I Made It Myself ~ Safer Alternatives

[YouPdWhat]

Post Your Safer Alternative Homemade Mixtures Here!

Safer Alternatives; Reducing The Risk. One of the best means of avoiding exposure to household hazardous materials is to use safer alternatives when ever & where ever possible.

PLEASE NOTE: Some ingredients recommended as alternatives are safer, but not nontoxic.

WARNING: NEVER MIX BLEACH WITH VINEGAR, TOILET BOWL CLEANER, OR AMMONIA.

[boycrewof7]

Homemade cleanser

When I need to get off the ring around my tub, I just mix baking soda with a dish detergent, or hand soap. Just mix up enough so it is like a paste. The little scrubbies in the soda takes off tub ring beautifully. I also use this in my kitchen. I have yet to find anything it doesn't clean.

I just tried this last night and believe me it works.

I have a shower stall that has a non slip bottom. Well having 8 people use that shower it gets dirty really quick. (Besides I hate to clean it). All those little grooves drive me crazy.

It cleaned it really nice.

I also liked that it was not a harsh chemical. Don't use those.

[BzyBee]

I think it was Queen who had posted a long time ago that she uses parmesan cheese shakers to put baking soda in and use as a cleanser. I had some large powdered sugar shakers (with the large holes) and keep one under the kitchen sink and one in my cleaning caddy...both with baking soda and I do not ever use anything more abrasive. People do not realize that when they use a harsh abrasive, it can leave tiny pits and scratches on the surface. In those scratches, that you can't even see, dirt will collect and your tub, sink, toilet, will look even dirtier...so they clean with more abrasive cleansers and add to the problem...when the problem is not that the surface is dirty...but they have damaged it with improper cleaning. This is why most people hate their porcelain sinks and fiberglass shower floors....once damaged, they look worse than ever and are very hard to keep clean.

[YouPdWhat]

Air Fresheners

Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try one of the following.

Cinnamon and Cloves: Boil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri: Buy or make your own potpourri from your favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Ventilation: Open windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

Vinegar: Distribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

[YouPdWhat]

Great - Cheap stain remover

To remove stains from clothing I use a bar of Lava soap. I wet the bar and rub the soap into the stain and wash as normal. I have removed red postage meter ink, grease, and it works great for ring around the collar. On kids cloths it is wonderful!!!! A bar costs under a $1.00 and lasts for months and months.


( borrowed from ff thanks to tracy )

[YouPdWhat]

Furniture Polish

The idea behind furniture polish for wood products is to absorb oil into the wood. Many oils commonly found in our kitchens work very well.

Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. Mix 2 parts oil and 1 part lemon juice. Apply and polish with a soft cloth. This leaves furniture looking and smelling good.

For Unfinished Wood: Mineral Oil. Mineral oil is flammable. Apply sparingly with a soft cloth. For lemon oil polish, dissolve 1 teaspoon lemon oil into 1 pint mineral oil. CAUTION: Mineral spirits should never be substituted for mineral oil as it can be dangerous when inhaled or absorbed through the skin.

For Mahogany: Vinegar. Mix equal pans white vinegar and warm water. Wipe onto wood and then polish with a chamois cloth.

[YouPdWhat]

Homemade Cleaning Compounds



Disinfectant:

Mix 1/2 cup borax (a natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria) with 1 gallon hot water. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Steep for 10 minutes, strain and cool. Store in a recycled plastic spray bottle.


Floor Cleaner:

Mix 1 cup white vinegar with 2 gallons hot water. For greasy floors, add 1/4 cup washing soda and 1 tablespoon vegetable-oil-based soap to the above mixture.


Oven Cleaner:

Make a paste of baking soda and hot water. Sponge onto stains and wipe clean.


Window Cleaner:

Mix 1 cup vinegar with 4 cups hot water.

[YouPdWhat]

Homemade Metal Cleaners & Polishes

Aluminum

Cream of Tartar: To remove stains and discoloration from aluminum cookware, fill cookware with hot water and
add 2 tablespoons cream of tartar to each quart of water. Bring solution to a boil and simmer ten minutes. Wash as usual and dry.

Vinegar: To clean an aluminum coffeepot and remove lime deposits, boil equal pans of water and white vinegar. Boiling time depends upon how heavy deposits are.

