Author Topic: Favorite Cleaning Tips and Tricks Ever! (Read 41853 times)

jbbabyslings · « **Reply #30 on:** September 15, 2006, 10:38:11 AM »

So funny you are saving this today since I just scrubbed my tub and catching my breath at the moment.

Scrubbing tub and sinks baking soda (safe for kids to use too)

All purpose cleaners (windex) ammonia and water with blue food coloring if you like.

Bleach water disinfectant fill empty milk jug with water add 1 teaspoon bleach if using ultra concetrated kind. Shake with lid on. Then pour into empty spray bottle. Spray and let dry. We used to disinfect all the toys in the playroom when I had the daycare with this.

Oh also at the Dollar Tree that orange oil degreaser. It kills ants wonderful!!!!

I heard you can clean toilets and smelly ice coolers with tablets of denture cleaner

Also you can clean sticky and clooged drains drains with 1 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup white vingar. Just let sit overnight

jbbabyslings · « **Reply #31 on:** September 15, 2006, 10:38:54 AM »

Oh yeah. To clean dry erase board use nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. Makes it the whitest its ever been!

healthyinOhio · « **Reply #32 on:** September 15, 2006, 03:03:12 PM »

Does anyone have a recipe for something to sprinkle on carpet before you vacuum to make it smell nice? I think I tried a baking soda recipe once and it never got sucked up by the vac, so it was like powder on my floor for weeks. Maybe I made it wrong or something, or I just have really bad carpet.

jbbabyslings · « **Reply #33 on:** September 15, 2006, 03:12:30 PM »

Last time we made lavender sachets we spilled a lot of the floor and it smelled like lavender for weeks. Just let sit for a while and then vacuum. The longer it sits the more it smells.

Marie

bmason · « **Reply #34 on:** September 20, 2006, 08:57:23 AM »

We use Simple Green all the time and love it. It's wonderful to mop and clean just about anything except glass or mirrors. I buy it at Sam's for like $7.00 for 1 gallon and it'll last me at least 6 months or longer, if I'm really careful, and that's using it at the very least 3 times a week. I haven't heard anything about it being toxic or bad or negative side effects or anything like that, and I have to be very careful what I use because of my oldest child's allergies and lung weakness. We love Simple Green!!!! try it you'll love it too.

Julia · « **Reply #35 on:** November 20, 2006, 06:05:40 PM »

Does anyone have a natural alternative to dish soap? Not dishwasher soap, just dish soap. Mine is about to run out and I'm not sure what to get next.

healthybratt · « **Reply #36 on:** November 20, 2006, 06:51:12 PM »

Quote from: juliaofsunnyside on November 20, 2006, 06:05:40 PM

Does anyone have a natural alternative to dish soap? Not dishwasher soap, just dish soap. Mine is about to run out and I'm not sure what to get next.

Homemade Dish Washing Soap

born-an-okie · « **Reply #37 on:** November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM »

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet? My 2 yr. old found one the other day and tried drawing a picture while sitting on the floor. I guess the paper wasn't quite big enough for him!

He was long gone by the time I found the 2 foot long mark on the carpet! We are renting and although my husband just considers the deposit $ as gone, I would really like to get it back when we leave. We have horrible carpet stains next the kitchen area. Thanks!

Julia · « **Reply #38 on:** November 21, 2006, 05:03:59 AM »

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet? My 2 yr. old found one the other day and tried drawing a picture while sitting on the floor. I guess the paper wasn't quite big enough for him! He was long gone by the time I found the 2 foot long mark on the carpet! We are renting and although my husband just considers the deposit $ as gone, I would really like to get it back when we leave. We have horrible carpet stains next the kitchen area. Thanks!

I searched on the net for a similar thing this summer and found a page called "ask a scientist" that gave me an answer. You might look for that or something like it. I was trying to get marker off a blackboard and it said to use fingernail polish remover - it worked!

carolinachic · « **Reply #39 on:** November 21, 2006, 05:08:24 AM »

Quote from: healthyinOhio on September 15, 2006, 03:03:12 PM

Does anyone have a recipe for something to sprinkle on carpet before you vacuum to make it smell nice? I think I tried a baking soda recipe once and it never got sucked up by the vac, so it was like powder on my floor for weeks. Maybe I made it wrong or something, or I just have really bad carpet.

