Wednesday's cleaning: Using Everyday Items Around the House, Series Review

So this is my last post on "Using Everyday Items Around Your House to Clean". I wanted to do a little review and point out some of my favorite things I learned. This has really been a great experience for me. I found out all kinds of things and began applying new strategies and money-saving tips around the house. What was really cool was all the tips my friends and family shared. That's the great thing about communities. We are all in this together and we need to share ways to make getting through easier. :) 


So here's what I learned about each post. Please feel free to let me know what you learned or if there is an additional tip I did not mention.

Vinegar (Original post here)

• Removing carpet stains
• Making shiny surfaces shine brighter
• Room deodorizer 

Citrus (Original post here) 

• Insect repellent 
• Fire starter
• Furniture polish 

Salt (Original post here) 

• Dusting
• Ant repellent (let me tell you, I tried this on some big ant beds before I cut the lawn. I sprinkled it on 2 days before I cut the grass and they were not a problem AT ALL!)
• Patching up holes in the walls
• Removes coffee and tea stains

Dryer Sheets (Original post here) 

• Mosquito repellent
• Cleaning burnt on food (I tried this after one of my crockpot meals got a little crusty around the edges. It worked! Woohoo!) 
• Keeping thread from tangling 

Baking Soda (Original post here) 

• Use on camping gear
• Remove odor and stains from tupperware
• remove crayon from walls and kool-aid from counters
• Put out grease fires

So that's it, my friends. I'm sure there are so many other nifty things around the house you can use to clean that will save you time and money. In my research, I found a TON (and I seriously mean a TON) of tips. If you missed a week or forgot, please go back to the original posts, check out what I placed on there, and also check out the websites I provided at the end. I only picked a few from each. You may find something you really can use! 

As for future cleaning series: I am going to start a mini-series (probably only 2-3 weeks) on "Things We Don't Think to Clean". Then I will begin a focus on each major room of the house. I look forward to hearing what you have to share! 

Happy Fall Cleaning! :) 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using Everyday Items Around the House to Clean, part 5: Baking Soda

This is it! The last part of my "Using Everyday Items Around the House to Clean" series (say that 10 times fast!) I have finally made it to Baking Soda! We have seen this little friend in the other posts, especially with vinegar and citrus, but today we are going to making Baking Soda the "STAR"! I asked on Facebook, again, some ideas from my friends, and, again, I was blessed with some knowledgeable people! See those smart people, and a few of the internet sources I used, below.

So, Baking Soda, what can you do?

Deodorizer: (this was the #1 way I saw uses for Baking Soda)

• Sprinkle in a trash can 
• Sprinkle in diaper pail
• Sprinkle on carpet (I use this one in the boys' room...stinky, stinky boys) 
• Place a box in the fridge (when I was kid, this is the only use I thought it had) 
• Pour 1/2 cup into your garbage disposal and then pour vinegar (or warm water) over the baking soda
• Sprinkle on camping gear after a trip (I wish I had known this last weekend!) 
• Clean out tupperware with baking soda to remove stale food smells (JOE DEBNEY, you are expected to do this when you finally bring home all my tupperware from work!!...love you!) 

Stains: (this was mostly with a mixture of baking soda and warm water)

• Get stains out clothes
• Coffee stains on cups (sprinkle Baking Soda and then rinse with warm water)
• Scuff marks and grease spills (sprinkle and then rinse with warm water)
• Scuff marks and crayon markings off walls (sprinkle on wet rag and wipe away)
• Remove kool-aid from counters with a baking soda and water mixture

Basic Cleaning: 

• Add to laundry (saw quite a few ways to do this. Check out the sites provided to see more details)
• Clean combs and hairbrushes in a baking soda and water solution
• Clean stainless steel (sprinkle on a damp rag and rub)
• Clean a flat top range (from my favorite, obsessive cleaning friend!) 
• Scrub the inside of your fridge AND microwave with a little baking soda in some warm water
• Clean children's toys in a mixture of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 quart water)
• Mop tile floors and/or bathroom floors with a mixture of 1/2 cup baking soda and water. Just mop and rinse
• Clean shower doors (1/2 lemon dipped in baking soda) 

