Frugal Cleaning Tips

• For cleaning grease or ink off your hands try using vegetable shortening. Just rub it on your hands and then wash normally with soap. It’s also good for getting rid of stubborn stains on clothing. Rub a small amount on the stain and then rinse with club soda.

• Are your shoes smelly? Here’s a solution. Put some tea leaves into a pair of stockings and stuff each into a shoe. Leave for a day or two and the smell just vanishes.
• Dusting with a paintbrush can be an effective way to get into those hard to reach door jambs, etc.
• To remove grease from wallpaper, apply baby powder to a clean powder puff, rub, and spot disappears.
• Try cleaning your windows with crumpled up newspaper instead of paper towels.
• When doing your windows, wipe the outside of the pane with vertical strokes and the inside with horizontal strokes. If any streaks appear it will be easier to tell which side they are on.
• Don’t pay lots of money for Windex. Wait until the gallon size Windshield Washer fluid for cars goes on sale and stock up. Refill the Windex bottles you have, and save!
• Vinegar – Add to dish water to cut grease. Use as a furniture cleaner. Cleans and disinfects wooden cutting boards.
• Baking soda – Removes mildew from small areas. Use it for tubs and sinks (won’t scratch). Makes a great scouring powder: keep in a jar with a shaker top.
  
• Make your rings sparkle with toothpaste and an old toothbrush.
•  Cuticle remover will clear hands of nicotine stains.
• Use Lubriderm skin lotion or Turtle Wax to shine your shoes.
• Treat stubborn bathtub stains with a mixture of cream of tartar and hydrogen peroxide. By the time the paste dries, the stain should be gone.
• For cleaning that paint brush, try household ammonia.

• To remove sticky residue/glue, try one of these: mayonnaise, peanut butter, nail polish remover, “Goo Gone”, or any oil.
• Erasers will remove black heel marks on floors & Art gum erasers will clean bone colored shoes.
• To keep the corners of your windowsills free of dust and moisture, rub a white candle into each corner of the sill.
• If your polished furniture has small scratches: try rubbing them with a shelled walnut. You’ll see the scratches just disappear!
• For cleaning glass containers – Use salt and lemon juice, and if the glass is not too fragile, crushed ice. Swirl these around until container is clean, rinse with warm water.
• Keeping silver jewelry in a zip lock or air tight container will keep it from oxidizing.
• As soon as you notice a spot or stain on clothing, stop what you are doing and take care of it. The sooner you attend to it, the better the chance you can remove it.
• What is the best tool for scrubbing a carpet spot? Another small piece of carpeting.
• Removing Oil from Driveway or Garage floor

1. Spread a thick layer of fresh sawdust or cat litter over the oil spot to absorb excess grease or oil on the surface.
2. Allow the sawdust or cat litter to sit for a day or two.
3. Gently sweep away the dirty sawdust or cat litter.
4. Pour dry cement over the entire dried oil spot.
5. Allow the cement to sit for a day or two.
6. Gently sweep away the dirty cement.
7. Gather dirty cement in a bag and throw it away. Do not allow the dirty dry cement to go down the sewer.

The cat litter and sawdust soak up oil and grease on the surface, whereas the dry cement actually absorbs the stain out of the driveway.

 

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR CLEANING THOSE HARD TO REACH PLACES

Garbage Disposal

To get grease out of your garbage disposal, toss in a handful of ice cubes and turn on the disposal for a few seconds. The ice cubes sets the fat so that it can easily be ground up and washed away.

Broiler

There are two ideas here:

#1- Line your broiler pan with aluminum foil. When you are done cooking, just ball up the foil. You don’t necessarily throw it away, if you are into recycling; put it in with the cans.

#2 – Before using your broiler; put some water into the bottom of the pan. It will make washing up easy.

Bottle or Jar

If you do not have a bottle brush to clean inside of bottles or jars; put a handful of dried beans, a few drops of detergent and almost fill with warm water. Don’t fill to the top, you want to be able to shake the bottle and let the beans do the work.

Cleaning Oil from Driveway or Garage floor

A reader sent me the following, so I decided to include it and the answer on this page.

“I really need a solution to get rid of oil stain (from a car) on my pavement (driveway); I appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you.”

Here is one I know works:

1. Spread a thick layer of fresh sawdust or cat litter over the oil spot to absorb excess grease or oil on the surface.
2. Allow the sawdust or cat litter to sit for a day or two.
3. Gently sweep away the dirty sawdust or cat litter.
4. Pour dry cement over the entire dried oil spot.
5. Allow the cement to sit for a day or two.
6. Gently sweep away the dirty cement.
7. Gather dirty cement in a bag and throw it away. Do not allow the dirty dry cement to go down the sewer.

The cat litter and sawdust soak up oil and grease on the surface, whereas the dry cement actually absorbs the stain out of the driveway.

Other methods I have found, but haven’t tried:

Use spray oven cleaner to clean heavy grease stains off a garage floor. Spray it on and let it sit, then wiped it up with a damp rag. For stubborn stains, spray and cover with plastic that is taped down with duct tape overnight.

Pour cola on the oily or dry stained areas, and leave the cola on overnight. Squirt a generous amount of dishwashing liquid into a bucket until you have a good lather. Rinse with the soapy water, then with a garden hose.

Sprinkle baking soda or an absorbent powder such as cornmeal or sawdust on the oily spots. If the stain is dry, wet it first to make a scouring paste. Scrub with a stiff brush or push broom.

Sprinkle automatic dishwasher detergent on the oily concrete. Leave it for several minutes, then pour boiling water on the stained area. Scrub with a stiff brush or push broom, then rinse.

Do not buy expensive gadgets, try these simple tricks

Don’t try to literally peel a clove of garlic, simply press down on it with a wide blade knife. The peel will come right off.

Don’t have a spoon rest? Use a dampened sponge. It will also be very handy to wipe up any spills and splatters while you cook.

If you can’t open a jar, use a pair of rubber gloves. This will make the grip a lot easier.