I put a piece of scented cloth or gauze in my vacuum bag and it smells the whole house nicely. Use your favorite E. oil

carolinachic · « **Reply #40 on:** November 21, 2006, 05:13:07 AM »

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet? My 2 yr. old found one the other day and tried drawing a picture while sitting on the floor. I guess the paper wasn't quite big enough for him! He was long gone by the time I found the 2 foot long mark on the carpet! We are renting and although my husband just considers the deposit $ as gone, I would really like to get it back when we leave. We have horrible carpet stains next the kitchen area. Thanks!

Well I haven't tried this yet, but a friend told me she uses lemon juice on EVERYTHING! So maybe you could give the lemon juice a try and tell us if it worked

fisherovi5 · « **Reply #41 on:** November 21, 2006, 05:25:02 AM »

Dr. Bronner's all-in-one castile soap took cranberry stains out of our carpet....no kidding! And we have the kind of carpet that shows everything.
Just an added note: For a window and mirror cleaner, I put tonic water in a spray bottle (mineral water, soda water - however you would like to call it) - then wipe with a soft cotton cloth. Learned this from Martha Stewart and it works great....AND it's totally non-toxic and doesn't have a lingering smell that overpowers my lemon bath scrub

! Vinegar always leaves streaks for me.

wyomama3 · « **Reply #42 on:** November 21, 2006, 05:30:12 AM »

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet?

I use Windex. I have a friend who cleaned motel rooms in college, and that is what they used. It took many scrubbings over the days, but I was able to get black perm marker out of my carpet this way. It also works well with the spots on the floor of your vehicle; and the seats too. This is the only reason I buy windex, and it is worth it. I smile when I see one of my kids scrubbing the carpet with windex. It means that they had something where they shouldn't have, and they know that they had better cure the problem

healthybratt · « **Reply #43 on:** November 21, 2006, 06:44:23 AM »

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet? My 2 yr. old found one the other day and tried drawing a picture while sitting on the floor. I guess the paper wasn't quite big enough for him! He was long gone by the time I found the 2 foot long mark on the carpet! We are renting and although my husband just considers the deposit $ as gone, I would really like to get it back when we leave. We have horrible carpet stains next the kitchen area. Thanks!

My mother once got laundry marker on her wood cabinets. Skin So Soft, by Avon took it off.

WithLoveAndJoy · « **Reply #44 on:** November 21, 2006, 07:54:11 AM »

Skin So Soft is GREAT stuff! I sell AVON so, I have all sorts of things like that around. The AVON bubble bath works really well for tons of stuff too.

born-an-okie · « **Reply #45 on:** November 21, 2006, 08:01:51 AM »

Thanks for all of the great ideas! I happen to have unscented Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap, and it looks like it is going to work. It might take a second round, but it is coming out! Hurray! I was thinking of trying to find someone in our area that sells Melalueca products since I've had success with them in getting out ink in our dryer (the pen made it through the wash without opening, but exploded in the dryer, ink everywhere

) Since Dr. Bronner's soap is going to work I won't have to do that now. Yeah!

Julia · « **Reply #46 on:** November 21, 2006, 09:16:35 AM »

Quote from: wyomama2 on November 21, 2006, 05:30:12 AM

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM
Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet?
I use Windex. I have a friend who cleaned motel rooms in college, and that is what they used. It took many scrubbings over the days, but I was able to get black perm marker out of my carpet this way. It also works well with the spots on the floor of your vehicle; and the seats too. This is the only reason I buy windex, and it is worth it. I smile when I see one of my kids scrubbing the carpet with windex. It means that they had something where they shouldn't have, and they know that they had better cure the problem

Are you Greek? I remember they did that in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

healthybratt · « **Reply #47 on:** November 21, 2006, 09:25:12 AM »

Quote from: juliaofsunnyside on November 21, 2006, 09:16:35 AM

Quote from: wyomama2 on November 21, 2006, 05:30:12 AM
Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM
Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet?
I use Windex. I have a friend who cleaned motel rooms in college, and that is what they used. It took many scrubbings over the days, but I was able to get black perm marker out of my carpet this way. It also works well with the spots on the floor of your vehicle; and the seats too. This is the only reason I buy windex, and it is worth it. I smile when I see one of my kids scrubbing the carpet with windex. It means that they had something where they shouldn't have, and they know that they had better cure the problem
Are you Greek? I remember they did that in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".

Works for zits too. AHAHAHAHA.

