Homeowner Forum / Cleaning / October 2006

Does anyone have a Roomba?
I'm a bachelor who hates cleaning and am in need of new
vac anyway and thinking of getting one of these robots
IRobot has a new model out called Dirt Dog

I  have a roomba for years now and love it.  I used it in the
basement once and it got superdirty had to take it apart and clean it.
I was wonder how the scoomba would do in a basement after its was
cleaned by a dirt dog or roomba first?

color-safe bleach vs. bleach substitute
Last night I needed clothes detergent, and about all the store sold
was Tide, and I had never used Tide before, and I bought some.
But I notice that the powder came with "BLEACH" which the box said was

I have moved into a small house and the windows are in desperate need of
cleaning.  However, one of the panes in one window is broken but still in
place in the framing.
Can I clean this one just like the others, or do I need to do something

How dangerous is bleach to fabrics or leather?
A friend is recommending spraying a 50/50 solution of bleach and water
on auto carpet to get rid of mouse urine smell, etc.
He says he thinks it will only fade cotton.  Is that true?

Hi---------
A couple of months ago I posted a question about how to get rid of rubbed
places (water spots??) in rayon velvet.
I ran across the answer on an old-time remedies website:

We just got a new dog and he peed a bit on the couch! I washed the
outer cover but how the heck do you clean the cushion itself? How does
everyone clean their big, bulky things that can't go in the washer?
For now, I took a mild solution of bleach and water, soaked it, and

I tried cleaning the dust off the silicone beading on top of my
baseboards in my bathrooms and the normal dust cleaning with Swiffer
mitten doesn't seem to work at all.
I noticed that the dust accumulated in the bathrooms seem caked up,

1) My daughter got red paint all over her new beige corduroys. The
teacher says it's supposed to be washable. I have gotten most of the
paint out after running it through several cycles of soaking/scrubbing
the stain in laundry detergent, then soaking in hot water (I started

Curious what features you think a good upright vacuum
should have?
Should it have onboard tools or be free of them?
Should it be HEPA filtered?

Have a 41 yr old home that in the past summers when it has been very
hot during the summer, has developed black stuff on top of air vents
and ceilings in several of the rooms.
Has anyone used a reputable air duct cleaning company to clean out the

I've always been the type to throw away any boxes that
stuff came in such as microwaves, LCD televisions, etc.
Now I'm thinking that maybe that's a mistake.
Curious what you all do?

I had lots of change that I left on a wooden table for about six
months.  I removed the change, but there are all these rings that it
left behind.  I can't clean them off the table.
Even wood cleaner didn't cut it.  Any ideas?

I can't stand the smells of harsh chemicals when I clean my bathroom
and am looking for an alternative. I've been looking at these organic
cleaning products,:
http://kokogm.com/Green_Market/CleaningStore.html

A dollar store opened recently near me and one of they things they sell are
plastic garment bags for $1.
I bought one and it seems fine.
I've never used garment bags before.  Are they a good idea?