Watches
Over time, wristwatches with metal bands can collect dead skin, dust, and dirt in between the links, hinges, and mechanical parts. If you have a waterproof watch, a quick way to keep it clean is to soak it in the bathroom sink with sudsy water, rinse clean, and then use a Q-tip to pick up dirt in between each link. If you have an espresso maker with a steam nozzle, you can use that to steam away the dirt, too. Just be sure to use something to protect your hands from the hot steam, like miniature tongs or extra-strong tweezers.
Copper
Gourmet cooks have used salt and lemon juice to keep their copper pots gleaming; the citric acid from the lemon helps neutralize the tarnish away, and the salt acts as an abrasive. You can try the same technique when cleaning large copper pieces like a chunky bracelet. Just cut a lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice all over the copper piece. Sprinkle with salt (the juice will help the salt adhere) and use the lemon wedge to rub the salt all over the piece. Rinse clean under warm water in the sink. For smaller copper pieces, try the magnetizing trick used on silver-plated pieces; you'll get similar results.
 | Excerpted from Simply Green Giving: Create Beautiful and Organic Wrappings, Tags, and Gifts from Everyday Materials by Danny Seo. Copyright 2006 by Danny Seo. Excerpted with permission by HarperCollins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced without permission in writing from the publisher. |
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