Some non-cleaning, but really cool other uses: 

• bee stings (hey dad, did you know this?!) 
• settles stomach issues (saw this quite a bit in my research, but most came with warnings about OVER indulging)
• Toothpaste (2 T coconut oil, 3 T Baking Soda, 1/2 packet of stevia powder, 10 drops of peppermint)
• To put out a grease fire, sprinkle baking soda on the flames 

Let me just say that this is a SHORT list. Many of the other uses, though, were about the same, just more specific (like deodorizing your pets). I hope this opened your eyes to some new uses for baking soda. My eyes were sure opened! 

Sources: 

• http://shine.yahoo.com/event/haven/40-ways-to-clean-with-baking-soda-2375665
• http://thenewhomemaker.com/bakingsoda
• http://homeparents.about.com/cs/householdtips/a/baksoda_part1.htm
• http://www.armandhammer.com/ (duh!) 
• Friends: (and if they have a blog that I know of, their names are highlighted with their links) Susan Hayes, Ashley Faris, Kim Purdy, Kathryn Rokita, Sara Anderson, Lisa Carraher, Kristin Powers, Jill Lewellyn, Debbie McGregor, and Tara Norman. 
• http://www.finecooking.com/item/12173/baking-soda-and-baking-powder (picture credit) 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using Everyday Items around the House, part 4: dryer sheets

It's cleaning day again! As part of my 5 week series of using what you have around the house to clean, as seen on my schedule, we are on week 4...dryer sheets! When I came up with the list of what I wanted to talk about for 5 weeks, dryer sheets was a bit of an afterthought. I had just finished using a dryer sheet for something else besides making my laundry smell springy fresh, so I was a little inspired. I knew of a few things you could use these little friends for, but had no clue of some of the neat tips. I sent a plea out on Facebook asking my friends and family for ideas. Let me tell you, I have some really creative, crafty friends. So here is how I'm going to organize this week's lists of uses: "What I Know", "What My Friends Know", and "What the Web Filled in". (PS: if you shared an idea, check out your shout out on the bottom! Yay for teamwork!)

What I Know

• Deodorizer: stick that sheet in a trashcan (a tip I learned after having boys...icky boys' bathroom!) or in your shoes (a tip I learned in high school since I suffer from smelly feet syndrome) for a quick freshener.
• Mosquitoes: Rub your exposed skin, stick a sheet or two in your pockets, or hook on to your belt loop to keep those pesty bugs away. This is a tip I learned from my friend's (hey Kim!) wedding planner. My friend's wedding was outside, and that planner had us set out Bounce at the end of every other row. So cool! 
• Duster: rub a dryer sheet over the TV, the window blinds, the book case, and the lamps for a quick duster (and much cheaper than buying all those other cleaners). This is great for the kids to do as well. After you use it for your laundry, just stick them in an old wipes container (or whatever you have), and on days you are dusting, have the little ones go around a do a light dusting of everything. 
• Static remover: I learned this in high school after I had the embarrassment of walking around the halls of my high school and didn't realize my skirt's static had caused my skirt to work it's way up my tights to expose my (then) cutie patootie. :( Just rub a sheet over your clothes, tights, panty hose, etc to keep that static away. 

