There are so many cleaning solutions on the market today that it's almost impossible to find a good one. What is the best one? Yours. And it usually costs a lot less to find your own cleaning products and make one do the job of many.
For example: Bleach (a good one that's not watered down) and use it for:
Whites in laundry
Bathroom cleaner and disinfectant
Door knobs and faucets for disinfectant.
kitchen counters for cleaning and disinfecting
Dish water for disinfectant
Dishwasher for disinfectant and stain removal
Toilet (in tank and bowl) for disinfectant and stain removal.
Other quick and cheap solutions:
Windows use vinegar and water or car windsheild washer fluid. The key to non-streaking windows is to keep washing till the rag comes away clean and then dry the window. And don't wash your outside windows on sunny days.
My Favorite Window Cleaner
1/2 cup ammonia
1 cup vinegar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
Mix into a bucket of warm water.
Dish soaps: The one that keeps it suds the longest is the best degreaser for hair; kitchen grease and grease on clothing. Secret here is in the hottest water possible.
Rags: Bar towels best for efficient and quick cleaning. They are bigger and cover more space. Terry cloth is best. Using old torn up clothing saves on the pocket book and you can use old rags or towels for making your own (much more efficient) floor mops!
Find your favorite all around cleaners and stick with them. Buy a few spray bottles and you have your own personally cleaning products.
Odor Eaters
Closets
Cloves, pine needles or mothballs in an old stocking, hang in closet.
Cigarette smell
Light candles to clear cigarette smoke from any room or in kitchen to remove burnt food smell.
Bathroom
- Bathtub Rings-Bubble baths help to avoid getting "rings" around the tub.
- Bathtub and shower whitener-porceline tubs rub stained areas with salt and turpentine. More stubborn stains make a paste of cream of tartar and peroxide and spread over stain then drop one or two drops of ammonia on the paste; let set for 2 hours; scrub and rinse.
- Cleaning copper of brass fittings-use lemon juice; rub on surface and wash with clear water.
- Clean chrome and stainless steel fixtures-quick clean up with baking soda; sprinkle on cloth to remove fingerprints or sticky residue. To shine without streaks dampen a cloth with ammonia and rub.
- Glass shower doors-clean and shine with a damp sponge soaked in white vinegar, leaves no streaks.
- Remove scum from fixtures-use old cloth dipped in kerosene or a commercial laundry 'stain remover' then shine with a cloth.
- Remove stains from marble-Scrub with baking soda and water paste; let stand a few minutes and rinse with warm water. Or sprinkle salt onto a cut fresh lemon; rub gently over stain; wash off with soapy water.
- Rust remover-A paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar; apply; leave for 2 hours; use soft scrub pad to remove. Or use Borax and lemon juice paste; rub and rinse or for lighter stains rub with a piece of cut lemon.
- Shine fixtures-rub with rubbing alcohol.
- Shower curtains-remove mildew stains with baking soda. To keep sheer curtains clean and give them body add a small amount of powdered milk to them in your washer.
- Tiles-clean routinely with with a solution of 1/4 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/8 cup of dish soap to a 1/2 gallon of warm water. For tough stains, make a paste of baking soda and bleach and scrub with a brush. Rinse well.
- Toilet Bowl-Let a can of coke set in the bowl then flush a few times. For tough rings and stains rub with fine grade of sand paper.
- Whiten Grout-Apply denture cream with a toothbrush.
Carpet/furniture Stains/clothing
When cleaning any stain from carpets always cover the stain, after cleaning,
with a towel and place something heavy on it to dry up excess moisture.
Clothing tip: Most commercial spot removers basic ingredients are rubbing alcohol and water.
- Blood-(on carpet)using cold water gently sponge; dry by blotting with a paper towel. Repeat till stain disappears. Hard rubbing may spread or deepen the stain. (on furniture) cover immediately with a paste of cornstarch and cold water; rub lightly and place in the sun to dry as the sun pulls the blood into the cornstarch, brush off. (on clothing) cover stain with meat tenderizer; add enough cold water to make a paste; wait 20 minutes; sponge or blot with cold water.
