I clip coupons for cleaning supplies constantly due to the price involved in all of the different items you need to keep your house in tip top shape. Wouldn't you like to find a cheaper way to do it though? Sometimes, I run out of an item and do not want to have to leave what I am currently in the middle of to chase it down. I came across an article in "All You, Issue June 18, 2010" It substitutes know-how for expensive products (and takes the weight off of the old wallet!)
Make your kitchen sparkle!
1. Eliminate odors: Try coffee grounds to keep your refrigerator smelling nice and fresh, just as you do with an open box of baking soda. Place them, new or used, in a bowl and remember to replace them every month or two. (I have always used baking soda which eliminates any odors, but does not actually give the fridge a nice smell..will definitely try this one!)
2. Wash the dishwasher: To clean the inside of your dishwasher, fill the detergent cups with whichever one of these four products you have on hand: 1/2 cup white vinegar or a few tablespoons of powdered laundry bleach, Tang or lemon-flavored Kool-Aid (lemon is the only flavor that works). Then run the empty machine through a complete cycle. (What a great idea using lemon-flavored Kool-Aid!)
3. Chill out: Use ice to cleanse the blades in your garbage disposal and break up the grease that collects on the rotors. Every few weeks, toss in a handful of cubes, turn on the disposal and run cold water. Add some orange, lemon or lime peels to ward off odors. (Who knew?!)
4. Soften up: Get baked-on foods off pots and pans with a dryer sheet. Just place one in a pot, fill with water and let sit overnight, then sponge off the next morning. The antistatic agent weakens the bond between the stuck-on food and the surface of the pan, white the fabric softener works its loosening magic. (And I thought dryer sheets were only for the laundry...)
5. Absorb it: Cover the bottom of your trash can with old newspapers to soak up leaks and odors. (Who knows why I didn't think of this one before...would have saved me a lot of time having to soak the inside of that disgusting trash can!)
6. Wipe away: Make scuffs on vinyl flooring disappear by applying a little baking soda with a damp sponge. (This one I knew about :)
7. Gather shards: Pick up tiny slivers of broken glass-the ones you don't notice until you've stepped on them-by gently pressing a piece of bread or a piece of Play-Doh on the area. Be sure to wrap the glass up carefully before throwing it away--you don't want an animal to eat it or a child to play with it. (This one I didn't know, my feet always did the job of the bread..Ouch!!)
8. Nuke' em: To keep bacteria from taking up permanent residence in your kitchen sponges, rinse them with water at the end of each day, squeeze, then put in the microwave for 3 minutes. Let cool before touching. Do the same with your cutting boards, if they are microwaveable. (I don't use sponges much because of the germs and expense involved...now I can :)
9. Get fruity: Harness the power of citrus to clean your microwave: Cut a lemon in half, squeeze juice into a small bowl of water, add both lemon halves and place in the microwave for 5 minutes. The fresh scent eliminates cooking odors, and condensation from the steam loosens random splatters that have hardened. Wipe with a damp cloth. (I always used a bowl of vinegar for this job, but then have to listen to my kids say, "Yuck! What is that horrible smell?! Guess I will visit the produce department more often to cover this job!)
10. Bring back the bling: Polish tarnished copper with this natural solution: Fill a 16 oz spray bottle with white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of salt. Spray onto the copper, let sit briefly, then rub clean. (Don't have an copper, but this is an easy idea)
11. Floss often: Remove debris from the cutting disc on your electric can opener with dental floss. (I spent an hour once trying to clean my can opener, of course it was during spring cleaning mixed with my pregnancy nesting...someone bring me the floss next time!!!!)
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