What My Friends Know

• Pet dander remover: just rub your little critters (or big if you have one) with a dryer sheet to help remove that pet dander. 
• Dish cleaner: if you have a pan with burnt food on it or something that is really going to need time to remove that crust, soak the pan with a dryer sheet overnight. It loosens the ick to make cleaning that much easier in the morning (and this wins the award for coolest tip!) 
• Mattress help: There were two things with this. 1. Place between mattress cover and mattress for a deodorizer AND 2. to keep bugs away. No one wants to think about the little noseeums that are in your bed, so just put a few dryer sheets in your bed and feel better for it. :) 
• Crazy hair: Rub a sheet on your hair to keep the static away. You know how it is on cool mornings when you put on that nice warm sweater and then have your fashionable look ruined by hair flying everywhere. With a dryer sheet, you can keep those fears away! 
• Room deodorizer: strap dryer sheets on your ceiling fans for a quick room deodorizer. If you have guests decide to make a stop by your house and you don't have time to light candles or boil some citrus, this would work great, AND when they leave, you can wipe up the dust that collects on the fan! What fun! 

What the Web Filled In

• Bugs: wet your car and then  scrub those bugs off! Nothing like pulling up in your awesome mommy-mobile (van) and then have bug carcasses all over the front. This, again, could be a great chore for some of your older children to do to earn an allowance. 
• Sticky residue: Hate it when you take a sticker off your clothes or coffee mug only to have that sticky left behind? Just rub a dryer sheet over it to remove that residue. 
• Pet fur: have a pet that sheds? Just use a dryer sheet over your furniture and floors to pick up the fur. (You could also strap it on to your Swiffer and get that fur up as well)
• Wood: use a dryer sheet to wipe up the sawdust that comes from one of your many projects where you are sanding wood. 
• Thread: Run a threaded needle through a dryer sheet before you begin sewing. It will keep your thread from tangling. (2nd place winner for cool tip!) 
• Scum: Use a dryer sheet to remove the soap scum in your bathroom. Just wet and rub over the tub, walls, etc. 

I must say, this exceeds my expectations for that dryer sheet. Who knew that little bugger could do so much?! I hope you are inspired to NOT throw away that sheet after you take it out of the dryer. Just have a designated place for the used ones so you can have them ready for a quick cleaning. I really think this is a task I'm going to put Abigail to today! 

Next week's topic: Baking Soda (and this is the last week!) 

Sources: 

• http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/07/31/a-dozen-ways-to-use-dryer-sheets-that-dont-involve-the-dryer/
• http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/10-new-uses-for-dryer-sheets-10000001030026/index.html?cid=rsstip
• http://www.doityourself.com/stry/dryersheets#b
• My cool friends: Tara Norman, Ashley Faris, Kris McGregor and his beautiful wife, Debbie McGregor, Moira Porter, Loren Bradshaw, Barbara Gonzalez, Carrie DeAntonio, and Mindy Reiff. (If their names are highlighted, I attached their blogs...if I missed attaching your blog, let me know and I will add it) 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using Everyday Items Around the House, Part 3: Salt

Here I am again! I missed last week's cleaning post. Please forgive me. So, the original dates that I put on the schedule (here) are going to be off by one week. This week we are going to talk about SALT! So, uh, a little background and my relationship with salt....we used to be best friends. I mean seriously. I was a saltaholic back in the day, my favorite kind being pretzel salt. It was so bad, that was what people gave me as birthday and Christmas presents. We "broke up" when I gave up salt for Lent back in '98. It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do. No, seriously. It really was. I was that addicted. Since then, though, salt and I get together to make some very important things (such as bread). Now we can rekindle our relationship on a whole new, and much healthier, level: cleaning. I already knew some of the great things salt could do, but in my research, I found a lot of really interesting tips. So, I'm going to put this in two categories: "Salt Stands Alone" and "Salt and Friends." Some of this information is a repeat from the last two weeks (with Vinegar and Citrus).

And, as always, please comment with your suggestions, warnings, tips, and ideas on any of these. I know there are a TON of old recipes that I don't know about (or even some new ones). Let's work together!