- Cat off-moth balls stuffed under cushions will keep the cat off the furniture.
- Candle wax-(on carpet)place a brown bag over the wax and iron the bag. The bag will absorb the melted wax, repeat if all the wax didn't melt. (On furniture) Remove wax from wood FINISHES by softening with hair blow dryer; temove the wax with paper towels; then wash with mixture of vinegar and water. Or scrape with plastic credit card.
- Cigarette burns-(on furniture) for minor burns, rub mayonnaise into the burn. (on clothing) For whites, soak a piece of cotton in peroxide and sponge the burn. For linen and cotton, dampen a cloth with peroxide, lay it on the burn area and apply a warm iron.
- Coffee-(on carpet)Apply a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid to a cup of water; pour on stain and blot with paper towels; then apply a mixture of 1/3 cup vinegar to 2/3 cup water; using a soft brush dipped in dish soap, gently rub the dish soap vertically and horizontally into the stain. Blot up any excess suds; repeat if stain persists. This is a good method for tough stains.
- Fruit juice-(on clothing) Stretch the material slightly, where the stain is, and pour boiling water through the fruit stain.
- Fleas in the carpet: 20 Mule Team Borax-sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours. (do not let children or pets get it in their mouths).
- Glue-(on furniture) use peanut butter, cold cream or salad dressing to remove cement or airplane glue.
- Grease and oil-(on furniture) pour salt, cornstarch, baking soda or talcum onto stain; rub in; let stand till stain is absorbed; brush off; wipe with a damp cloth. (on clothing) For Suede dip a cloth vinegar or club soda and rub gently; brush, using a Suede brush, when dry. For double knits use club soda.
- Gum-(on clothing) Place the garment in the freezer or apply ice cubes to gum. Scrape it off when frozen. Or loosen gum by soaking in white vinegar or rubbing it with egg whites before laundering.
- Ink-(on carpet)spray ballpoint pen marks with a little hair spray; let dry; brush lightly with a water and vinegar mixture. (on clothing) liberally apply hair spray to stain; rub with clean cloth; use a little rubbing alcohol on stain before washing.
- Instant spot remover-(on carpet)Use shaving cream and then wash up with a little club soda and water. (on furniture) to remove ordinary dirt or stains from upholstry.
- Kool-aid-(on carpet)Neutralize with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of ammonia and 1 cup water; then rub table salt into the stain; let set a few minutes; then vacuum. Repeat salt if the stain is still visible.
- Mildew-(on clothing) moisten garment with lemon juice and salt; let dry in sun. For leather sponge with equal parts rubbing alcohol and water.
- Mud stains-(on carpet)let mud dry; vacuum; sponge with dish soap. Or use salt to soak up mud, takes about 15 minutes; then vacuum.
- Perspiration-(on clothing) Soak the garment in warm white vinegar water, wash as usual. Or using a sponge apply white vinegar.
- Remove paper from wood-Apply a small amount of salad oil, a few drops at a time, rub with a soft cloth. Repeat till paper comes off. To remove old decals paint them with several coats of white vinegar; after the vinegar has soaked in; use a credit card to gently scrape off.
- Remove rust from metal furniture with turpentine.
- Ring around the collar-(on clothing) Brush hair shampoo into the garments collar with a paint brush and launder as usual. Or Apply a paste of vinegar and baking soda; rub in; wash as usual.
- Soda or wine-(on clothing) Use the same method as for perspiration.
- Water rings-(on furniture) rub gently with a damp cloth and dab of toothpaste; for tougher stains use baking soda and toothpaste.
General Hints and Tips
- Aluminum Pans-to clean and brighten boil water and white vinegar in them.
- Brighten plastic table tops or counters with a coat of turtle wax or just rub with toothpaste and buff.
- Burned kettle-Moisten the kettle and sprinkle in 1/4 cup baking soda; let stand a few minutes; scrub with a sponge; rinse and dry.
- Candle wax from furniture-blow dry and when it softens remove large chunks and use a soft cloth to wipe the rest away.
