Microwave Cleaning

The spaghetti exploded, the kids' cheese tortilla melted off the plate. No matter how careful you are, the microwave just gets dirty!  Dirty and then those messes get baked on all sides of the microwave.

Here is the easiest way to clean a microwave.  After doing this I was able to clean it one handed.

Spray vinegar/water 50/50 % solution on the sides of the microwave (or where the biggest mess is).  Microwave for 15-30 seconds.  Open door and wipe the mess clean!

Yes, awesome.

 Here is a sample of the mess.  Ug, gross!

Yay! Clean!

Old Red Stain on the Carpet.

When my parents found an old red stain on the carpet in my brother's bedroom, I was super excited. I know how insensitive. However, that meant I could try some homemade stain remover ideas and on someone elses carpet.

I have heard of 4 things that can work:

1. Ammonia (Windex has this in it)- spray it on, place a rag over the stain and essentially iron it from the carpet to the rag.
2. Vinegar and water 1:4 ratio spray, sit, blot, spray, sit, blot.  Rubbing can make a stain spread.
3. Rubbing alcohol- same principle as either one above.
4. Hydrogen peroxide- can "bleach" so be careful.

There may be more, however the stain was only so big, therefore, these are the ones we tried.  All except for ammonia, I hate the smell.

The hydrogen peroxide began to take it up immediately, no sitting and waiting needed.  However, my mom, understandably, did not want to risk getting the carpet bleached- there'd be no fixing that.  Because rubbing alcohol is more expensive than vinegar we first soaked it in vinegar and then blotted and then ironed.  It began to come up, but the vinegar (or rag) left a residue on the iron that flaked off once the iron cooled.  The stain also did not come up immediately.  The process probably is going to need to be repeated a few times, but it is looking a lot better.

Overall, all three worked on the old red stain.  I'd probably do hydrogen peroxide for a light carpet and dilute with water afterwards.  However, I'm no stain expert so if you got a stain, you decided.  Personally, Fels-Naptha is my favorite stain remover of all time.

Vinegar in the Dishwasher

This was part of an e-mail I received from my mother-in-law awhile back.  Once again, love vinegar.

... she (my sister in law) fills the rinse dispenser in her dishwasher with white vinegar instead of the expensive products made for that purpose. So I decided to try it when it was empty. I have filled it twice now and it lasts as long as the purchased product and I haven't noticed any deterioration in the way the glassware come out. I don't know how that little amount of vinegar could have any effect, but it seems to be okay. I have also carefully poured vinegar in the holes in the sprayer arms when it looks like they might be getting clogged with mineral deposits and let it soak until the next time I run the dishwasher. I guess it helps!

Scorched the Pan!!!

I was making potato soup when I didn't stir it enough and by the end of our meal I was left with this!

When I began the whole bottom was black- that is baking soda in there when dish soap alone was not taking it off.

Okay, it was worse than that, that was after I had already tried to scrub it clean.  There had to be an easier way.  Yes!

Vinegar! And a little baking soda.  I boiled about half vinegar, half water for just a few minutes, then I wiped (yes wiped, not scrubbed with all my might) wiped it out.

Tada!  

Soap Scum Be Gone!

This was the recipe I was given:

Tub Cleaner - vinegar and dish soap, no scrubbing! Heat 1/2C white vinegar in m'wave for 90 sec, pour into spray bottle. Add 1/2 Cup BLUE Dawn dish soap. Shake gently to mix. Spray on surface, let it sit 1-2 hours. Just wipe it away then rinse with water. Should also take soap scum off shower doors!


And it works:
The Craft Patch: Pinterest Tested: Tub Cleaner:


I used a different dish soap, heated the vinegar half as long and poured it on instead of using a spray bottle.  And it works.   I then took the leftovers to clean the nasty soup holder in the bathroom.  I did not let it sit for long (less than five minutes) before I started scrubbing.  It came clean easily and I got to see how old and disgusting it was naturally.

