greatdane said:
OK a bit different from home remedies so started a new thread.
Baking soda, white vinegar for cleaning almost anything. I pour a bit of baking soda in sink, then about a cup of white vinegar, drains smell great! Just don't overdo the baking soda, a little goes a long way.
white vinegar is a great all purpose cleaner for many things!!! i have a self cleaning oven, but as soon as it is done, I go over it with diluted white vinegar and a sponge to get any build up that may have accumulated.
also, take lemon water in a bowl and put it in your microwave and microwave it a few minutes then, wipe clean easily with a wet sponge. it will get any dried on foods that may have been left there. again, wipe clean again with the diluted vinegar water on a sponge too--but it is not really necessary to do so.
Cut up lemons for disposal. My young niece would love it when I would cut up lemons, run water, let sit and then turn on. She said it smelled sooo good in the kitchen!
egg shells are also very good for this, but do not smell as nice as the lemon, I'll admit!
to clean your kitchen floors: (no-wax floors)
1 cup vinegar
2 gallons of hot water
1 tbls. liquid soap
combine all ingredients in a bucket and use the mop to go over it.
for your laundry-
2 cups baking soda
2 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
mix ingredients and use 1/4 cup per load in the final rinse, and it comes out smelling very fresh and clean! it is esp. good for people who have delicate skin.
Rubbing alcohol, ok maybe not considered that natural, but use it to disinfect toilet seat and lid and around sink. Particularly handy if you have someone ill in the house. There's a reason doctors rub a bit on you before giving you a shot! It disinfects.
Hydrogen Peroxide Use it to disinfect toothbrush and it has a myriad of uses. Google sometime!
not only is it good for disinfecting your toothbrush, BUT! if you put a bit of it on your toothbrush and then add the toothpaste to it, the peroxide will work with the toothpaste, (AND in some cases better then the toothpaste) to rid your mouth of any germs, as well as help to whiten your teeth. do this at each brushing for maximum benefits.
now, back to white vinegar. this is a staple in our house. you can use pure vinegar in your toilet bowl and it will get rid of rings as well as any germs. pour some in and let it sit for about 5 or 10 minutes. then, using your toilet bowl brush, swish it around well and then flush it. it also will help with hard water stains if you have hard water.
diluted vinegar in a spray bottle of water, equal portions of each, is good for cleaning countertops, appliances and is great as a fabric softener as well as teh final rinse in your dishwasher! don't go and buy that blue stuff for the final rinse in your dishwasher. fill it up with white vinegar instead and you will see it does an even better job then the blue junk.
white vinegar is also a good leather cleaner. pour some on a cloth and wipe it onto the leather until it becomes shiny again.
and, everyone knows to use it as a window cleaner, I think--1 cup vinegar to 2 gallons of hot water and put it in a spray bottle when cooled. use to clean both windows and mirrors.
1 cup vinegar to 1 cup warm water sprayed on your carpet will help to rid the odor of animal urine in a carpet.
when cooking pasta or potatoes or rice--take some vegetable oil and rub it around the top of the pot. viola! no boil overs!
lemon juice is another fantastic household commodity.
lemon juice diluted in water and put into a spray bottle is wonderful for your wood furniture! tho, just to be sure--try it first on a spot that is not so noticeable. Now, I will admit, I don't use real lemons, but instead buy Mr Clean Lemon scented cleaner and will pour a few Tablespoons into the bottle and then fill it with water. I also do not spray it directly on my wood, but onto a soft cloth and then use the cloth on the wood.
I think everyone knows to put an open box of baking soda into the refridgerator to absorb the odors. but, then, when it is time to change it, don't throw it away! wash it down your kitchen sink and it will still get rid of any odors in the drain.
btw--the lemon water is also a great deterent against spiders! wipe it around windows and doors inside and out and you may not have any more problems with the spiders. they taste with their legs, and do not like the 'taste' of lemons or any citrus for that matter.
to get rid of ants. take a piece of chalk and draw a fine line around any opening--door or window. ants don't like the feel of chalk and won't cross it.
have a very difficult dish with coated on food and grime? (such as a lasagna pan or scalloped potato pan?) pre-soak it in dishwashing detergent and hot water. it only needs to soak about 10 min. then, take a brush to it and brush it all out.
vinegar, lemon and baking soda and cooking oil are fantastic household cleaners!
so, she changed to just using plain ol' baking soda, and it's a lot cheaper as well! 