Christal · « **Reply #48 on:** November 21, 2006, 11:13:14 AM »

I use Baking Soda to remove permanent marker from my kitchen counters. The first time my 3 yo daughter missed the paper on my new counter I freaked but grabbed the soda and it came off without water even. Now I don't even worry about cleaning it right away and it still works even if the mark has been there a day or two.

savedbygrace · « **Reply #49 on:** November 21, 2006, 02:35:31 PM »

Quote from: healthybratt on June 22, 2006, 02:12:48 PM

So I wouldn't recommend it as a dietary supplement,

LOL

KeepItSimple · « **Reply #50 on:** November 22, 2006, 07:47:19 AM »

Is tea tree extract and tea tree oil the same thing? Just wondering! Thanks!

Jemima · « **Reply #51 on:** January 10, 2007, 07:28:59 AM »

Anyone have suggestions on cleaning a hardwood kitchen table? I like to wipe my counters and table down when I clean, but I never know what to use on the table. It's a varnished, shinier finish, and I think a regular all purpose spray might dull it down. What do you use on your table?

KeepItSimple · « **Reply #52 on:** January 10, 2007, 07:37:51 AM »

Ours came with a spray from the furniture store..but essentially it is orange essential oil.

Since everything is 'sealed' with the varnish or whatever they put on it these days I don't see how bacteria/germs could get into the wood.

Hope that helps!

paprika · « **Reply #53 on:** January 19, 2007, 02:27:09 PM »

I've heard that Vodka is really good at getting stains out of the carpet.

herbalmom · « **Reply #54 on:** January 19, 2007, 02:51:53 PM »

Quote from: born-an-okie on November 21, 2006, 04:37:38 AM

Does anyone know of anything that will take permanent marker out of carpet? My 2 yr. old found one the other day and tried drawing a picture while sitting on the floor. I guess the paper wasn't quite big enough for him! He was long gone by the time I found the 2 foot long mark on the carpet! We are renting and although my husband just considers the deposit $ as gone, I would really like to get it back when we leave. We have horrible carpet stains next the kitchen area. Thanks!

Cheap shaving cream. Barbarsol is the brand we get. We have used it on permanent maker on carpet & it took it right out. Rub some shaving cream in w/your hand, then rub the stain out with a towel. My sister's ex told me about it & said it works on most stains. I haven't needed to use it much but I was amazed at how well it worked on marker. HTH Blessings ~herbalmom

Whiterock · « **Reply #55 on:** January 19, 2007, 04:46:50 PM »

Quote from: healthybratt on June 22, 2006, 04:20:34 PM

I must be a slob. *snicker* I'm happy if my floors aren't sticky or covered with crumbs. Shiny - hee hee -- I figure they are just there to walk on so who cares. LOL

Honestly, you and I must be related somehow.

WR

earthymomof2 · « **Reply #56 on:** January 19, 2007, 05:31:13 PM »

If you use a microwave:

Put a bowl of water with the juice of a lemon in it and boil it for a few minutes in teh micro. Let it sit there a few more minutes without opening to door, take the bowl out and wipe down the inside.

I've been using bon-ami to clean my toilet bowls, sinks, and tubs. Every now and again I have to use a little bleach to get the stains out or disinfect more thoroughly (I'm a whiteness and germless freak). When I use just the bon-ami, I put a couple drops of tea tree oil on my paper towel or rag as I wipe and rinse everything to give it that crisp clean smell.

Myjoy · « **Reply #57 on:** February 01, 2007, 09:17:04 AM »

I found a great book "Naturally Clean Home" from More Than Alive. It has great recipes for around the house. We have prefinished engineered hardwood floors and I either use Murphy's Oil (which is vegetable based) or a recipe I found in that book that used castille soap, lemon juice, water, and some citrus essential oils. They both work great. My tub is made of fiberglass, and I couldn't figure out what to use on it. I started using baking soda and it's great. I only have to scrub a lot when I haven't cleaned it in a couple weeks. Fiberglass gets soap scum on it VERY easily. I miss a porcelain tub!

healthyinOhio · « **Reply #58 on:** February 01, 2007, 03:16:07 PM »

Does anyone have suggestions for an old, white, countertop? It has brown stains from my wet cast iron pots. I have tried BS, vinegar, method all-purpose cleaner. Anything to get stubborn stains that have been on there for months?

oneblessedwoman · « **Reply #59 on:** February 01, 2007, 03:45:32 PM »

Have you tried bleach? I work for a cleaning company and sometimes we use one of those bleach pens to clean up white grout or stubborn stains. What material is it made out of? You can't use bleach, at least not full strength, on all surfaces, but it is an idea.

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Author Topic: Favorite Cleaning Tips and Tricks Ever! (Read 41853 times)

earthymomof2