   

Since my first experiment, I decided to use a cheap Walmart brand of soap, and test if that would work as well. I am not sure the reason the recipe specifically says "Blue Dawn"  I used orange Great Value and it did the same thing.  Yeah for saving even more while still getting a clean bathroom! Now onto that gross tile.

Fabric Sofener

I have heard

1/4-1/2 cup vinegar in your washer when doing a load will soften clothes. (Rinse Cycle)  You can throw in some baking soda to help the job along as well.

*Have not tested it yet.

Laundry Detergent

I based my recipe off of one found at diynatural.com
Their recipie
1 C Borax
1 C Washing Soda
1 Bar (4.5 oz) of shaved soap.  (Ivory and Fels-Naptha is what I used)

I added 1/4 C baking soda as well and added  about 1/3 cup vinegar to the washer as a fabric softener.

I made a large batch so it looked something like this

5 C Borax
5 C Washing Soda
5 Bars grated soap
2 1/2-3 Cups Baking soda

Mix in bucket.  Use 1-2 Tbsp per load.


 Grate your soap!  I tried using a food processor at first and ended up with a clumpy mess.  The Ivory soap comes out as fine shavings (When using a fine grater) that fall apart as you mix.  The Fels-Naptha grates into a powder just as fine as the rest of your ingredients.  This was my prefered.  The grating does take awhile, especially with five bars of soap, but this makes enough for A LOT of loads of laundry.  So if you think it only takes 30 minutes or less for months and months and months of soap it's not all that bad.

To test this recipe I used my dirty towels and rags.

Windows and Mirrors

I have a friend who once owned a window washing business. He laughed at the thought of buying expensive cleaning products.

The thing that got windows (and mirrors) the cleanest... soap and water.  Yup, that's it.  A little soapy water and dry with a microfiber cloth (or a paper towel).

Now that's a cleaning product I can afford.

Germ Killer

Vinegar is great for disinfecting things, but if your really want a germ free zone a mixture of bleach is the way to go.  And it's virtually free.

Fill a 16 oz spray bottle with a cap full (about 1/2-1 TBSP) of bleach and water.  Use it to get a really clean hard surfaces.

WATCH OUT: This will ruin clothing and other fabric.  For hard surfaces only!  Keep away from children!

Every new day you want to use it make a new mixture as bleach does tend to break down in the water.

Update:  I have learned even bleach sitting in its container breaks down once exposed to air.  I have also learn hydrogen peroxide is an effective cleaner.

Someone suggested spraying a surface with vinegar and the the peroxide for a super powerhouse clean.  Haven't tried it, but might be worth it.

Two Power House Cleaners

If I could only use two items to clean my house for the rest of my life I would chose baking soda and vinegar  (And not just because they are great in cooking too)  That being said, please use different baking soda and vinegar for your cooking and cleaning.   The thought of cleaning up messes and then making something good to eat is kinda gross to me. 

These two power houses do wonders on their own
baking soda cuts through grim and grease and freshens as it goes,
vinegar disinfects and freshens too.

And more, but when combined they become a super power.  It's like the Power Rangers. On their own they are tough, but when they combined their robotic animals they became invincible and could beat any foe.  (Did I really just compare cleaning to Power Rangers?)  Turtles are better, but they don't have a super robot....Back to the topic.

Besides really cool volcanoes, vinegar and baking soda are and acid and a base.  (Which is the reason for the volcanic reaction)  That reaction is also great for wiping away grime.




All purpose cleaner

1/2 C Vinegar (White)
1/4 C Baking Soda
1/2 Gallon Water


A great site for homemade cleaners is:
http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm


I will be posting more later.

Cheap Disinfectant and Cleaner

Vinegar is a disinfectant, and it makes a very good cleaner.

Mix 1 part water to 1 part vinegar in a spray bottle.

Happy cleaning! (My favorite shower cleaner)
No harsh chemicals!