For many cleaning tasks, you don’t have to buy expensive, chemical-filled commercial products. In fact, you might be surprised to find that your kitchen is already stocked with a great many supplies you need to make homemade cleaners. Simple baking soda, for example, can be used to scour kitchen counters and bathtubs and deodorize a room. Lemons are effective anti-bacterial agents and white vinegar can cut grease, remove mildew, and strip sticky labels off. Here are some effective recipes for household cleaners!
1. Glass cleaner. Mix 2 cups of water with ½ cup white vinegar and ¼ cup rubbing alcohol of at least 70% concentration. Store the solution in a spray bottle. Spray on a paper towel and then wipe the glass clean.
2. Grease cleaner. Mix ½ cup sudsy ammonia with enough water to fill a one-gallon container. Simply dip a sponge into the solution and wipe off that greasy oven top. After the grease is gone, rinse the area with water.
3. Toilet bowl cleaner. Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar. Pour the solution into the toilet bowl and let it set for a few minutes. Scrub the basin with a toilet brush and flush.
4. Brass cleaner. Dampen a sponge with white vinegar and sprinkle on some table salt. Lightly rub the sponge over the brass surface. Rinse thoroughly with water and the immediately dry the area with a clean soft cloth.
5. All-purpose cleaner. Combine ½ cup vinegar with ¼ cup baking soda. Pour the combination into ½ gallons of water. Use the cleaner to scrub just about anything—showers, chrome fixtures, mirrors, bathtubs and more.
6. Eliminating fish odors. To get rid of lingering, strong smells such as fish, onion or garlic on utensils, plates or cutting boards, wipe them with white vinegar and then wash in soapy water.
7. Mold and mildew. Take straight vinegar and scrub over the mold spots. For mold in bathroom grout, mix one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water. Spray or rub onto the mold. Wait one hour or more, then rinse.
8. Rust removal. To remove rust stains on porcelain or enamel sinks and tubs, cut a lemon in half and dip it into a ½ cup of borax. Use the lemon to scrub the surface. Do not use on marble or granite surfaces.
9. Carpet stains. Combine equal parts white vinegar and water. Spray the mixture onto the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. Clean the spot with a sponge that has been soaked in warm, soapy water. To deodorize a carpet, sprinkle it with baking soda several and let it set for several hours before vacuuming.
10. Coffee and tea stains in cups. Dip a sponge in vinegar and wipe the cups clean.
11. Floor cleaner. For linoleum, mix 1 cup vinegar with a few drops of baby oil in gallon of warm water and mop. For natural wood, rub in a thin coat of one part vegetable oil and one part vinegar. For brick or stone tiles, mop with a combination of 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon of water. After mopping, rinse with plain water.
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