Let me introduce my friend: Salt

Salt Stands Alone (BTW, many of these are mixed with water, not necessarily a friend, just water)

1. Dish and Hand washer: Mix a little with water to make an emergency dish or hand cleaner. This works if you need something at the last second. NOTE: if you use it on your hands, you will need use lotion, as this will dry out your hands. 
2. Burnt on food in pans: scrub a little salt on the burnt food. This works great, and I have used this while camping. It's a great natural scrubbing pad. 
3. Oven cleaner: Much like the pans with the burnt on food, sprinkle some salt and then scrub. If you need to mix a little water with the salt, go ahead! 
4. Dusting: Sprinkle a little salt on the things that get dusty around your house, such as fabric flowers. The salt will attract the dust. All you will have to do is shake off or wipe off after a few minutes. So cool! 
5. Bugs (Ants): Sprinkle some on your pantry shelves to discourage ants. Another new one for me! It makes sense. I never have had a problem with ants around my salt! 
6. Bugs (Mosquitoes): Wet a mosquito bite, then sprinkle on some salt. This will cut back on the itching. Yay! Take some camping! 
7. Fishy scales: Soak your fish in salty water for about 10 minutes before you scale it. The scales will come off easier. 
8. Testing Eggs: Dissolve salt in water and then place in the questionable egg. If it sinks it's GOOD; if it floats, BAD! So easy! (never a problem in my house, though, since we go through about a dozen eggs a week!) 
9. Ironing: Sprinkle some salt on a damp cloth and clean off that iron. This will save your clothes from getting that nasty residue on the shirt you wanted to wear that day! 
10. Weeds: Weeds hate salt. Sprinkle it on there. 
11. Spilled Pies: (I LOVE this idea!) If your pie is bubbling over, sprinkle salt on the spilled juice and then finish baking. It will keep it from burning and making your oven a mess. Yes! 

Salt and Friends:

Vinegar:

1. Mix with salt to make a basic household cleaner. Make sure, though, you don't use on porous surfaces, as the acidity in vinegar can damage the product. Also be careful with wax surfaces. The salt will damage that for sure! 
2. Mix with salt to clean the fridge's inside. This will also help as a deodorizer. 
3. Mix with salt to clean off stains such as coffee, tea, and vinegar
4. Mix with salt to clean and shine tiles

Citrus:

1. Mix salt with citrus juice or pour right into the center of a squeezed lemon to scrub metal surfaces. This will clean and shine. Be careful, though to make sure you rinse. Leaving that citrus on there too long. Rinse after shining. 

Starch:

1. LOVE THIS: Mix equal parts salt and starch to make a putty that can be used for plastering holes in walls. Get that deposit back! 

So that's about it (for me at least). There are really a TON of things to do with salt. It's good for cleaning your pores, keeping potatoes from turning brown, etc. Check out these websites below. This is where I got much of my info and they had more ideas that I didn't share. Check them out. Don't forget, though, to leave YOUR ideas. 

1. http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/the-vitality-of-salt/ (This is also the source of the picture above)
2. http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/salt.shtml
3. http://living.amuchbetterway.com/clean-your-house-with-salt/
4. http://www.greenfootsteps.com/cleaning-with-salt.html (this site is almost word-for-word the same as the previous source. Someone is plagiarizing here! I'm not sure which one is the primary source, so I'm putting both) 

Next week's topic: Dryer Sheets (please email me your ideas! I have a few, but really only a few!) 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using everyday items around the house; Part 2: Citrus

Cleaning products all around us have "Clean with citrus!" or "Lemon Power!" or something along those lines. So, if cleaning with citrus is all the rage, then why don't we actually clean with citrus?! I've already mentioned using citrus in my post "Air Fresheners"; now I'm going to look at these lovely fruits for ways to make our house that much cleaner. 

http://www.123rf.com/photo_4795577_lemon-and-two-oranges-on-a-light-background.html

Oranges (most of these involve dried orange peels. So, pull out your dehydrator after having a few oranges, dry some peels and get to work on cleaning up around your house)


1. Insect repellent. Duh! Oh my word, why did I not think about this before?! I remember noticing not too long ago "orange scented" bug repellents. You know why? Bug just don't like the smell. Set out a few peels near your windows, doors, and patio furniture, and the bugs are discouraged from invading your space. Also, take some orange peel powder and water, make a line around an ant bed, and they are then discouraged from crossing the line (wish I had known this two weeks ago before I had to do a funky cut of the yard with the lawn mower because of the massive ant beds!) 


