For decades households have relied on aluminum foil to wrap leftover meals, to line roasting pans and to cook food on grills. But who has thought of using aluminum foil for cleaning? Surprisingly, aluminum foil is an effective cleaning tool for removing rust, cleaning silverware and barbecue grills and even sharpening scissors.
The following provides details on how you can use aluminum foil in new ways.
How to Remove Rust with Aluminum Foil
You can use aluminum foil to remove rust from chrome and bring back its shine.
Items you will need:
- aluminum foil
- liquid dish detergent
- microfiber cloths
- a small bucket or bowl of water
- Adding some drops of dish detergent to the water and mix it up.
- Take a damp microfiber cloth and clean the rusted chrome to better expose the rusted spots.
- Rinse out and refill it with just water.
- Take a strip of the foil and dip it in the water.
- Rub the rusted spots with the foil, continuing to wet the area; use a new strip of foil if needed.
- Use a dry cloth to wipe away the rust.
- Continue wiping until all rust is removed.
- Using a clean cloth, buff off the chrome and then polish or wax to protect against more rust.
How to Clean Silverware With Aluminum Foil
Cleaning tarnished silverware can be time consuming and frustrating. But, this chore can be much easier using aluminum foil.
Items you will need:
- aluminum foil
- glass baking dish
- boiling water to cover the silverware in the baking dish
- a half cup distilled white vinegar
- one tablespoon baking soda
- one tablespoon sea salt
- microfiber cloth
- tongs
- Line the baking dish with the aluminum foil with the shiny side up.
- Mix the sea salt and baking soda together, then sprinkle the mix in the dish.
- Add the vinegar. There will be a fizzing reaction with the baking soda.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the dish.
- Put the silverware into the dish in a single layer. Be sure every piece is touching the aluminum foil.
- Soak the silverware for up to three minutes, depending on the amount of tarnish.
- Using the tongs, carefully take the silverware out of the dish.
- Dry off the silver and buff it with a microfiber cloth.
- Repeat this process using a fresh mix and foil until all the tarnish is gone.
How to Sharpen Scissors With Aluminum Foil
If your scissors are no longer cutting as they should, sharpen them with aluminum foil! It may seem surprising that this works, but the aluminum provides enough resistance against the blades to renew their sharpness.
Items you will need:
- a 12 inch sheet of foil
- scissors
- Fold the foil lengthwise a few times so you have a strip that is thick and an inch in width.
- Take the scissors and cut the foil multiple times along its length. You need to make complete cuts, so all of the blades are sharpened.
- Test how sharp the scissors are by cutting some paper and repeat the process with more folded foil until they are to your satisfaction.
- Once the blades are working well, clean them with a damp paper towel to remove any remaining traces of foil.
How to Use Aluminum Foil to Clean a Grill
Nothing seems harder to clean than a barbecue grill that is covered in burnt on remnants and grime from many previous cookouts. Aluminum foil can help make this intimidating task much easier if you follow the instructions below.
Items you will need:
- two cups distilled white vinegar
- a spray bottle
- aluminum foil
- a garden water hose
- First, heat the grill so that as much of the coated residue is burned off.
- Next, wait until the grill is completely cooled down.
- Pour the distilled white vinegar into the spray bottle and spray it onto the grate until it is dripping with it.
- Take a sheet of aluminum foil, crumple it into the shape of a ball, and rub the grate repeatedly until the grime is removed.
- Remove the grate and take it to the driveway or an area where you can rinse off the vinegar without harming any landscaping.
- Using your garden hose, rinse away all the vinegar.
If you’ve tried these steps you should know now that aluminum foil can be a most effective cleaning tool. But, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to attempt some of these cleaning tasks, contact your professional Albany house cleaning service who knows how to expertly clean everything in your home.
Maid Spotless Cleaning Services is a full-service house cleaning company providing cleaning services to Albany and the Greater Capital Region.
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