Carol’s NO-Streak All-Purpose Cleaner
Excellent for windows, mirrors, floor tile and glass shower stalls.
Get a one-gallon container (large, clear plastic – pitcher like, if possible) and make the solution in the following order:
1 gallon (almost) of water
1 pint (2 cups) of rubbing alcohol (at any supermarket or drug store)
2 Tablespoons Ammonia
2 Tablespoons IVORY dishwashing liquid (it will ONLY work with “Ivory”)
Pour slowly down the side of squirt bottle(s) or pour into a bucket.
• If washing a lot of windows, use the “lamb’s wool” applicator you can get at Lowe’s or Home Depot-they now are blue and white in color. Dip applicator into bucket, swish windows and finish off with a squeegee. Fast and NO STREAKS! If washing a mirror, squirt on applicator and follow up with squeegee. Start at top corner and up and down “S” – she can clean a mirror in 15 seconds!
• When washing floor tiles: Spray onto the tiles and then use a large old towel to wipe them – wallah – looks like a new, POLISHED, floor – AND very little effort!
• Works on scum, caked-on mineral deposits.
• My favorite: Spray on the inside of grimy car windows and wipe off.
From viewer Carol Stokes
Hydrogen Peroxide Secrets
Anyone who has pets or kids should keep several bottles of hydrogen peroxide in their home. If your pets or kids have an accident in the house on a rug or carpet, if you spray on full strength peroxide and let it sit for a minute, then go back with a nice clean dry towel, you can blot up any stain with no harm to the carpet.
From viewer Michelle Anderson
Get Rid of Grease and Grime
Take your oven racks and/or barbeque racks, etc. and place in a large garbage bag, wrapped in newspaper. Pour in ammonia so it covers the newspapers and quickly fasten the top shut. Place in the hot sun on concrete or gravel and let set for several hours. Remove racks and rinse. All baked on grease and grime will fall off. Throw away the rest and you’re done!
From viewer Mary Jane Cozzens
Say Goodbye With Goo Gone
I love Goo Gone. My favorite use for goo gone is in the laundry. It works great on grease stains, even the ones that have been through the dryer. Just squirt a little on the stain, scrub with an old toothbrush and then squirt some shout laundry stain remover on it. It works great!
From viewer LeAnn Warburton
Help in the Bathroom
One of my favorite cleaning solutions is for the bathroom. I use plain vinegar around all the faucets and in the tub to remove the hard water stains. It is safe for the environment and easy to use. You can even let it sit over night for the really hard jobs.
From viewer Rebecca Eastwood
Pots and Pans
If food is stuck to any pot or pan don’t use elbow grease! Use water and lemon juice (just out of the bottle). Fill your pot with water so the caked on food is covered then add a 1-2 tablespoons (or as much as you think it needs) to the pot and let it simmer until all of the food has come unstuck. This has saved me from ruining a lot of pots and pans and has saved me from tennis elbow.
From viewer Nedra Meister
Sparkling Jewelry
My favorite way to clean my rings if I don’t have time to stop by the jewelers is with toothpaste and a toothbrush. The toothbrush is able to get in all the grooves and you will be surprised how shiny and clean it gets them.
From viewer Cheryl Shupe
A Stinky Situation
When washing the laundry, after adding your regular detergent, add 1/2 cup baking soda. In your “fabric Softener dispenser” fill with Vinegar. This will automatically add it to the rinse cycle. It’s about 1 cup. Your towels come out smelling clean! No more stink!
From viewer Brenda Wies
Paper Towels of the Future
As bizarre as this sounds newspaper is GREAT for cleaning windows and mirrors. Simply spray on some Windex and wipe with a sheet of newspaper and you will get clean, streak-free windows and mirrors EVERY TIME! It saves on the cost of paper towels, and is a great way to recycle your newspaper!
From viewer Suzanne
Biodegradable Stain Remover
I have found THE BEST Natural, nontoxic, biodegradable stain remover! Made by Biokleen, BacOut removes food stains, blood, animal stains, and even stains on cloth diapers! I recently purchased this for cloth diapers and spill grape juice on my white shirt. Simply spray a little on the stain and let it sit. The cleaner actually is a blend of natural living enzyme cultures and botanical extracts, which basically eats the stair off of the clothing! (but not the cloth!) About 5 minutes later the stain was completely gone! It is amazing!! Works great on cat urine as well, actually removes the smell and the stain, forever!
From viewer Nicole Olsen
Hairspray: Not Only for Hair
I have two little girls (3 and 1) and have found hairspray to be a wonderful tool! Sounds crazy, I know. But they love to color and draw and when they get a hold of a pen it could be dangerous. Spray some hairspray on the pen spot, rub the spot and rinse with cold water. I find that almost always the ink is gone!
From viewer Cindy Clawson
Spot Remover
Something I am never without is FOLEX INSTANT CARPET SPOT REMOVER!!I haven’t found anything that it won’t take out. Everyone should give it a try. My daughter told me about it and I’ve had it on hand ever since. Its cost is just over $5.00 at Wal-mart.
From viewer Linda Gerstner
Deodorant Marks
You know those deodorant marks you get sometimes if you put your deodorant on before your
shirt? Well, if you notice usually a wet washcloth doesn’t do the trick. I learned that if you put your hand inside a nylon and rub over the mark that it comes out way easy!
From viewer Stephanie Larsen
Shout it Out
Shout Color Catchers are the greatest invention ever! Now instead of doing 5 different loads of laundry for my 18 month old, I can mix all the whites and darks together and throw in a color catcher and it catches all the colors on a little sheet and her clothes come out perfect every time! Thank you Shout!
From viewer Lisa Johnson
Permanent Marker Stains
Anyone with kids has had this happen one time or another, PERMENANT MARKER! But the no fail solution is a spray can of Off insect repellant.
From viewer Emily Zaugg
Greasy Build-up
My favorite go-to cleaning product is Fullsol, from Fuller Brush. I use the foam spray it on my glass-top cooktop, but it is especially useful on my heavy, anodized cookware to remove any greasy build-up. Spray it on, let it sit for a minute or two and rinse off.
From viewer Nancy Allen
Cleaning Your Microwave
Every time my microwave has gone far too long without being cleaned, or there are sauces stuck to the side, I just get a microwave safe bowl and put about 1 cup of lemon juice in the microwave for 5 minutes. After it’s done, the stuck on stuff just wipes right off with a wet cloth!
From viewer Janell R Cropper
Magic Erasers
I LOVE Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They take pretty much anything off. I used them in the day care I used to work at. It took crayons off the walls, markers off table tops and lots of other purposes.
From viewer Bobbie Murphy
Add comment