Brass

Olive Oil: Brass will look brighter and require less polishing if rubbed with a cloth moistened with olive oil after each polishing. Olive oil retards tarnish.

Salt, Vinegar & Flour: Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste.

Lemon & Salt or Baking Soda: Make a paste of lemon juice and salt and rub with a soft cloth, rinse with water, and dry. Or use a slice of lemon sprinkled with baking soda. Rub brass with the lemon slice, rinse with water, and dry.

Vinegar & Salt: Pour vinegar over the surface. Sprinkle salt over the acid and rub in the mixture. Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Lemon Juice & Cream of Tartar: Make a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Apply, leave on for 5 minutes and then wash in warm water. Dry with a soft cloth.

Bronze

Salt, Vinegar & Flour: Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to bronze and let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean, warm water, and polish dry.

Chrome

Vinegar: To clean chrome, wipe with a soft cloth dipped in undiluted white or cider vinegar.

Baby Oil: Apply baby oil with a soft cloth and polish to remove stains from chrome trim on faucets, kitchen appliances, vehicles, etc.

Copper

Vinegar & Salt: If copper is tarnished, boil article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar for several hours. Wash with soap in hot water. Rinse and dry.

Salt, Vinegar & Flour: Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply the paste to copper and let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean warm water, and polish dry.

Lemon & Salt or Baking Soda: Make a paste of lemon juice and salt, and rub with a soft cloth, rinse with water, and dry. Or use a slice of lemon sprinkled with baking soda. Rub copper with the lemon slice and rinse with water and dry.

Vinegar & Salt: Pour vinegar over the surface Sprinkle salt over the acid and rub in the mixture. Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Lemon Juice & Cream of Tartar: Make a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar. Apply, leave on for 5 minutes, and then wash in warm water. Dry with a soft cloth.

Gold

Soapy Water: Wash in lukewarm soapy water and dry with a cotton cloth. Polish with a chamois cloth.

Toothpaste: Clean with toothpaste and a soft toothbrush.

Pewter

Salt, Vinegar & Flour: Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup white vinegar. Add enough flour to make a paste. Apply paste to pewter and let sit for 15 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse with clean warm water, and polish dry.

Silver

Polishing silver while wearing rubber gloves promotes tarnish. Instead, choose plastic or cotton gloves.

Baking Soda: Apply a paste of baking soda and water. Rub, rinse, and polish dry with a soft cloth. To remove tarnish from silverware, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth and rub it on the silverware until tarnish is gone. Rinse and dry well.

Aluminum Foil, Baking Soda & Salt: Place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pan, add 2-3 inches of water, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Add silver pieces, boil 2-3 minutes, making sure the water covers the silver pieces. Remove silver, rinse, dry, and buff with a soft cloth. This method cleans the design and crevices of silver pieces.

Toothpaste: To clean off tarnish, coat the silver with toothpaste, then run it under warm water, work it into a foam, and rinse it off. For stubborn stains or intricate grooves, use an old soft-bristled toothbrush.

Stainless Steel

Olive Oil: Rub stainless steel sinks with olive oil to remove streaks.

Vinegar: To clean and polish stainless steel, simply moisten a cloth with undiluted white or cider vinegar and wipe clean. Can also be used to remove heat stains on stainless steel cutlery.

Club Soda: Remove streaks or heat stains from stainless steel by rubbing with club soda.

( Source unknown )

[cheapgirl]

THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL IDEA OF CLEANING THE RING AROUND THE TUB WITH BAKING SODA AND DISH DETERGENT!!!!!

[queenofthehivemomof5]

As a collector of copper pots and pans, which can be really expensive (unless you buy them like I do by scouring ebay, yardsales, and consignments stores) I would not recomend using any of the acidic methods mentioned above because the acid eventually eats away the copper as well as if you don't get it all off your copper will tarnish faster. Most people do not even cook with all copper pans but are mostly for display (I have some for both) if you use your copper for cooking or for those copper bottomed pans the acid methods are OK since you use them enough to expect them to tarnish and get used (I use ketchup on a rag to clean mine...good use for all that free ketchup) but for your decorative ones I recomend MAAS polish as it is low grit (they use jewelry polish grit) and has a wax in it that once tarnish is removed and item is polished with a clean lint free rag the wax left behind slows down the build up of more tarnish.

And the salt can scratch up your pretty shinny copper too.