2. Air Freshener. In addition to the air freshener I mentioned in another post, you can also place a few orange peels in the oven, on the rack, and cook for 5 minutes or so. (This should also help in drying your peels for other uses as well!). You can also put a few orange peels in a cotton bag (like an old pillowcase) and hang it in closets to get rid of the musty smells. 


3. Appliances: Use the peels to shine your metal appliances. 


4. Flames!!! I have done my fair share of camping, hiking, and backpacking and knew that oranges were great kindling. The juice you get from squeezing an orange can be highly flammable, so while camping (or I guess while you are setting a fire in your fire place), toss a few orange peels in there to get the flames going. (Who knew?!) 


5. Deodorant. Mix orange peel and lemon peel with a little powder, and you have yourself a homemade deodorant. 


Lemons: (Think of those Japanese restaurants. Ever watch them clean the grills after they are done chopping, flipping, setting things on fire, etc? What do they use? A little lemon, cut in half, water, and a rag. It's as easy as that!) 


1. Scrubbing stuff. Just like mentioned above, lemons are great for cleaning quickly, cutting the grease, and leaving a great smell. Use a lemon to scrub the inside of your oven; dip a lemon in some salt and scrub the hard to get off stuff. 


2. Did you say "Wood"? (extra credit if you get that allusion). Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of lemon juice for a homemade furniture polish. 


3. Mixing with friends. Mix lemon juice with vinegar for a bathroom cleaner. This mixture is a great soap scum killer and does well on hard water deposits. 


4. Makes your whites whiter! Lemon juice is a natural bleacher. Rub a little on a stain, let it dry in the sun, and then wash away (you girls that used lemon juice to dye your hair as a teenager are all probably smacking your forehead right now). 


So as citrus season approaches, fill your fruit baskets with lemons and oranges, but don't throw away those peels. Dry them, squeeze them, boil them, but whatever you do, don't throw them away! 


For the schedule of this series, go here. Next week's cleaning post: Salt. 




Resources: 
1. http://factoidz.com/green-clean-tips-how-to-use-oranges-in-household-cleaning/
2. http://allnaturalbeauty.us/herbal_powders_deodorants.htm
3. http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/176/1/Orange-peel-tips.html
4. http://housekeeping.about.com/od/environment/a/lemonscleaning.htm
5. http://www.easy-homemade-recipes.com/lemon-cleaner.html (Didn't actually put anything on here from this site, but she has recipes to make Lemon Cleaners) 
6. http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using everyday items around the house; Part 1: Vinegar

As mentioned last week, for the next 5 weeks, I am going to be posting on ways to use everyday items around the house to clean. If you need to see the schedule, go here. This week, I will focus on the use of Vinegar around the home. 


Cleaning with Vinegar: 

Photo credit: 

http://vinegartip.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/vinegar-history/

1. Vinegar can be used by itself to clean quite a few objects. Just place a small amount on a paper towel or cloth and rub away at grease, dust, and dirt. Make sure to use it on non-porous surfaces, if you are using it by itself. NOTE: never use vinegar on marble. It will damage the marble. 
   • Refrigerator: wipe down the grease build up on top of the fridge; wipe down the shelves inside the fridge during your monthly deep cleaning. Do this in the evening, and leave it to dry overnight. 
   • Grout, grim, mildew, scum: clean with a vinegar-soaked towel or pour on directly. If cleaning the toilet, pour at least a cup of vinegar in the bowl and let it sit overnight before scrubbing with brush and then flushing. 
   • Making surfaces shiny: simply rub or soak with vinegar. Wipe dry. (A fun one for kids is to let pennies soak for a couple of hours. They will come out shiny!)

