6 Reasons Why My Cleaning Solutions Are TOTALLY BOSS « Reasons Why Or, 6 Reasons Why These Magic Mixes Will Cause You To So Deeply Regret All Those Years and Dollars You Wasted On Commercial Products That You May Need Grief Counseling 1. They are homemade. As Pinterest users can testify, anything DIY is automatically more awesome than the alternative. [SIDE BONUS: The more stuff you make at home, the more prepared you are for the zombie apocalypse.] 2. Everything you need to mix your own cleaning solutions can be found at your local supermarkets, and you probably already have a lot of this stuff at home. Easy enough, right? Liquid Castile soap –> in the organic beauty aisle*Essential oil (choose one with antiseptic properties) –> ditto*Rubbing alcoholWhite vinegarCornstarchBorax –> in the laundry aisle by super washing sodaBaking sodaOlive oil *I can usually find these for cheaper on Amazon than in a store. 3. Before you mix up your solutions (recipes below), you have the exciting task of deciding which scent combinations to use. 4. 5. 6. Homemade = cool
Homemade Floor (and All-Purpose) Cleaner This homemade floor cleaner also works as an all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant! Clean nearly every surface in your home with just 5 simple ingredients. NOTE: This post started as a very simple recipe for a homemade floor cleaner. Over the years I’ve experimented and refined it to it’s current form. Today, it’s not just a floor cleaner; it also doubles as a great all-purpose cleaner. It does use alcohol and vinegar, so if you’re looking for a cleaner without these ingredients, you can check out this other post for a simple all-purpose cleaner. When I was growing up, the only thing we used for cleaning our tile floors was a certain pine-scented concoction with a mop and bucket. And although that pine cleaner is still around today, we’ve also become much more conscious of the products we bring into our homes. We want to know exactly what’s in those products. So what exactly is in Pine-Sol®? Ethoxylated alcohol Fragrance Ditch the Harmful Chemicals Once & For All! More grime-fighting power.
Uses for vinegar Unleash the power of white vinegar―an all-purpose cleaner, brightener, herbicide and more. Just a bit of this multitasker, straight up or mixed with water, can replace many pricier products huddled under your sink. Try these tips to see how vinegar can make your life cheaper and easier. 1. Freshen up the fridge. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Easy Tile Grout Cleaning DEAR TIM: I’ve tried tile grout cleaning on the floors of my home with little success. The grout just doesn’t come clean. The tiles themselves don’t look like they used to even though I’m using those newer pad-cleaner contraptions. Is there a miracle method that you know of for cleaning ceramic tile grout? Have you had this problem in your own home? DEAR JUDITH: Tile and grout cleaning was the bane of my existence for years at the last house I lived in. Powdered oxygen bleach, a scrub brush and some water are all you need to make tile and grout look like new. It became crystal clear what the issue was one day when I decided to really scrub the grout. Regular soaps seemed powerless as well as tile and grout cleaning equipment that I rented. My tile & grout cleaning problems disappeared about 15 years ago while I was researching how to properly seal and clean a deck. I tried some of this product and couldn’t believe what I saw. You can buy oxygen bleach at stores and online. Column 817
Putting a new commode in a bathroom or powder room yourself saves plumber fees, and it's less scary than you might expect Materials:• Toilet with tank and seat• Nut driver (optional, but it makes life easier)• Phillips head screwdriver• Flathead screwdriver• Crescent wrench (or ratchet set)• Channel lock pliers• Wax ring with bolts included• Bathroom/kitchen caulking• Braided toilet connector (most toilets and cutoff valves require a 3/8- by 7/8-inch connector)• Spare coins (cheaper than toilet shims) Unless you are a seasoned plumber or have a very strong stomach, I also recommend gloves and a rag for removing the old wax ring and bolt. If you are a seasoned plumber or a dock worker, just wipe the old wax on your jeans.