- Clean leather upholstry using damp cloth and saddle soap.
- Clean stainless steel sinks with baking soda on a sponge.
- Clean Stuffed toys-Rub in cornstarch, let stand a few minutes; brush off; toss into the dryer just long enough to let them get hot enough to kill germs.
- Clean vinyl by wiping off with a rough cloth sprinkled with baking soda (or vinegar). Then wash with mild dishwashing soap. Vinyl becomes hard from body oils.
- Clean wooden cutting boards with lemon or lime juice to remove oders
- Clean your hands after handling fish or garlic with by rubbing with lemon. For onion, rub with salt.
- Clean your washer by pouring a gallon of distilled vinegar in a full load of warm water. Run through entire cycle. This should cleanse the hoses and unclog and soap scum.
- Cleaning small knick-knacks, use a small paint brush to remove as much dust as possible before washing.
- Coffee cup stains-from plastic cups use baking soda.
- Copper-clean with toothpaste and rinse.
- Cut flowers-keep fresh with 2 tablespoons vinegar & 3 tablespoons sugar added to each quart of warm water. Be sure to a little of the stem off the bottom before putting into the vase.
- Dishwasher-Put 1 cup white vinegar in it and run through the entire cycle.
- Doll clothes slip on easier if you sprinkle them with cornstarch.
- Formica counters tops can be cleaned and shined with club soda. Pour on counter; rinse with warm water; wipe dry.
- Ice scraper for car windshield or freezer, use old music or online servers CD, they are perfect.
- Ironing board- starch the board periodically to help it stay clean.
- Lawn mower-spray with a little cooking oil or vegetable oil to keep grass from sticking to it.
- Line your cat litter box with a 1/4 inch of baking soda to prevent odor.
- Lint removal-add a cup of white vinegar to final rinse cycle.
- Loosen old glue from around joints of furniture using a small oil can with vinegar in it.
- Packing peanuts are great for drainage in the bottom of flower pots.
- Paint or grease on hands, remove with Pam.
- Painting-When painting windows, instead of using tape use wet newspaper strips.
- Plastic mesh produce containers make great catch-all for tiny items you want to put into the dishwasher.
- Plastic-to remove coffee stains from plastic cups, for example, rub with baking soda.
- Polish carved furniture by dipping a soft toothbrush into furniture polish and brushing lightly.
- Protect childs clothing by spraying a fabric protector on the knees, cuffs and collars after laundering.
- Remove built up furniture polish by mixing 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup water; dip a soft cloth into the solution; wring out; rub area and dry well with another soft cloth.
- Remove Crayon on the wall use Colgate toothpaste and brush it.
- Remove decals from wood by painting them with several coats of white vinegar, giving it time to soak in and then using a plastic credit card gently scrape off.
- Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter.
- Remove paper from wood by apply small amount of salad oil and rubing with a soft cloth; repeat till paper comes off.
- Remove small scratches from a glass table with by rubbing in a little toothpaste.
- Remove stains from coffee and tea mugs by rubbing with salt and dry paper towel.
- Sharpen needles and baby pins- by running them through your hair.
- Sweaters-Hand wash sweaters will come cleaner if you add a cap full of cream hair rinse in the final rinse water. Shrink a sweater? Try soaking it in shampoo and lukewarm water to soften the fibers and then try to reshape.
- Taking splinters out-gently coat the area with salad oil (for easy removal); then apply ice to the splinter for several minutes to numb the area.
- Venetian blinds-Put a pair of old cotton socks on your hands. Or saturate a piece of cloth with rubbing alcohol and wrap the cloth around a spatula.
- Wash delicate items by tossing them into a pillow case and fastening with plastic bag tie and run the machine on gentle cycle.
- Whiten socks-Boil in water with a slice of lemon.
- Work clothes- Add a 1/2 cup of ammonia to the wash water.
Repair Hints and Tip
- Bean bag chairs-If beans have fallen out of the chair replace with styrofoam nuts. (Packing peanuts).
