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Queen of Clean

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  • Cleaning the Inside of a Car and Spot Removal
  • From "Spruce It Up With the Queen of Clean Outside the Castle"
    episode SCO-105
    advertisement

    Click here to view a larger image.

    Host Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean®, shows you how to clean the inside of your car.

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    Figure A

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    Figure B

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    Figure C

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    Figure D

    Cleaning Inside the Car

    • Regular maintenance on car seats, the dashboard and carpet will protect the value of your car.

    • There are a lot of products on the market for cleaning leather seats. Cobb recommends a moisturizing soap. Just take a wet soft cloth and rub the bar on it and lather it up real good on your leather (figure A). You do not need to rinse this off, just buff it up with a soft cloth. The moisturizer in the soap keeps the leather soft and supple.

    • If you have ink stains on the leather, you can remove it with cuticle remover -- not nail polish remover! Just put some on the stain and let it set in anywhere from 10 minutes to overnight and then wipe it off.

    • If you have fabric upholstery, vacuum it well and then spray it with a fabric protector. This will keep spots from forming and makes cleanup easier.

    • For detail cleaning on the dashboard, the best thing to use is a soft paintbrush. It gets into all the grooves (figure B).

    • Another handy item to use in cleaning the dashboard is a damp Q-tip (figure C). You can work it into all the grooves to remove the accumulated dirt that has built up.

    • The best thing to use to clean the dashboard is a wet microfiber cloth. There is no need to rinse, it does a perfect job. Keep a micro-fiber cloth in the car at all times for those little accidents.

    • The last thing you need to remember is your carpet. You want to treat it just like the carpet in your house. Use your favorite carpet cleaner.

    • Salt residue is a problem for cars in colder parts of the country. Here is the Queen's recipe to remove the salt.

    Removing Salt Residue

    Ingredients and Materials:

    1 part water
    1 part white vinegar
    Spray bottle
    Cloths

    Mix a 50/50 solution of the water and vinegar. Spray it onto the salt and really saturate it. Take your cloth and blot, blot, blot until all the salt is removed. You may have to do this a couple of times. You may want to take your carpet spotter and go over it one last time.

    A Few of the Queen's Favorite Car Cleaning Tips:

    • Club soda is great to use on stains. The salts in the club soda prevent a stain from setting. Don't be afraid to pour it on the carpet or the upholstery to get any kind of spot out.

    • Shave cream is another great spot remover. Put some on the spot and massage it in real well with a soft cloth and then blot it all up. It works well because it is nothing more than whipped soap and works great as a little spotter.

    • You can rub a little petroleum jelly around the cars door gaskets to keep them soft and supple (figure D).

    • There are two items you never want to be without is. The first is a hand sanitizer -- it is a wonderful cleaner because it is loaded with alcohol and alcohol is a great spot and stain remover. The second item is baby wipes -- you can use them to wipe up any spot or spill. The oil in the wipe will not harm leather upholstery.

    Queen of Clean's Dirty Little Secret:

    • To thaw manual car locks, heat the key with a lighter or a match and insert the key into the lock.


    RESOURCES :

    Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean
    ISBN: 0743418301
    Author: Linda Cobb
    (1998) Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
    Website: www.simonsays.com

    Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean
    ISBN: 0743418328
    Author: Linda Cobb
    (2001) Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
    Website: www.simonsays.com

    The Queen of Clean: The Royal Guide to Spot and Stain Removal
    ISBN: 0743437837
    Author: Linda Cobb
    (2001) Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
    Website: www.simonsays.com

    A Queen for All Seasons: A Year of Tips, Tricks, and Picks for a Cleaner House and ...
    ISBN: 0743428315
    Author: Linda Cobb
    (2001) Simon & Schuster / Pocket Books
    Website: www.simonsays.com

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