Have you ever wondered what people used to clean their house before so many different kinds of cleaning products were so readily available on the market? Many of these ideas are not new and have been around for a long time.
I have made every attempt to only include instructions that include easy to find, relatively inexpensive ingredients. Please use a little caution and a lot of common sense when trying these preparations out:
Antibacterial Spray
Instead of buying expensive antibacterial sprays for the kitchen, just put about 1 tablespoon of household bleach in a spray bottle filled with water and use it to disinfect around the sink and counters, especially when you’ve been handling or packaging meat.
Clogged Drain
When your drain is clogged with grease, try pouring a cup of salt and a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a generous amount of boiling water. This will usually dissolve the grease and clear the drain.
Stainless Steel
Use a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol, club soda, or white vinegar to give your stainless steel a brilliant shine.
Spot Remover
Club soda makes a good instant spot remover. Pour a little on the stain, let it set for a second or two, and blot with a damp sponge.
Carpet Spot Remover
A mixture of 1/2 cup mild dish washing liquid and 2 cups boiling water makes a great spot remover for carpets. Apply with a damp sponge.
Black Marks on Floors
Black marks left on your floors from the heels of your shoes can be removed with a pencil eraser.
Water Rings / Spots
Water rings or spots can be removed from wood furniture with a mixture of toothpaste and baking soda applied with a damp cloth.
Cleaning Wood
To clean all types of wood work, make a mixture of 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons white vinegar, and 1 quart warm water. Apply with a soft cloth and dry with a separate, clean cloth.
Bathtub Stains
To clean the stubborn stains in your bathtub, make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Use a toothbrush to rub it into the stains and rinse thoroughly.
The Author:
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What’s for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
If the grease-guard behind your oven is not painted, try using oven cleaner to remove greasy splatters. Just spray and wait for about ten minutes, then wipe off. Be sure to protect hands while doing so. I clean houses after someone has moved and I also use oven cleaner for the sides of the oven, the rangehood and the fan blades. Grease just wipes away. Follow by rinsing several times to remove the cleaner.
That’s a great tip about using oven cleaner to remove greasy splatters! I’ll definitely try that next time. Thanks for sharing!
Remove pen ink easily by using a dab of alcohol or hairspray on the item. Lightly rub. Works on walls, some clothing, tiles, leather.
I’ve heard that using alcohol or hairspray can be really effective in removing pen ink. It’s nice to know that it works on different surfaces too. I’ll keep that in mind for future stains. Thanks for the suggestion!
Soap Scum Remover – I have a glass shower and to clean the soap scum from the inside I use dryer sheets. It works extremely well, just wet and wipe, no elbow grease required.
Using dryer sheets to remove soap scum from a glass shower sounds interesting. I’ll have to give it a try and see if it works as well for me. Thanks for sharing your method!
I clean my carpet spots or stains with white vinegar and have never had any problems. it removes almost every type of stain, especially if used immediately. It also works well on the entire carpet, but need to be rinsed lightly with warm water afterwards.
White vinegar is such a versatile cleaner, and it’s great to hear that it works well on carpet stains too. I’ll make sure to give it a try next time I have a spill. Thanks for the recommendation!
I love any cleaning tips that won’t cost me a fortune, but only pennies. This helps me a lot to save money from the family budget.
I completely agree! It’s always a win when you can find cost-effective cleaning tips that work just as well as expensive products. Saving money is always a plus. Thanks for sharing your appreciation for frugal cleaning solutions!
Cleaning supplies ought to have earth friendly organic ingredients so that they do not harm the environment.
I couldn’t agree more! It’s important to use cleaning supplies that are safe for both our homes and the environment. Thanks for emphasizing the importance of using earth-friendly ingredients in cleaning products. We should all strive to protect the environment while keeping our homes clean.