Household Tips - Page 2
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least
3 hours prior to burning.
Homemade Cleaners
Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 quart water
Oven Cleaner
1/4 cup ammonia, 2 cups warm water
Furniture Polish
1 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice
Homemade Scouring Powder
1 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, 1 cup salt
Automatic Dishwasher Powder
Use 2 Tablespoons baking soda and 2 Tablespoons borax per load.
Drip Coffee Maker Cleaner
Mix 1 cup warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda. Let it drip through the coffee maker. Then drip a pot of plain water to rinse. It will keep your coffee maker clean and fresh.
Teapot Cleaner
To remove rust stains and mineral deposits, fill the teapot with water and add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and the juice of half a lemon. Boil gently for 15 minutes.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
Microwave Cleaning
Make a cleaning solution of 4 Tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of warm water. Use it to clean the inside surfaces of the oven, or place a few spoonfuls of baking soda in water in a microwave safe cup. Boil the water 3-5 minutes. The walls of the microwave will be damp. Simply take a sponge or paper towel and wipe down the insides of the oven.
Unclog Gas Stoves
To unclog burners on a gas stove, simply add 1/4 box of baking soda to 2 quarts of water and boil for a few minutes.
Easy Toilet Cleaner
Sprinkle 1/2 box of baking soda into the toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight before flushing. The tank and the bowl will be both clean and deodorized.
Economical Air Freshener
Simply mix equal parts of baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put it in a soap dish or in small sachet bags wherever you would like to freshen the air.
Economical Carpet Deodorizer
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and 15 drops of essential oil fragrance for scent. Sprinkle on the rugs before bedtime and let it sit overnight. If you like, you can work it into the carpet the next morning with a stiff bristle brush or broom, then vacuum.
Laundry Booster
Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the washing machine along with your usual amount of liquid laundry soap. It will make whites whiter and colors brighter. ( NOTE: It doesn\'t
work with powdered laundry detergents! ).
Clean Brushes and Combs
Fill sink with hot water and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Watch the dirt and oil dissolve away!
Underarm Deodorant
Sprinkle under your arms, even after shaving. It won\'t irritate your skin. If you prefer a smoother textured deodorant, mix it with a little talcum powder.
Clean Glasses
Hold your eyeglasses over a sink and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on them. With wet fingers, gently rub the lenses. Rinse clean and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Bathtub
The film that accumulates in your bathtub, shower tray and washbasin can be removed by soaking and scrubbing with Vinegar.
Brass
Rub with a lemon half dipped in salt. It will not only clean but also leaves a great shine.
Chopping Boards
Use a scrubbing brush with bicarbonate of soda and table salt and then rinse thoroughly with hot water to clean wooden chopping boards.
Also use bicarbonate of soda on plastic cutting boards before washing with dishwashing soap and hot water. Sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Coffee Pots
Use bicarbonate of soda to clean your coffee pot, run dissolved through coffee maker then two more runs with fresh water. Cooker & tiles Use bicarbonate of soda to clean the cooker and tiles behind it. It does a great job on grease!!
Coffee Stains
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
Clean stainless steel sinks
a paste made of dishwashing liquid and a generous amount of bicarbonate of soda takes brown stains out. Rub with white flour. Use a dry cloth to clean and shine.
Copper
Rub vigorously with half a lemon dipped in mixture of salt and white vinegar.
Cups & Mugs
Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda directly on coffee or tea stains in cups and mugs, rub gently with sponge or washcloth and rinse. Stains are gone!
Cutlery
Rub with the cut side of a raw potato, then wash in warm water and polish.
Crystal
Wash in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
Dishes
Vinegar cuts grease and freshens dishes when washing them.
Dishwasher
Put some bicarbonate of soda in the dishwasher to help eliminate streaks and spots from the extremely hard water.
Drains
Cover slow drains with bicarbonate of soda and pour a pot of boiling water over it and it cleans the drains. Do this at least twice a month. Drains Use a sink strainer to avoid blocked drains. To unblock, try a plunger and boiling water. Or pour in a quarter cup of bicarbonate of soda and add a quarter cup of white vinegar. Hold the plug in while the drain fizzes.
Fridges
Put an opened box of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge to absorb odours. Use it with warm water to wash the inside of the refrigerator.
Glassware
Half fill container with cold water add 1 tablespoon of dry mustard, shake, leave for 30 minutes then rinse. Also removes odours. Mix grated peeled potato with warm water, allow the solution to stand in container, swirl occasionally and rinse.
Place raw rice, dash of vinegar and salt with water in the container. Swish , empty, then rinse.
Humidifiers
Vinegar cleans calcium deposits, lime, and scum from your humidifiers
Paint Brushes
To restore brushes stiffened and hardened by paint, simply boil them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.
Non-toxic Pesticide
Put baking soda under sinks near pipe openings and along basement windows to repel ants, silver fish and roaches. Roaches will dehydrate and die after eating baking soda.
In the Garden
Occasionally, lightly sprinkle baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from nibbling at your buds.
Sprinkle baking soda on slugs to get rid of them without having to resort to costly and toxic pesticides.
To sweeten your tomatoes by reducing their acidity, sprinkle baking soda lightly on the soil around your tomato plants.
The soda from an old box used to absorb odors in the refrigerator is fine for this purpose.
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3 hours prior to burning.