     2.  Vinegar can be used with a friend to clean so many things. Find a few spray bottles, a buddy to go with vinegar (mostly her two best friends water and baking soda), and a marker to clearly label what the concoction is and what it can be cleaned with it. 

1. With water (W&V for future references): 1) boil 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. of vinegar in a microwaveable bowl in the microwave. This will loosen up any food or grime to be wiped away later. 2) clean walls with 1/2 and 1/2 solution of W&V; 3) clean mini-blinds (yay! a solution!) with 1/2 and 1/2 W&V. Place on cloth and gently wipe away; 4) disinfect sponges and rags in water (cover the rags) and 1/4 c. vinegar; and 5) remove wallpaper by spraying (and even soaking) the wallpaper with 1/2 and 1/2 W&V solution. 
2. With baking soda (V&BS): 1) cleaning sinks by mixing 1 cup of BS and then 1 cup hot vinegar. Let sit and then wash down drain. If you let it sit in your disposal a bit, this will deodorize as well! 2) cleaning the showerhead is fun with mixing 1/2 c BS and 1 c V into a plastic bag, tie it around the showerhead and let sit for a few minutes. 3) Mix 1 tsp BS and 1 Tbsp V and 1 c. water into a spray bottle and use as a freshener 4) Carpet stains can be removed by making a paste of 2 Tbsp of V and 1/4 c BS. Rub and let dry. Vacuum the next day. 
3. With salt: mixing these two together to create a rub works great when trying to clean hard surfaces. 1) You can mix the two (1/4 c. vinegar and 1 tsp of salt) to scrub your oven, silver, copper, or other hard metal surfaces. 2) Remove soap buildup 1 part salt and 4 parts vinegar. 

Remember to use 1/2 cup vinegar in your laundry. Not only does this help remove smells, but it works as a natural fabric softener. I always keep a bottle next to the laundry detergent. Make sure you DON'T mix vinegar and bleach. This can cause harmful fumes. Otherwise, add away! 

Next week's topic: Cleaning with Citrus

Sources used to compile my list: 

1. http://www.cleaningwithvinegar.com/
2. http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/vinegar
3. http://www.vinegartips.com/Scripts/pageViewSec.asp?id=7
4. Tara Norman: http://organizedsahm.wordpress.com/
5. Parade Magazine's article: "Vinegar Can be Used for WHAT?" (August 7, 2011) ...This article talked more about how to use it for health reasons, but it gave me some ideas to research. 

Wednesday's Cleaning: Using everyday items around the house, a 5 Week Series

Because we are on such a tight budget, trying to find extra cash to get cleaning supplies can be hard. On top of that, the more I do the research, the more I realize that I'm wasting money on products that have the same ingredients of things I have at home already. So for the next five Wednesdays I am going to focus on one household item that can be used to clean the house. I've already touched on some ways with the post "5 Minutes to a Cleaner Bathroom" and "Air Fresheners". Instead of a topic, such as the ones just mentioned, I'm going to take an ingredient and focus on the multiple purposes of that product.

I would also like your help. I'm going to include the list of what I'm going to cover the next few weeks. If you have a nifty trick, a piece of advice, or some use for that product, please email me your ideas. I will not only share, but give you the credit for the idea. NOTE: if I double the post as an article on the Bounty website, I cannot give you credit there (the only name I can really mention is Bounty), so the credit will only be given here.

1. August 24: Vinegar
2. August 31: Lemons and Oranges
3. September 7: Salt
4. September 14: Dryer Sheets
5. September 21: Baking Soda

I can't wait to hear your ideas and look forward to sharing my and others' ideas with you! Yay for saving money!