Cream of Tartar (found on Facebook)

[NMDemDist2]

In my little world, items like cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) are not simply a super way to stabilize eg...g whites but also scandalously inexpensive cleaning secrets.

This long-forgotten gem of a cleaning agent may be used with a little water or vinegar to lift even the most stubborn stains. Unattractive grout driving you batty? Mold and mildew stains got you reaching for the Prozac? Burner pans and casserole dishes giving you fits? Cream of Tartar is your new best friend.

Cream of tartar is one of nature’s best bleaching agents. Cream of tartar, a.k.a “crusted wine,” is mixed with baking soda to create baking powder (bet you didn't know that.. okay, some of you probably did, you smartypants). While it is an acid, it’s not harmful. It’s an acidic salt which comes from grapes.

Use a few tablespoons of cream of tartar with hot water or hydrogen peroxide and clean any aluminum pans which have discoloration or any rusty drains, pans, or stains.

Do you have copper kettles? Mix some cream of tarter with lemon juice and rub the copper with it. Rinse and be amazed!

How about a porcelain sink, tub, commode? Rub the porcelain surfaces with cream of tartar and watch the stains disappear.

Fabric stains? No prob. Mix a few teaspoons of cream of tartar with some glycerin and use like spray-and-wash. The results? Well, I’m here to tell you that this stuff cured the ring around Joshua’s shirt collars.

Just need a great nonabrasive cleaner? Mix 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a small dish (use 3 or 4 teaspoons of vinegar and 3 or 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar if you have more items to clean). Apply with your cleaning rag or scrub brush and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Scrub. Wash with hot soapy water.

[Laurian]

1. Thanks! I'm always looking for alternatives to

expensive, chemical laden cleaning products. I use baking soda a lot, but didn't know about cream of tartar.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. This is news to me.

I might have some in the cupboard that I have never had a use for---or knew what it was used for. I will try this out.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Problem is it comes in these teensy lil containers.

Which makes sense in that for cooking, only 1/4 spoonfull is used.
But cleaning recipes call for a lot more of it.

btw....Resolve Stain Remover got rid of years of grout stains in this old house we bought.

[Paper Roses]

4. Grout Stains? Please fill me in.

I have a 45 year old bathroom, ceramic tile. The tile is green and so is the grout.
We thought it was a good idea at the time. Been a pain in the backside for years.
Although I can clean the tile, the green grout is awful. It looks good after cleaning but as soon as it dries, the grout looks like I never did anything. I know it was never sealed, no-one did it years ago. Too late now. I have been searching for a way to clean this grout so that it looks good.

Cannot find anything that will penetrate the grout and get rid of the soap scum. Cannot afford new tile. There must be 1000 4X4 tile squares. Not an easy job.

Do you think Resolve Stain remover might work? Scrub with old toothbrush after spraying?
Any help would be appreciated.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. It was Resolve that cleaned the greasy blackstained grout from the kitchen floor.

Like you, older house, several owners who did not deep clean.

I liked it because you can aim the spray in a thin squirt, more or less, if you fiddle with the spray nozzle
and
it smelled good while it was working.

I left it on for about an hour or more, then wiped it up with a paper towel before I started scrubbing just the grout with a very stiff bristle hand brush.
Toothbrush is too soft.
Had to go over a couple places that were still a bit dirty, but it worked wonders overall.

Have no idea what to seal it with, tho..gotta look that up.