Basic Household Cleaning ~ Tips & Tricks

[Penny Wise]

*To get burnt on food out of your pots and pans...fill with water, add 1 cup baking soda, and let boil for 15 minutes....pour out water & wipe away gunk with ease.

*To get soap scum off your bathtub or shower, spray with a degreaser, let sit, then wipe gunk away with a Magic Eraser.

[bob.cobb]

Keeping carpet fresh or deodorizing it.
Instead of buying the carpet freshener buy a .35 cent box of baking soda. Sprinkle it into the carpet and wait about 10-15 minutes then vacuum. Works just as well for 1/10th of the price

[gh_lover]

What a great thread! i don't have anything to add, but what a great thread!

[iamsank]

I just discovered microfiber cloths and have been using them as a chemical-free alternative to clean EVERYTHING in my house. They are awesome! Slightly dampened they work to clean windows (including the grease-spattered one near our oven range), the rangetop, and kitchen counters. I bought a mop version to clean my hardwood floors and linoleum (the floors slightly dampened this time). Once they get dirty just drop them in the washer with some detergent (that's the only chemicals used when cleaning with these).

The mop I got at Target, the handwipes at the grocery store (but I know they sell them pretty cheap at Trader Joes as well).

I haven't seen a lot of people talking about these cloths on the web (Martha Stewart's big book of housecleaning doesn't talk about them at all), but I suggest giving them a try. You'll be amazed at the grime you can pick up....

[peewee1]

i do the laundry soap in my carpet cleaner..that one works great! smells good too...

[JanuaryJade]

Use dryer sheets to remove soap scum from bath tub and shower doors. For some reason it takes it right off.

[Andra]

Use coffee filters instead of paper towel to clean windows and mirrors or shine a stainless sink. No little balls of paper lint left behind, just a nice shine.

[ch1701]

Got hard water stains around faucets or in sinks - take paper towels and dip them in vinegar and wrap them around the faucets or place them on the sinks. Let sit for a couple of minutes and just wipe up. The hard water buildup comes off. Saw this on a old cleaning show (sorry - can't remember the name) and it really does work. I've done this on shower doors, sinks, faucets and love it.
The microfiber towels that 'iamsank' talks about are great too! Totally agree! I love to dust and do windows with them.

[thickbluebug]

Toilette
I am still using kool aid to clean the toilette. Sprinkle the packet, swoosh around and done. Works great and smells good too. Blue makes a mess (splatters), lol.....sticking with lemon/lemon lime flavors for now.

Januaryjade, I heard about this. Do you use cling brand sheets? I tried it and it didn't do anything for me. Wondered if it was the brand I am using (snuggle and bounce).
My son has to shower with plain ivory soap and the scum is horrible. It was bad enough to have to pay for soap when I have a basement full of free body wash, but to have scum too......

Use dryer sheets to remove soap scum from bath tub and shower doors. For some reason it takes it right off.

I cut the lemon and place 1/2 in a bowl. Micro for one min and wipe clean. The steam takes all the baked on pizza, hotpockets, and chefboyardee off the sides.
- No my son won't use a splatter shield. He did get better after I made him clean it.

You can also wrap half of a lemon in a wet wash cloth, nuke it for 1 minute then wipe clean, leaves fresh lemony scent.

I get left over coffee and pour in the baking pans....cleans them right up

*To get burnt on food out of your pots and pans...fill with water, add 1 cup baking soda, and let boil for 15 minutes....pour out water & wipe away gunk with ease.

*To get soap scum off your bathtub or shower, spray with a degreaser, let sit, then wipe gunk away with a Magic Eraser.

[Cin42382]

i do the laundry soap in my carpet cleaner..that one works great! smells good too...

Actually using any type of "soap" to clean carpets is a very bad idea. Soap actually attracts the dirt. That's its job. However when you clean carpets with soap it does not completely come out of the carpets, causing your carpets to get dirtier much faster! Use a product that is water based so it evaporates. Even using only steam (water) will do a better job than using soap.