Running out of household ideas that are simple and inexpensive to do? Want to know how to remove greases spots from a carpet? How about what to do to make glasses sparkle? How about the most effective way to whiten socks? Or what about how to clean badly stained ceramic tiles? Help is close at hand.
Kitchen
Place a tray of water on the bottom rack of the oven when broiling meat. The meat drippings will fall into the water, not on the oven.
Sprinkle oven spills immediately with salt. Once the oven has cooled, whisk and wipe.
If you have trouble getting muffins out of the tin, place the tin on a wet towel.
Use white vinegar in water to make glasses and crystal sparkle.
If you have one glass stuck inside another, no problem! Dip the bottom glass in hot water and fill the top one with hot water.
The least expensive refrigerator deodorizer is, surprisingly enough, two charcoal briquettes.
Dishcloths need to be disinfected? Toss them into the microwave for ten to twenty seconds and that will kill the germs.
Carpeting
To brighten your carpet, sprinkle it with salt an hour before vacuuming.
To remove grease spots from your carpet, sprinkle with baking soda or cornmeal and brush lightly. Leave overnight.
In the wintertime when salt from outdoors gets on your carpet, use an equal amount of vinegar and water to clean it off.
To remove wax or crayon from carpet or upholstery, place brown paper over the stain and press with a warm iron. The paper will absorb the wax.
Laundry
To remove grease stains from clothing try club soda.
To remove mildew stains from clothing, moisten garment with lemon juice and salt, and then allow the garment to dry in the sun.
To remove bloodstains, place a few drops of ammonia on the stain before washing in cold water.
To remove ink stains, spray liberally with hairspray, then rub with a clean dry cloth. If this does not work, pour a bit of rubbing alcohol on the spot and then launder as usual.
Do you have too many suds in your wash? Sprinkle salt over them.
To whiten socks, soak in a pot of water with a lemon slice and bring to a boil.
If chlorine bleach has turned a garment yellow, soak immediately in a solution of 1tbsp. sodium hydrosulphate (found in most drug stores) and one gallon of warm water. Rinse well, then launder.
Bathroom
Use a slice of lemon to remove light stains from the bathtub.
Soak clean shower curtains in a solution of salt and water before hanging to prevent mildew.
Other
To wash windows use a solution of ½ cup of ammonia, 1 cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed in a bucket of water.
Try toothpaste as an effective polish for both copper and glassware. It also removes black marks from wall.
Rub spots on stainless steel with rubbing alcohol or white vinegar.
For badly stained ceramic tiles, make a paste of baking soda and bleach. Scrub the tiles with a small brush and then rinse thoroughly.
Pet hair everywhere? Use a pair of rubber gloves to remove it. This is one of the best ways to get rid of it. Gloves allow hair to rub off easily from most surfaces.