Homemade Cleaners
Glass Cleaner
1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 quart water
Oven Cleaner
1/4 cup ammonia, 2 cups warm water
Furniture Polish
1 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice
Homemade Scouring Powder
1 cup baking soda, 1 cup borax, 1 cup salt
Automatic Dishwasher Powder
Use 2 Tablespoons baking soda and 2 Tablespoons borax per load.
Drip Coffee Maker Cleaner
Mix 1 cup warm water and 1/4 cup baking soda. Let it drip through the coffee maker. Then drip a pot of plain water to rinse. It will keep your coffee maker clean and fresh.
Teapot Cleaner
To remove rust stains and mineral deposits, fill the teapot with water and add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda and the juice of half a lemon. Boil gently for 15 minutes.
Rinse and repeat if needed.
Microwave Cleaning
Make a cleaning solution of 4 Tablespoons of baking soda to 1 quart of warm water. Use it to clean the inside surfaces of the oven, or place a few spoonfuls of baking soda in water in a microwave safe cup. Boil the water 3-5 minutes. The walls of the microwave will be damp. Simply take a sponge or paper towel and wipe down the insides of the oven.
Unclog Gas Stoves
To unclog burners on a gas stove, simply add 1/4 box of baking soda to 2 quarts of water and boil for a few minutes.
Easy Toilet Cleaner
Sprinkle 1/2 box of baking soda into the toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight before flushing. The tank and the bowl will be both clean and deodorized.
Economical Air Freshener
Simply mix equal parts of baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put it in a soap dish or in small sachet bags wherever you would like to freshen the air.
Economical Carpet Deodorizer
Mix 1/2 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of cornstarch, and 15 drops of essential oil fragrance for scent. Sprinkle on the rugs before bedtime and let it sit overnight. If you like, you can work it into the carpet the next morning with a stiff bristle brush or broom, then vacuum.
Laundry Booster
Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the washing machine along with your usual amount of liquid laundry soap. It will make whites whiter and colors brighter. ( NOTE: It doesn\'t
work with powdered laundry detergents! ).
Clean Brushes and Combs
Fill sink with hot water and 1/4 cup of baking soda. Watch the dirt and oil dissolve away!
Underarm Deodorant
Sprinkle under your arms, even after shaving. It won\'t irritate your skin. If you prefer a smoother textured deodorant, mix it with a little talcum powder.
Clean Glasses
Hold your eyeglasses over a sink and sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on them. With wet fingers, gently rub the lenses. Rinse clean and dry with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Bathtub
The film that accumulates in your bathtub, shower tray and washbasin can be removed by soaking and scrubbing with Vinegar.
Brass
Rub with a lemon half dipped in salt. It will not only clean but also leaves a great shine.
Chopping Boards
Use a scrubbing brush with bicarbonate of soda and table salt and then rinse thoroughly with hot water to clean wooden chopping boards.
Also use bicarbonate of soda on plastic cutting boards before washing with dishwashing soap and hot water. Sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Coffee Pots
Use bicarbonate of soda to clean your coffee pot, run dissolved through coffee maker then two more runs with fresh water. Cooker & tiles Use bicarbonate of soda to clean the cooker and tiles behind it. It does a great job on grease!!
Coffee Stains
Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
Clean stainless steel sinks
a paste made of dishwashing liquid and a generous amount of bicarbonate of soda takes brown stains out. Rub with white flour. Use a dry cloth to clean and shine.
Copper
Rub vigorously with half a lemon dipped in mixture of salt and white vinegar.
Cups & Mugs
Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda directly on coffee or tea stains in cups and mugs, rub gently with sponge or washcloth and rinse. Stains are gone!
Cutlery
Rub with the cut side of a raw potato, then wash in warm water and polish.
Crystal
Wash in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.
Dishes
Vinegar cuts grease and freshens dishes when washing them.
Dishwasher
Put some bicarbonate of soda in the dishwasher to help eliminate streaks and spots from the extremely hard water.
Drains
Cover slow drains with bicarbonate of soda and pour a pot of boiling water over it and it cleans the drains. Do this at least twice a month. Drains Use a sink strainer to avoid blocked drains. To unblock, try a plunger and boiling water. Or pour in a quarter cup of bicarbonate of soda and add a quarter cup of white vinegar. Hold the plug in while the drain fizzes.
Fridges
Put an opened box of bicarbonate of soda in the fridge to absorb odours. Use it with warm water to wash the inside of the refrigerator.
Glassware
Half fill container with cold water add 1 tablespoon of dry mustard, shake, leave for 30 minutes then rinse. Also removes odours. Mix grated peeled potato with warm water, allow the solution to stand in container, swirl occasionally and rinse.
Place raw rice, dash of vinegar and salt with water in the container. Swish , empty, then rinse.
Humidifiers
Vinegar cleans calcium deposits, lime, and scum from your humidifiers
Paint Brushes
To restore brushes stiffened and hardened by paint, simply boil them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup of baking soda.
Non-toxic Pesticide
Put baking soda under sinks near pipe openings and along basement windows to repel ants, silver fish and roaches. Roaches will dehydrate and die after eating baking soda.
In the Garden
Occasionally, lightly sprinkle baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from nibbling at your buds.
Sprinkle baking soda on slugs to get rid of them without having to resort to costly and toxic pesticides.
To sweeten your tomatoes by reducing their acidity, sprinkle baking soda lightly on the soil around your tomato plants.
The soda from an old box used to absorb odors in the refrigerator is fine for this purpose.
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