What ingredients do you use for cleaning?
I read a while back that baking soda and white vinegar are great for cleaning. I've been using that combo ever since, or even individually. Quick, sparking results! Incredibly cheap! Great for bathtubs, kitchen sinks, stove tops, etc. I haven't bought a commercial cleaner in years for those jobs. And of course I assume it's also good for the environment.
What food ingredients do you use for cleaning, whether household, clothing, cars, or other?
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17 Comments:
I use vinegar too. next time you need to clean a coffee maker try coarse salt and ice, they used to do that at a convience store I worked at and it seems to work if done regularly. I also clean thermoses with rice. the abrasive action really gets the gunk out of the nooks and crannies.
huneybumper at 8:38AM on 07/21/09
Yes, the ice and salt trick is used in restaurants to clean coffee pots. I use peanut butter to remove sticky labels from things. Works like a charm!
arm1970 at 8:47AM on 07/21/09
I do vinegar and salt to clean my copper mixing bowls. I also use it to clean silver (but the silver was pretty worn so I wasn't worried about abrasions). Vinegar down the sink is better than bleach to kill odors from the garbage disposal.
I'm going to try the vinegar/baking soda combo next time I need to clean something. Thanks for the tip.
therealchiffonade at 8:53AM on 07/21/09
baking soda: grease, coffee/tea stain on ceramic
citric acid (shhh I stole a bit from my lab): mineral deposit around the sink, water pots, polishing metal without the vinegar stink ;-)
hmw0029 at 9:34AM on 07/21/09
Lemon juice gets red wine stains out of fabric. Use alternately with baking soda and it works amazingly well.
yayfood at 9:38AM on 07/21/09
I use a half lemon or lime that has been squeezed along with salt to get stains off of cutting boards. Also in a small bowl with a cup of water I add about 3 tablespoons lemon juice and put it in the microwave for 3 min. on high. When it is done just leave it in there for about 15 min. then just wipe out any mess. The lemon juice and the steam loosens sticky stuff.
finsbigfan at 10:03AM on 07/21/09
Vinegar/baking soda combo to clean EVERYTHING, including ring-around-the-toilet bowl (with a few squirts of an old lemon, to add a nice scent). Also for regular drain maintenance in the kitchen/bath sinks and tub. Vinegar diluted with water in an old spray bottle makes great, cheap glass cleaner. I use free and clear dish detergent, and keeping a few slices of lemon and a splash of vinegar in the basin while washing keeps the dishes streak-free and smelling nice.
savecara at 10:34AM on 07/21/09
Baking soda and vinegar get all the gross grime off of my stovetop. It really is an awesome way to clean. I love the fun bubbling.
gingercookiewithlime at 11:04AM on 07/21/09
White vinegar and a bit of olive oil for my old wood floors. The vinegar cleans out the grossness, the oil makes it shiny. It takes some serious elbow grease to buff to a shine, but it's worth it.
lorelei76 at 11:37AM on 07/21/09
How much vinegar to soda do you use? I have been using rubbingt alcohol, it work well. The vinegar/soda sounds like a good alternative.
DELICIOUS at 11:48AM on 07/21/09
I love using vinegar and baking soda. I use them for the laundry, as well as bathroom and kitchen cleaning.
Lemon for my wood cutting boards and even the countertops.
I like using crushed eggshells to clean inside glass bottles and jars, especially to get the hard water stains out when I can't reach them with a brush.
I like the idea of olive oil for the wood floors! I will have to try that one.
I use olive oil for lots of things--loosening sticky things from fabric for one.
I also use it a lot for me--olive oil and sugar makes a wonderful exfoliant, as does olive oil and coffee grounds.
Soft white bread will take dirt off of wallpaper and flat painted walls--my gramma always used it for hers, especially if we kids got ink on the walls.
It will clean your hands in a pinch too.
sadiepix at 4:31PM on 07/21/09
@sadiepix - great tips, you're a regular Martha Stewart!
I also use bk soda & vinegar by themselves or in combo. Still having trouble with the ancient grime & stains on my old stove - even orange oil or mineral spirits won't get it up. Any suggestions?
finewinendine at 5:00PM on 07/21/09
Vinegar and water for windows and coffee pots. My dad used to use baking soda to clean and whiten his dentures. At work I use white vinegar to clean my grill at the end of the day.
pjracz10 at 5:57PM on 07/21/09
@finewinedine-
Thanks for the compliment! I am a sucker for those little tips and tricks.
It is not a food, but if your stove is white, try peroxide. I do that on my ancient white stovetop (not the burners of course, just the enamel). I pour it on and let it sit for a few hours, then wipe off.
Aspirin is another good whitener and abrasive. Drop a few tablets (uncoated) in hot water, and use as a scrub for the tops of the stove and for cutting boards too. Works great on plastics also, without any scratching I have ever seen.
sadiepix at 9:39PM on 07/21/09
@sadiepix, i spend a small fortune on exfoliant, so i'll have to try your tip.
i buy vinegar by the gallon and baking soda by the pound. i use them for just about every cleaning job, including clearing drains and deodorizing the catbox.
cybercita at 9:59PM on 07/21/09
wow... i've got to try the baking soda/vinegar combo.... what ratio's?
and do you dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar or make a paste?
i read the peroxide is a really good cleaner/disinfectant....
pooch at 10:44PM on 07/21/09
@cybercita--it really works! I also spent an arm and a leg on exfoliants and I am a cheapskate, so when i read about the sugar/oil and coffee grounds tricks I started, and have used them for over 5 years now. Olive oil is great for your skin anyway, so no hurting there.
I use the sugar and oil head to toe, even my face a couple times a week.
The grounds I either do with oil or with sugar or just a body wash but I stick to just body with that as it is a little rougher. I love it.
Oatmeal and gelatin both make great face masks too. Grind oatmeal in your coffee grinder (cleans the grinder too!) and wet some to a paste ans spread over your face. Let dry and then wipe off with a warm cloth.
For gelatin, mix about a tablespoon into hot milk and spread on your face while it is still warm. Allow to dry and peel off.
My gramma used baking soda on her face every other day. Just a little in warm water and rub over your face, not too hard, and rinse.
You can so the same with aspirin if you have issues with blemishes, the aspirin scrub is supposed to help clear them.
As for any ratios on baking soda and vinegar, I never measure or worry about ratios. I just dump.
If I am cleaning counters or the stove etc. I make a paste.
For the toilet I just dump in a little of both and scrub.
Laundry is about a half cup of each.
For glass and shiny things it is a mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar.
I actually keep a spray bottle of vinegar and soda and I use that to do the counters and things, and when I refill I just slop in some of each--it usually looks like a tablespoon of soda to a 1/2 liter of vinegar. It all seems to work!
sadiepix at 11:58PM on 07/21/09