HINTS

This section is devoted to concoctions that make your life easier without costing a lot of money. Commercial products are on the market for a lot of these things, but I don't like to use weird-sounding chemicals in my house. I think the homemade items are better for my pocket, the environment, and me.

Copper Pots

To clean copper-bottomed pots and pans sprinkle table salt on them and then scrub with a rag soaked in some vinegar. The job is made even easier if you run hot water over the bottom of the pan first. The heat seems to help the salt and vinegar do their job. 

Copper Pots

Apply worcestershire sauce to the bottom, let it set and then wash with warm water.

All Purpose Cleaner

1/4 baking soda
1/4 lemon juice
1 tablespoon dishwashing liquid
2 heaping tablespoons borax
1 gallon warm water

Pour everything together in a quart pitcher, add enough water to start mixing and then pour it into a recycled, cleaned out milk jug.  Add the rest of the water  and shake before each use

Wall Cleaner

For washable paint or paneling.  Mix 1 cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with one gallon of hot water. Stir to dissolve.

Sink & Tub Scrub

3/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup borax
Dish soap
Combine the baking soda and the borax.  Add enough dish soap, a little at a time, until you get a smooth paste. Dip a cleaning rag into the mixture and clean.

Mop Cleaner Refill Solution

1 cup non-sudsy household ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
Water to fill an empty jug (clean milk jug)
Place ingredients in jug, fill with water and shake well. (no ammonia on wood or laminate)

Alternate:
2 cups rubbing alcohol
1 tablespoon liquid dish detergent
1 tablespoon household ammonia
1 tablespoon vinegar
Water to fill a gallon jug. 
Place first four ingredients in jug and fill with water. Shake to mix.

Window Wash

1 pint rubbing alcohol (70%)
1-2 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
1/2 cup sudsy ammonia
water to make 1 gallon of cleaner
food coloring(if desired)
Put alcohol, dish soap, and ammonia in a recycled gallon jug and add water, shake to mix well.

Kitchen Gadget Cleaner

Recycle that fuzzed-out toothbrush. Keep it in the kitchen drawer to clean the gunk out of the cheese grater, garlic press, food choppers, and other handy kitchen helpers that are hard to clean. If you are like me, if it's hard to maintain, it goes back on the shelf and doesn't get used.

Gum Remover

Bubble gum, or any other kind for that matter, can be removed from hair with peanut butter. Moosh it around with your fingers. The peanut butter will cause the gum to break up into little balls and it comes right off of the hair. A quick shampoo and all is well...sure beats a haircut. 

Ink Remover

Rub ink stain with petroleum jelly and let it set, then work in some liquid detergent or dish soap and wash as usual.