
How to Spring-Clean Your Home With What You Already Have
ADVERTISEMENT
I use vinegar, and baking soda, to clean up animal pee smells. It works great, depending on what your cleaning, is how you apply them. My area rugs, I put in the washer with b.soda, then a vinegar rinse. On a mattress, or carpet, I spray the vinegar on the area, then sprinkle b. soda over spot. Lightly rub the soda in to the area, then allow to dry .Then sweep up the soda, and discard down the drain.
Baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, 12 mule team borax, lemon juice, olive oil, and alcohol, are all that I buy to clean my home. There's almost nothing these products can't do!
What do you use to clean the front of your kitchen cabinets?
Hi Bev,
I have old-fashioned painted wooden beadboard cabinet doors (handmade many decades ago by the previous resident), which I wipe down with a wet, soapy cloth every so often. I use a soft brush to scrub into the grooves. I repaint them every few years to keep them looking fresh. (In fact, they could use a new coat about now.)
There are so many materials used in kitchen cabinets these days. Consider checking with a building-materials supplier to learn the best way to clean yours, especially if you have a lot of stains. You probably can't go wrong with a soap-and-water or a dilute, white vinegar wash.
Hi ,
How do we clean the brass face of a very old grandfather clock and also the brass chime weights. The clock is over a hundred years old and is beautiful but, has lost it wonderful brass shine. There are many little nooks, and crannies on the face and around the raised numbers.
Hi, Cece: Bear in mind that if you remove the beautiful patina on this clock, you will almost certainly reduce its value. That being said, you could try some tiny test areas on one of the chimes, always being very gentle and drying thoroughly afterward. First, try just plain warm water. Sometimes the culprit is just built-up dirt. Next, try just plain lemon juice or vinegar. If that doesn’t work, add 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1/4 cup water, then add enough flour to make a paste. Apply for 15 minutes, then wipe and dry. Remember, just try a little patch at a time. FWIW, we would leave the patina as is—but good luck and thanks for asking!
Bar keepers friend
So where are the tips about washing and conditioning hair?
We apologize. The link is updated so you can see Margaret’s article about washing hair (with just apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Here is the direct link: http://www.almanac.com/blog/natural-health-home-tips/natural-shampoo-only-two-ingredients
I missed that, too! But I've got one you may like....especially if you are dealing with well water. Try making a paste of a little of your normal shampoo and some baking soda....about equal parts of each....and apply it all over your head like shampoo. Leave it on for a few minutes, then apply just shampoo and rinse thoroughly. Gets rid of hard water residue really well. You could also try rinsing with cider vinegar....get all the shampoo off first, and then rinse with straight cider vinegar....be sure to close your eyes....and do a final water rinse right after that. The vinegar odor won't last if you do a quick final rinse with water,and it will get all the mineral deposits off your hair without drying it out.
Comments