water, then use
a rag to massage the paste over the marks. Watch them disappear, like magic!
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