I'm an Organizing Junkie Grout Cleaning Tips & Recipes A few of the recipes below contain ammonia, or bleach, or vinegar (I’ve also included other homemade solutions that are gentler to use). There are some who claim that these items will degrade grout over time–what that amount of time is I don’t know (5 years? 50 years?) or that they may affect it in a way that makes them more susceptible to future discoloration. I can’t confirm the deterioration claims since I haven’t witnessed those problems myself. These items will help kill bacteria and remove stains, but make sure to rinse well with clear water. If you’re concerned about deterioration, use them well diluted (will reduce its effectiveness), or only in extreme situations, or try a method without using those ingredients at all. Tip: After you have brightened things up, apply a fresh coat of sealer so it is protected and harsh methods won’t be necessary on a regular basis. Important: Test colored product first before using any method to make sure it won’t be discolored. Mildew Stains
How to Clean Your {Top-Loader} Washing Machine One Good Thing by Jillee Clean your Washer? Sounds kind of unnecessary doesn’t it? Yes, it SOUNDS that way…but when you think about all the dirt and grime that cycles through your washer on a day-to-day basis…it actually makes perfect sense! Back on February 20th of this year, I posted about how to clean your front-loader washer at the request of my niece Ashley (even though I don’t own a front-loader). For the rest of us…I promised back then I would do a subsequent post about how to clean top-loaders, but haven’t lived up to my promise! One of the reasons I’ve been dragging my feet about this post is because my washer is actually almost new. So let’s get to it, shall we? As usual, there are a myriad of “How To Clean Your Washer” articles out there…each with their own spin, but after reading about a thousand of them, this is the simple method I went with: Fill the washer with HOT water. Using the bleach and vinegar will clean away bacteria, soap scum and mineral deposits from the wash basket and hoses.
How To Use Salt, Vinegar & Lemons For Household Cleaning These items are a staple in cooking and baking, but they’re also a great help around the house. Here are dozens of ways you can use them, I’ve separated them into three groups for easier browsing. Enjoy! Color Brightener: Add 1/2 cup to a load of laundry (wash cycle).Color Protector: Pour some in a bucket (as much as you need) then soak new garments in it to protect dyes from running.Whiter Whites: Add 1 1/2 cups to the rinse cycle to whiten clothes.Restore Whites: Add 1 cup to a large stock pot filled with water, bring to a boil. Using the peels or cut wedges/halves… Make your own household cleaner from the peels (so easy!) Using the juice… Mothball odors can be removed from drawers by rinsing with a strong solution of juice and water.Remove rings inside the toilet bowl by applying a paste of borax and freshly squeezed juice (first flush toilet to make the surface wet). Enamel Cookware Stain Remover: Stir a handful in cookware filled with water.
Bathroom Cleaning Secrets From the Pros : Rooms Whether cozy, sleek or luxurious, hotel baths are the perfect getaway. Now you can transform your bathroom into just such an escape. At Inn-spired Bathrooms, you'll tour six hotel-inspired baths, garner simple ideas for getting the look you want and learn the cleaning secrets of hotel housekeepers. How do hotels keep those bathrooms so clean? To get the dirt on the routine, we asked two experts: Jenny Botero, resident manager of the 697-room Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va., and Erika Jacso, director of style for the W New York Union Square, in New York City, which boasts 270 rooms. Step 1: Vacuum and dustOn the rare occasion that the W Union Square receives a complaint, "it usually has to do with finding hairs on the tile or floor in the bathroom," Erika says. Step 2: Heat up surfacesHeating tile and the tub just 10 degrees above the normal air temperature "doubles the effectiveness" of alkaline cleansers, Jenny says.
The Top 3 Money-Saving Cleaning Must-Haves! There are a million different cleaning products on the market all vying for a spot in your supply closet, not to mention a chunk of your budget. But before you bring home the next new wonder spray, consider these three money-saving cleaning must-haves: they're widely available, kid and pet friendly, and cheap, cheap, cheap! The Big Three: White Vinegar This product literally has 1001 uses if not more (there's an entire website dedicated to its awesomeness). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Check out more fantastic ways to use vinegar on VinegarTips.com. Baking Soda Baking soda is widely known for its deodorizing powers, but it has many other uses that will help you cut cleaning supply costs while maintaining a fresh-smelling home! 1. 2. / 3. 4. 5. Check out more great uses for baking soda on Yahoo and Real Simple. Lemons We shared 31 things to do with lemons earlier this week, but their cleaning abilities go beyond that. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Check out these other great tips for using lemons in your home.
Clean Your Air Conditioner Condenser Unit - Step by Step Overview: What you can do and when to hire a pro Chances are that if you’ve neglected a spring checkup, your air conditioner isn’t cooling nearly as well as it could. A year’s worth of dirt and debris clogging the cooling fins, a low coolant level, a dirty blower fan filter and a number of other simple problems can significantly reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner and wear it out faster. You can’t do everything; only a pro can check the coolant level. In this article, we’ll show you how to clean the outdoor unit (called the condenser) and the accessible parts of the indoor unit (called the evaporator). You may have a different type of central air conditioner than we show here—a heat pump system, for example, or a unit mounted horizontally in the attic. Tip: Call for service before the first heat wave, when the pros become swamped with repair calls! Typical central air conditioner system Figure A: Parts of a central air conditioner Step 1: Clean the condenser 1 of 5 2 of 5 3 of 5 1.