Getting Your Plugs and Light Switches White Again

Don’t worry. Most of us are guilty of skipping over the light switches and outlets around the house when doing routine cleaning. Unfortunately, because of their anonymity, they end up accumulating dust and dirt and become dull and yellow in color. These electrical components are covered with plastic, which is a material that is fairly absorbent. This makes these surfaces vulnerable to the impurities that can be found in the air. So, now that we’ve addressed this problem. Let’s see how to resolve it.

But before we dive in, a word of caution. Never clean electrical components with wet rags or anything similar. Even when using rubbing alcohol, be absolutely sure that the power has been disconnected by flipping the correct switch in your home’s circuit breaker. Failing to take these safety precautions could result in serious injury from electrocution. Let’s look at the different ways to clean our switches and plugs with that out of the way.

Potato Starch

Potato starch may have never occurred to you, but it is excellent at removing grease and dirt from various surfaces. And the procedure is quite easy. All we need to do is cut a potato in half and rub the exposed part of the potato along the stained areas. The only other thing to do is finish the job by wiping the area with a dry cloth. Again, remember to make sure the electricity is turned off before doing this!

Baking Soda

Baking soda can be quite effective in more ways than one when it comes to cleaning. For this application, we will want to form a paste out of our baking soda by mixing it with a little water. Make sure it stays reasonably dense. Next, we can apply the paste to the dirty surfaces with a sponge. Follow up with another clean sponge and finish the job by wiping the surface dry with a clean rag.

White Wine Vinegar

Vinegar is an ideal product when it comes to cleaning switches in particular. This is because of its particularly effective degreasing properties. Just like always, we will start by turning off the power supply. Now, we can get a screwdriver and remove the protective plastic plate covering the switch. Let the plate soak in a bowl of water infused with vinegar for about an hour. Finally, just wipe the plate or plates dry and reinstall them. They should look bright and clean as if they were new.