- bicycle chain, Sticking: Pam no-stick cooking spray.
- Buttons, Can't keep on a coat-sew them on with dental floss.
- Dripping faucet-tie a string from the top of the faucet to reach the drain and the drip should run down the string quietly.
- Frozen locks heat the key with a lighter or match for a few seconds and then gently turn the key in the lock.
- Glass tables, to remove small scratches, try rubbing in a little tooth paste.
- Ink from dolls face: Peanut butter.
- Scratches on your car, use a matching color crayon and work into the scratch.
- Shower heads (metal) can be uncloged by placing shower head in a solution of 1/2 cup vinegar to 1 quart of water; bring to a boil and boiling shower head 10 minutes. For plastic ones soak in equal amounts of water and vinegar.
- Venetian Blinds-old, faded, stained blinds can be brightened using shoe polish. Or use matching or contrasting curain material to replace the Venetian blind tapes.
Cooking Hints and Tip
- Boil overs: Add a dab of butter or cooking oil to water before boiling, pasta and rice won't boil over or become sticky.
- Broiling: Add 1 cup water to the bottom of the broiler pan to prevent grease splatters and smoke.
- Brown sugar that's hardened: Place a slice of soft bread in the package and close the lid tightly. Fast, grate small amounts with hand grater.
- Chopping onion: To prevent tears, cut the root of the onion off last or put in fridg or freezer before chopping. Or peel under cold running water. Clean hands with salt.
- Keeping lettuce: after washing and letting the head of iceberg lettuce dry. Wrap in paper towels and place in a plastic bag in refridgerator drawer.
- Pepper shaker holes too small, switch with salt shaker. To prevent clogs in salt shaker add a few grains of rice.
- Repair soggy mashed potatoes: sprinkle dry powdered milk over top and mash a little more.
- To prevent fruits from ripening too quickly: Bananas and Avacados ripen in the dark so keep them in a well lighted place. Fruit mixed together in a bowl ripen quicker. Tomatoes in direct sunlight will ripen faster, to keep them longer, wrap each one in newspaper and put in cool, dark, place.
- To prevent sticking in new frying pans boil vinegar in them. Your tin pans, muffin, bread or cake pans, place on hot dish towel for a few moments and they should slice out easily.
- To prevent splattering place a colander upside down on top of your frying pan which allows steam to escape but stops fat from splattering.
Laundry Hints and Ideas
- Clothes Dryer Tip: Pull out the lint filter. It looks clean. Take it over to the sink and run hot water over it, the hot water may just lay on top of the mesh and not go through and even if it does...try washing it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush. Rinse it. The reason for the hot soapy water is to clean the residue left by dryer sheets which cause a film over the mesh and doing this every 6 months could make your dryer last twice as long as well as keeping your electric bill lower.
- Fabric softener sheets, make your own: Put a a couple cap fulls of fabric softener into a bowl of water. Saturate a wash cloth with this solution and ring out, toss into the dryer with your wet clothes.
- Paint brushes: use to dab laundry detergent on spots.
- Persperation stains: soak in warm vinegar water and wash as usual.
- Toothbrushes are great for scrubbing ring around the collar.
- Washing delicates: put them in a pillow case and tie with rubber bands or safety pin.
- Wax removal: Take a paper towel (preferably one that won't leave lint) and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
- Whiten socks: boil in water with a slice of lemon.
- Work clothes: Add 1/2 cup of household ammonia to the wash water.
- Wrinkles: If clothes are wrinkled put them in the dryer with a wet wash rag.
Other Uses
- Clorox or 7up to keep cut flowers fresh.
- Coca Cola: Grease Stains and it will remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. It will also take corrosion from batteries.
- Coca Cola: Rust, saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain.
- Coffee cans: cut off both ends and and cut up one side and place around trunks of small trees to protect them from the weed eater. Also great for covering outdoor water faucets in winter, cover faucet with insulation, plastic and the coffee can.
- Coffee can lids: under potted plants protects furniture and the small ones under legs of furniture protect floors.
- Coffee filters: great filters for homemade broths, etc. Place the filter in a colander.
