Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Little Star

(17,055 posts)
Sun Feb 24, 2013, 08:47 PM Feb 2013

Some Good Cleaning Ideas (I got these in an email)...

Some I've seen before, some not. I swear by the wrapping celery in aluminum foil one.



Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them
neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

================================
For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put
Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't
refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)

================================
To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for
a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The
wax will fall out.

=================================================
Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped
in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

================================
Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt
BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

================================
Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads , I immediately take a pair of
scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw
away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would
be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely!
In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!

=================================
Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen
peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works
every time! (Now, where to put the body?) LOL

================================
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal
for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks..
Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows
on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

=================================
Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely
light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

=================================
Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will
smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels
and linen.

=================================
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3
hours prior to burning.

=================================
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the
flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!

=================================
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet , simply add a drop or
two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to
a boil on stove top. Or, fill pan with water, add a fabric softener sheet. Let
it soak overnight. Food will just wash away.

================================
Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring
in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

================================
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will
keep for weeks.

=================================
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the
corn's natural sweetness

=================================
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away..

=================================
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future
use in casseroles and sauces ......... Left over wine? What's that?

=================================
To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area
and you will experience instant relief.

================================
Ants, ants, ants everywhere .. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk
line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
================================
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still,
leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

================================
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to
tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and
then pull it off.. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

================================
Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........

Clean a toilet.
Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.
The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China .

================================
Clean a vase.
To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water
and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

================================
Polish jewelry.
Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the
jewelry for two minutes.

=================================
Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak
for an hour (or longer, if necessary)

================================
Unclog a drain.
Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the
drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes,
and then run the hot water.

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Some Good Cleaning Ideas (I got these in an email)... (Original Post) Little Star Feb 2013 OP
Nice List - Thank You cantbeserious Feb 2013 #1
I love it....some things sound improbable, Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #2
I love hydrogen peroxide it's useful for quite a few things. I actually buy the the cheapest... Little Star Feb 2013 #4
I read that horizontal/vertical trick years ago. Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #5
Just be careful with the peroxide - it can deteriorate the fabric LiberalEsto Apr 2013 #8
Really? Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #9
K&R Sherman A1 Feb 2013 #3
I love the perfume on a light bulb tip. RebelOne Mar 2013 #6
My Dad used a pouch of tobacco for deodorant in our family car. Eleanors38 Apr 2013 #10
I like all the suggestions except the dryer sheet one, they smell completely vile, diane in sf Apr 2013 #7

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
2. I love it....some things sound improbable,
Sun Feb 24, 2013, 09:24 PM
Feb 2013

but I am willing to try it. The only suggestion to save more money, instead of Alka Seltzer tablets to clear a sink drain, put baking soda down, then add the vinegar (doesn't have to be Heinz and doesn't have to be white). Another option I have used, and it works, is to pour hydrogen peroxide down the drain. It will react with all the crap in the drain and fizz like crazy----and the fizz will loosen things up. Neither of these have worked for a totally clogged drain----that takes a plunger.

Thanks for sharing.


Little Star

(17,055 posts)
4. I love hydrogen peroxide it's useful for quite a few things. I actually buy the the cheapest...
Mon Feb 25, 2013, 09:36 AM
Feb 2013

no-name brand by the half gallon. I also buy white vinegar by the gallon.

One of the new one's on this list for me was to use vertical strokes washing windows outside and horizontal
for the inside so that you can tell which side has the streaks. Why didn't I ever think of that by myself?

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
5. I read that horizontal/vertical trick years ago.
Mon Feb 25, 2013, 07:34 PM
Feb 2013

And it really does help, but it isn't as easy as it sounds---at least not for me. For some reason, my brain does not want to deviate from the back and forth that I have always done. So what I do now is clean back and forth, but the final buff is the one I do up and down. It really does make it easier.

The one that I am really skeptical about is cleaning mirrors with air freshener. WTH. I rarely use air freshener and have the same can that I have had to 20 years, just in case someone visiting feels the need to use it. I also think that this is a more expensive product to clean glass than most others. However, I am going to try this out, just for grins and because I can't believe it would work.

The hydrogen peroxide removing blood is the best suggestion I can give to anyone. Someone had a bad bloody nose once and got a lot of blood all over the carpet, and this totally cleaned it. The blood was gone----although it took a lot more than a little on a rag. I actually poured some of the spots.

 

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)
8. Just be careful with the peroxide - it can deteriorate the fabric
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 09:17 AM
Apr 2013

Make sure to rinse the peroxide off quickly with cold water after the blood stain is gone.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
9. Really?
Tue Apr 9, 2013, 06:34 PM
Apr 2013

It was my understanding that hydrogen peroxide, after the reaction with organic matter, just becomes water. But normally I do rinse anything that just had blood stains on it.....except for my carpet. Lucky for me, the carpet did not deteriorate.

RebelOne

(30,947 posts)
6. I love the perfume on a light bulb tip.
Wed Mar 6, 2013, 05:48 PM
Mar 2013

I am a smoker and use lots of Frabrez, which can be quite pricey. But I have plenty of perfume.

diane in sf

(3,914 posts)
7. I like all the suggestions except the dryer sheet one, they smell completely vile,
Sun Apr 7, 2013, 06:52 AM
Apr 2013

Are filled with toxic chemicals, and give me (and many others) migraines and skin rashes. You could make lavender sachets or store your incense in your drawers instead--Much better smelling and nontoxic. Also hanging clothes outside in the sun to dry, makes them smell really good, and is cheaper than running a dryer.

Latest Discussions»Support Forums»Frugal and Energy Efficient Living»Some Good Cleaning Ideas ...