MODERATOR:
Clean and cheap -- what a beautiful combination!

COBB:
Any Queen who uses Tang in her toilet and Massengill on her dog, likes simple products.

MODERATOR:
Please explain about the dog!

COBB:
To deodorize your dog, if it is smelling doggy or it has met the wrong end of a skunk, saturate the dog's fur with Massengill outside the house. Let it shake it off and dry and the dog will be springtime fresh, or any fragrance you choose.

MEMBER QUESTION:
Why Massengill for the dog? What if the dog has allergies -- is it safe?

COBB:
If it's safe for us, it's safe for the dog. It's totally safe.

MODERATOR:
If you are worried, check with your vet. But think about where Massengill is usually applied; it is probably quite mild.

MODERATOR:
O-K -- so toilets cleaned with Tang?!

COBB:
Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of Tang in the toilet, let sit 20 minutes to overnight. Swish and flush. The citric acid cleans the toilet and if the dog drinks out of the toilet, the worst thing that can happen is orange lips.

MEMBER QUESTION:
Our challenge is keeping the bedroom clean of allergens. Do you have any advice, especially about the laundry? I seem to be washing sheets and towels all of the time.

COBB:
If you have allergies, wash your sheets and towels in the hottest possible water for the fabric. Use detergent marked "free" meaning that it is free of color and scent. To boost the cleaning power and deodorize sheets and towels, use 1/4 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax in each load of laundry (it's all-natural with no scent). Instead of fabric softener, use 1/4 cup of white vinegar to soften clothes; and no, your laundry won't smell like a salad. If you have allergies, keep your pets out of your bed and out of your bedroom.

MEMBER QUESTION:
What about washing detergent with bleach?

COBB:
Detergents with additives are expensive and not necessary. If you need bleach, add bleach. If you don't, forget it. For dark clothes, such as blacks, never use a laundry soap that has bleach and always turn the clothes wrong side out when you wash them. To whiten white clothes, such as underwear or socks, consider soaking them in a pail of hot water with a quarter cup of lemon juice or a tablespoon or so of automatic dishwasher detergent. When you're ready to launder, pour solution and laundry into the washer and launder as usual. That's great for cleaning dingy, gray socks, and underwear. If you have a front loader, pour out most of the water and dump in.

MEMBER QUESTION:
Put the vinegar in the wash or rinse cycle? Can you use the little balls that dispense in the rinse cycle?

COBB:
Yes, in the rinse cycle. However, if you have a softener dispenser on your machine, put it in that. If you have the balls, you can use those.

MODERATOR:
You have a book on doing the laundry, don't you?

COBB:
Yes, Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean . That also has a spot and stain removal guide in it.

MEMBER QUESTION:
Don't you agree with me that using of all these chemicals inside the house is dangerous itself?

COBB:
Yes. Normally when we clean, we use up to seven containers of cleaning fluids. When we open those, we are exposing ourselves to those chemicals. Nowadays, more people have allergies and asthma than ever before. If we switch to more natural cleaning products, we will cut back on allergies. And we'll save money in the long-run.

MEMBER QUESTION:
What's the best way to clean upholstery? With a machine and what solutions?

COBB:
Be sure that the upholstery can be cleaned with water. Then use a good quality steam cleaner using the hottest water you can get out of your tap I like to pre-treat the soiled areas with a cleaner and your favorite carpet spotter. Then remove that by extracting with the hot water. That way you leave no residue in the upholstery. Extract very, very well and let a fan blow across the piece to dry it quickly. NEVER take the cushion covers off their forms and wash them in the washer. If you're cleaning a heavily used piece, consider treating with fabric protector when you're done.

MEMBER QUESTION:
Any tips on cleaning quilts? I can't wash it often like the sheets, but assume it gets the same dust mites and dander as sheets. What can I do?

COBB:
If it's a quilt you use for warmth, consider putting it in a duvet or slipcover you can frequently launder. If it's a bed type of quilt, then be sure it's easily washable, and in between vacuum it with a hand-held vacuum to remove pet hair and dander and so forth.

MODERATOR:
We are almost out of time, Linda. Do you have any final words for us?

COBB:
To find more information on any type of cleaning visit my web site, queenofclean.com or pick up a copy of my new book, Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean, New and Improved . Also, look for my show Monday through Friday on the DIY Network. It's called Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean . I had a great time today. And thanks for talking dirty with the Queen of Clean.

MODERATOR:
We are out of time. Thanks to the Queen of Clean®, Linda Cobb, for sharing her expertise with us today. For more information, please read Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean or one of Linda's other books.

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