- Colgate to clean stains on clothes.
- Efferdent or vinegar will remove sweat stains.
- Garbage cans: place a piece of plywood on an upside garbage can and cover with a decorative fabric. This also makes a great picnic table.
- Ice cube trays: Make great divided storage, for earrings and jewelry, buttons, paper clips, change, etc. Or
- Ice cube trays: freezing leftover chicken or beef stock, or making ice pops for kids by covering a tray filled with fruit juice with plastic and inserting toothpicks through the plastic.
- Jelly Jars: store cotton balls and candies.
- Karo Syrup to clean grass stains.
- Ketchup Squeeze bottles are great for homemade salad dressing dispensing.
- Kids little red wagon: Fill with sand, and place candles in it for movable light source.
- Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet.
- Kool Aid can be used as a dye in paint, to tie dye T-shirts and also Kool Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger paint, your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it.
- Stay-Free Maxi Pads- clean window, floors, just stick to the palm of your hands and work! Can also be used as knee pad.
- Listerine to clean dirty grout.
- Maxi-Pad can be used in your cap as a sweat band.
- Paint brushes: No home should be without these, dust typewriter keys, lamp shades, blinds, little knick knacks. Or
- Paint brushes: brushing glaze on bread or butter on corn.
- Pampers as an absorbent! Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, and a pamper to absorb.
- Panty hose: Cut a piece off the length of one leg of a colorful one for making a hair pony. Cut the rest in rings and use as stuffing for pin cushions.
- Peanut butter: Will get scratches out of CD's. Wipe off with a coffee filter paper.
- Plastic milk jugs: use as dispensers for rice; cereal; pasta.
- Plastic weekly or monthly pill dispensers: scrape the last bits of your lipstick tubes into sections provided and microwave a few seconds. You now have your own lip gloss dispenser with different colors.
- Plastic soda bottles, fill half full and freeze. When going on picnics you have your own ice for your coolers. OR
- Plastic soda bottles make great bowling pins for the kids, just add a small amount of sand to give them weight. Or
- Plastic soda bottles, cut in half, and stick old broom or tool handles through the bottle neck and fill with sand. Make great outdoor ashtrays.
- Preparation H. for puffy eyes and chiggar bites.
- Vinegar stops dandruff by removing soap residue. Just rinse after shampooing with vinegar and water.
Storage Hints and Ideas
- Number all your boxes, itemize everything in them, put the itemized list on a wall with the # of the box.
- Sewing patterns-store in ziplock bags instead of original envelope.
Sewing Hints and Ideas
- Threading needles-put hair spray on your finger tips and run thread end through it to stiffen it a little.
- Sharpen sewing machine needle by sewing on sand paper.
- Needle holder-empty thermometer case
- Coats-children outgrown their sleeves, stitch a pair of wristlets to the end of the jacket sleeve.
- Baby wash clothes-Old T-shirts, double thickness.
- Glass case-pretty pot-holder fold in half, stitch across the bottom and up one side.
- Short blanket (my fav)-Sew a wide strip of unbleached muslin on the end and then you can tuck this under the mattress to keep the blanket in place.
Plants/Lawn/Garden
- Ferns-water once a week with weak tea, an excellent tonic.
- Grow your own Parsley-sprinkle a clean wet sponge with parsley and put near a window and it will soon become a little bush of foliage.
- Preserve cut flowers by spraying them with hair spray.
- Rabbits and flea beetles pests-dust cheapest talcum powder you can find around the base of your vegetable plants.
- Removing Poison Ivy-mix 3 lbs of salt in a gal of soapy water and spray the area.
- Sick plant-try a tablespoon of castor oil and pour water over that and it may help to bring it out of it's slump.
- Water plants with stale club soda, the remaining chemicals add color and vigor to plants.
- Watering hanging baskets-ice cubes on top of the soil.
- Weed killer for sidewalks-pour boiling salt water over weeds growing up in cracks of side walk.
- Window boxes-to keep rain from splattering dirt on windows put a layer of gravel on top.
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