Recipes
Cleaning Tips
Cleaning Tips
Spring and cleaning go hand in hand and this is a good time for the cleaning tips which members have sent over the years. It is amazing what you can do with products most of us have around the house and the best part is that these are eco friendly products.
Baking Soda or Bicarbonate of Soda
We usually have baking soda, also known as bicarbonate of soda in our refrigerator to keep it smelling clean. It is a very versatile product and can be used as dish washer, pot scrubber, hand cleanser, deodorant, toothpaste, fire extinguisher, first aid treatment for insect bites, sunburn and poison ivy, and even more. Please read on ?
? Wash garbage cans with baking soda. It keeps drains clean and free flowing by putting four tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.
? Oil and grease-stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water. Sprinkle soda in running shoes, socks, boots even slippers to eliminate odour. Wash out thermos bottles and coolers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells.
? Soda absorbs kitty litter odours. Cover the bottom of the litter box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts litter on top.
? To clean your lawn and yard furniture use a solution with ¼ cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Simply wipe with the solution and rinse clean. For tougher stains, sprinkle baking soda directly on a damp sponge, scrub and rinse.
? Reduce odour build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom. Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.
? Make a paste of soda and water to relieve skin irritations, bug bites, bee stings, windburns, sunburn or rashes. Clean hair combs and brushes as well as pet brushes in a soda and water solution.
? Take it along on a camping trip for its versatility ? just what you need when space is at a premium.
? You can even use it as a personal deodorant, to combat body odour. It is non toxic and it works. Just use a powder puff and dip it into the baking soda and apply to the required areas.
Lemon
Here is another versatile product which makes more than lemonade.
? Get rid of fish or onions odour on your hands by rubbing them with slices of lemon.
? Deodorize the garbage disposal with leftover lemon peels. Simply drop in, turn on the disposal and flush with water.
? Sprinkle a little salt on the cut side of half a lemon and rub it on tarnished brass and copper. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
? Clean the microwave with this tip ? using a microwave-safe bowl; add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, then wipe clean.
? If you have stubborn tomato stains on plastic storage containers. Rub the cut side of a lemon over the stained area of the container and leave the container in the sun for a few hours for extra stain removal.
? Remove rust stains from washable fabric by applying lemon juice and salt to the fabric and placing it in the sun. Keep the stained area moist with lemon juice until the spot disappears. Brush away dried salt and wash as the label says.
Vinegar
Vinegar is an all-natural solution to clean and deodorize throughout your home. Vinegar is great used on laundry, shoes, carpets, your elbows and feet, cars, floors, wood, linoleum and the list continues to grow. In fact the list has become so massive that I cannot do it justice by listing them all here. I have picked out a few that interest me, and hope they interest you as well.
? To keep your colours fresh and crisp and prevent them from running, immerse clothes in full strength vinegar before washing.
? To deal with sweat and perspiration stains that can cause quite a nasty stain. Put the item in a bucket of warm water with one cup of vinegar added. Soak it for a couple of hours before laundering.
? Your washing machine needs a good clean once in a while. Pour a gallon of distilled vinegar into your washer and using warm water cycle let your machine run through a wash and rinse cycle. The vinegar will cut through built up soap residue in hoses, etc., leaving your washer sparkling clean.
? If when finished your laundry, there are soap stains or you notice there are suds left in the water after the last rinse. Put the items back in the machine for one more rinse but add a cup of vinegar into the washing machine.
? Here is a simple and easy way to get rid of the lint that collects while washing. Add ½ cup of vinegar to laundry in the rinse cycle. Your clothes will leave the washer soft, smooth and clean.
? How about those pesky weeds? Spray full strength vinegar on the growth of weeds until you see the weeds droop.
Miscellaneous Tips
Fruit stains ? they can be a pain at the best of times, try this. Sprinkle some salt on the stained area. The salt will absorb some of the stain. If the stain is dry then dampen the stain before sprinkling the salt. Wash in warm water with liquid detergent, preferably biodegradable. If the stain persists, try applying a little hydrogen peroxide, or borax.
Wrinkled clothes ? either you have forgotten to take your clothes out of the dryer or you have left them in too long. Wet a towel, wring out the excess water and throw it into the dryer along with the wrinkled clothes. Let it tumble dry another cycle and you should be the owner of a relatively wrinkle-free wash, unless you leave it unfolded again.
Grass stains ?the worst!!! Here are a couple of suggestions; they can be removed by scrubbing with an ordinary bar of white soap. You need a little elbow grease for this, and it should go away. I have also heard that Molasses will remove them. You can use this on your clothing or even on your sneakers. Just put some molasses on the grass stain and rub it in and then wash the garment or use a brush to clean your sneakers.
To remove grease from clothing, pour Coca-Cola onto the grease spot and rub it in. Then pour some more on the spot and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Launder your clothes with detergent as usual. Either you can drink the rest of the coke or pour it in the washing machine at the start of the wash cycle. This works well even on heavy, thick grease that mechanics get on their shirts.
A great way to get rid of olive/cooking oil or butter from clothing and prevent it from staining. Sprinkle some dusting/talcum powder over the oil mark and leave overnight. Wash the garment as normal the following day. The talc will draw all the oil out of the clothing and completely remove all traces of stain.
I could go on and on as I usually do but I need to finish this article. I hope the above hints have helped a bit. I know that baking soda is an incredible find. It is also good for indigestion; my dad used it all the time. Just add about a tablespoon into a half a glass of warm water. It doesn?t taste very good, but it sure works. I am sure that not all the hints are for everyone. But do try some and see.