SeeNewEngland.com → Yankee Articles →

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

Mayonnaise, vinegar, baking soda for truly 'green' products

COMMENT

SINGLE PAGE

EMAIL

PRINT

SUBSCRIBE

SHARE:

For truly "green" cleaning products, try these home remedies that use common kitchen food items -- mayonnaise, vinegar, and baking soda -- as the basic cleaning elements.

Mayonnaise

1. Mayonnaise is one of the best substances for cleaning pine pitch, grease, or tar off your hands. Rub it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and clean off the spot.

2. Remove crayon marks from furniture by rubbing mayonnaise on them. Let it sit for a minute or so, then wipe with a damp cloth.

3. If the flannel backing from a tablecloth sticks to a table, remove the flannel from the tabletop by applying mayonnaise liberally to the area. Let it soak in for an hour, then wipe it off with paper towels or a soft cloth.

4. Road tar on your beautiful car? Mayonnaise will take it off without hurting the finish. Rub it onto the car and let it set for a few minutes, then wipe off.

5. To remove the residue from tape or labels on glass, saturate the sticky part with mayonnaise, oil, or peanut butter, then wash and rinse.

White Vinegar

1. Before warm weather hits, clean your air-conditioner filter. Take the foam filter out of the grill and soak it for an hour or more in a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm water, then squeeze dry and replace.

2. Clean hairbrushes with the most logical cleaner: shampoo. Scrub it into the bristles, rinse with water, then rinse with white vinegar to remove any soap residue. Your hairbrush will be squeaky clean!

3. Clean painted woodwork with a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon of lukewarm water. No rinsing is necessary with this solution.

4. Clean vinyl shower curtains without taking them down by wiping them with a sponge dampened with white vinegar.

5. Clean windows with a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water.

6. Give your washing machine an annual cleaning by filling it with hot water, adding a quart of white vinegar, and running the machine through the wash and rinse cycles.

7. If a closet smells musty, wash it thoroughly (walls, floor, and ceiling) with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia, 1 cup white vinegar, and 1/4 cup baking soda in a gallon of warm water. Repeat if needed.

8. To bring out the color in a rug, dip a broom in a mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar and 1 gallon of water, then brush the rug with the broom. No need to rinse.

9. To clean a stainless-steel pan, first rinse it with white vinegar inside and out. Then shake on enough salt to cover. Rub lightly. This cleans the pan and keeps it shiny.

10. To clean gummed-up holes in a steam iron, mix well 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1 tablespoon baking soda. Pour this into the iron and heat just until iron begins to steam. Turn off iron and empty. Fill and empty twice with warm water to rinse.

11. To clean ironwork before painting, apply a coat of white vinegar and let it dry. The mixture will evaporate, so you don't need to rinse it off.

12. To clean leather, rub on a solution of equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil. Wipe off any excess with a clean rag.

13. To clean salt marks off boots and shoes, try a mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water.

14. To clean suede, brush with a suede brush or steel wool, then wipe with a cloth dipped in white vinegar and wrung out almost dry.

15. To remove old wallpaper (nonvinyl), mix equal parts of warm water and white vinegar. Sponge a section of wall with the solution until the wallpaper is saturated. Let sit for 20 minutes, sop the wallpaper again, then peel it off with a broad-bladed putty knife.