Have you ever ran out of your favorite cleaning product in the middle of a cleaning session? I know I have, and it tends to be a bit frustrating. Be frustrated no more!
You probably have a home full of cleaning supplies that you never knew existed before.Which means less containers to throw away, and less money out the window. Once you use them, you may actually find you prefer them over the commercial stuff.
Ingredients
Baking Soda. Works great to remove odors, but also as a cleaner.
- Combine 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water to clean counter tops, or even silver.
- I also like to sprinkle some into a smelly load of laundry to help freshen it up.
Ammonia. Never mix with bleach!
- Soak your oven racks in a solution of water and about ½ cup ammonia to remove any cooked on food. Works with the racks in a barbecue as well.
- Combine 1 cup Ammonia and 3 cups water and add to a spray bottle. Use solution to clean windows.
- Apply a drop or two to an insect bite to make it stop itching.
Vinegar. There are TONS of uses for vinegar, here are just few.
- Spray on sticker residue and let sit for 10 minutes, then wipe way.
- Use a solution of equal parts water and vinegar to clean any glass surface. You can do the same for counters, stoves, and other appliance fronts.
- Prevent mildew on shower walls by spraying vinegar directly on them.
- Soak shower heads or faucets in vinegar to remove corrosion or any build up.
Borax. Can be found in most grocery stores in the Laundry Aisle.
- Remove the smell of urine on a mattress. Sprinkle Borax on the mattress and rub in, then vacuum up the remaining powder.
- Stain Remover.
- Toilet Cleaner. Add about ½ cup to your toilet bowl and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Scrub as usual and your toilet bowl will be fresh and stain free.
- Laundry Soap booster.
Hydrogen Peroxide. Not just for boo-boos.
- Use to disinfect just about anything: counter tops, sinks, cutting boards, toothbrushes, etc.
- Gargle in your mouth like you would mouthwash to kill germs and help whiten teeth.
- Use just as you would bleach to remove stains from clothing.
- Create a paste out of peroxide and cream of tarter to clean hard to remove cooked on food from pots and pans. Let sit, and it will wipe away.
Washing Soda. Can be found in some grocery stores.
- All-Purpose Cleaner. Combine 1 tsp of Washing Soda and 2 cups water and add to a spray bottle. Use it just as you would a commercial all-purpose cleaner.
- Use in your laundry.
- Use to raise the pH levels in pools. Add a mixture of washing soda and water to the pool water, just as you would other pool chemicals.
- Combine equal parts borax and washing soda to create a homemade dishwasher detergent. I’ve done this in a pinch, however I still prefer name brand commercial dishwasher detergents.
Salt
- I learned an easy trick back when I used to work in fast food. Add about 2 cups of ice and a “good shaking” of salt to a coffee pot. Shake the coffee pot around. The salt will clean the inside of the coffee pot—even if you’ve let coffee burn onto the bottom.
