TIPS

Kitchen

Removing kitchen and food odors: Soak pure vanilla on a cotton ball and place in a saucer. Put the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. Keep cotton ball out of reach of children as it contains some alcohol.

Kitchen surfaces: Mix in spray bottle, 1 part ammonia to 3 parts water. Or try diluted bleach solution in a spray bottle. It will remove stains AND disinfect.

For more effective dishwashing, add a few tablespoons of vinegar along with the dishwashing detergent when washing dishes. The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves dishes sparkling.

To remove mineral deposits in a tea pot or burnt spots on a coffee pot, put some ice cubes, cut-up lemon, and salt with a tad water and swish around and let sit overnight.

Bathroom

To clean tubs and showers use a product that contains phosphoric acid, their is no scrubbing involved.

Removing mildew from shower or bath: 3 parts bleach and 1 part water - put in spray bottle. Spray on mildew areas and it will virtually disappear.

Buildup on shower doors: Wipe with lemon oil. Removes buildup and keeps doors protected longer from future buildup.

Laundry

Microwaves can be used to emergency disinfect clothes, such as a child's cap that another kid has put on, as long as they have absolutely NO metal in the zippers, buttons, rivets etc. ALWAYS place a cup of cold water next to the article to absorb the heat and microwave on high until the water is steaming.

Removing mildew stains from clothes: Begin by brushing of mold outdoors so you don't scatter mildew spores in the house. On washable fabrics, pretreat by rubbing detergent into the dampened stain. Then, launder the items in hot water, detergent and chlorine bleach, if it is safe for the fabric. If the stain remains, sponge it with hydrogen peroxide, rinse and launder. If the item isn't bleach-safe, soak it in an oxygen bleach that is safe for colors, then wash it. Take non-washable fabrics to the dry cleaner and tell them what the stain is.

Gray Dingies: One cause of the gray dingies is overloading the washing machine. When you do this, the clothes cannot move freely, resulting in poor washing and unremovable soil. To estimate the right-sized load, place dry, unfolded clothes in the washer loosely until it is about three-quarters full. Another cause is using non-phosphate detergents, particularly the granular type. If you`re using a non-phosphate detergent, use the hottest water possible and dissolve the detergent in the water before adding the clothes. If you have hard water, you might want to add about a third to a half cup of packaged water softener along with the detergent.

Misc.

Use an alcohol(isopropyl)/water solution for cleaning mirrors. 1 part alcohol to 4 parts water. Cleans with no streaks. Coffee filters make great glass cleaning cloths.

When washing windows, wipe the windows with newspaper, it won't leave streaks.

Home oil spills: Paint thinner is best for this type of spill. Pour on spill and it will dissolve oil.

Removing scuff marks, pen, and pencil from walls: use a dry cloth and rubbing alcohol.

Clean those dirty, dusty, mini-blinds in your house in a snap! Fill the bathtub with warm, soapy water and let the blinds soak. If they are white blinds add a little bleach to get rid of any stains.