Clean Ways to do Dirty Jobs

Air Freshener

Simmer 1 teaspoon of cloves or vanilla or a cinnamon stick in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Cloves in an orange keep a closet spicy smelling.

Decal Remover

To remove decals and stickers from glass, wood, china, and walls, soak with white vinegar, and rub off.

Drain Cleaner

Prevent clogging by using a screen or filter. DO NOT pour fats or bulky solids down the drain. TO unclog, use a plumber's snake or a plunger to clear blockage.

My plumber is: _____________ Phone:________

Floor Cleaner (Linoleum)

Furniture Polish

For unfinished wood, mix 1 teaspoon full of lemon oil and wipe on wood with a reusable cloth rag.

For finished furniture, mix 2 parts olive oil with 1 part lemon juice. Polish with a soft cloth. Or polish with a cloth dipped in olive, soybean, or raw linseed oil.

Laundry Detergent

Use natural soap flakes or soap powder with 2 to 4 teaspoons washing soda or borax. If water is hard, add ¼ to 1 cup of white vinegar during the rinse to prevent soap from leaving a film. Vinegar effectively breaks down residual uric acid in baby diapers.

NOTE: Over time, residual collects in the washing machine. To remove, run your washer with 1/3 cup washing soda or 1 to 2 cups of vinegar before you convert from detergent to soap.

For either detergents or soap, add ¼ to ½ cups of baking soda per wash load to make clothes feel soft and smell fresh. You'll need less bleach this way.

NOTE: DO NOT USE VINEGAR IF YOU ADD CHLORINE BLEACH TO YOUR RINSE WATER. IT WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS VAPORS

Metal Polish (Silver)

Polish silver with non-abrasive toothpaste or baking soda paste.

Metal Polish (Brass, Bronze & Copper)

Use a paste of equal parts of salt, flour, and vinegar. Cut a lemon in half and rub on metal. Adding salt or vinegar can improve scrubbing ability. Rubbing with olive oil retards tarnish. Copper can be cleaned with Worcestershire sauce, catsup, or yogurt. Wash off and dry.

Moth Balls

Use cedar blocks or chips, lavender flowers, rosemary, mint, or white peppercorns to repel moths. Sand cedar blocks with fine sandpaper to improve effectiveness. Make sure clothes are put away clean.

Oven Cleaner

Place a wide baking sheet on a rack underneath a baking pan to catch spills. If a mess has occurred, clean as soon as oven cools, using steel wool and baking soda. A warm spill is much easier to clean. For tough stains, use salt as an abrasive. Wiping oven with white vinegar and water helps retard grease build up. (For self-cleaning and continuous- cleaning ovens, follow cleaning instructions.)

Porcelain Stain Remover & Tub/Tile Cleaner

Use a nylon pad or net and scrub with one of the following: baking soda, or a cream of tartar paste, or a far cheaper alternative, borax.

Or, rub with a cut lemon. For heavy soap residue buildup in showers, use a dry, gently rub with very fine grade steel wool on dry tile to sand off the scum. OR, wipe with vinegar and sponge, then scour with baking soda.

Rug/Carpet Cleaner

To deodorize, sprinkle with baking soda and wait 20 minutes, then vacuum. To clean, vacuum, then apply mixture of 1 quart white vinegar and 3 quarts hot water. Avoid saturating carpet backing.

Stove Top Cleaner

Line pans under each burner with aluminum foil. Replace and recycle as necessary. Clean bowls using baking soda as a scouring powder. Make sure foil is snug on drip pan and does not touch heating element.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda or borax on brush, then drizzle with white vinegar and scour with brush. Works best if toilet bowl can be drained.

Window Cleaner

Mix 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice in 1 quart water, spray on, and use newspaper to wipe dry; newspaper leaves no lint. For tough jobs, mix ½ cup of sudsy ammonia, 1-pint rubbing alcohol, 1-teaspoon dishwashing liquid, and enough water to make 1 gallon.