Natural Cleaning Tips!

When life hands you lemons:

De-odor the garbage disposal by grinding up ice cubes with lemon or grapefruit seeds.

Tea:

To scour rusty garden tools, brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth.

Clothesline It:

Take advantage of the warm spring breeze and hang laundry out on the line in the fresh air instead of using your electricity-sucking dryer.

Salt:

If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.

Sun:

To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe plastic food-storage containers, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.

Deodorize:

Spritz musty-smelling garments with a small amount of vodka (spot-test first). Straight vodka kills bacteria, but it doesn’t leave a scent. Hang clothes to dry in a well-ventilated area.

Window washing:

Mix 2 ounces water and 10 drops lavender or lemongrass oil to wipe grime off windows. Bonus: These oils may repel flies.

Dishwashing Liquid:

If your floors are polyurethaned, dampen a mop with water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Be sure to ring out the mop thoroughly before using it on the floor. Run the mop back and forth, going with the grain of the wood in smooth strokes.

Shoe Cleaner:

To clean salt-stained leather and suede shoes, make a solution of equal parts white vinegar and water. Dab it onto a cotton rag (or a nylon-bristle brush if you’re cleaning suede), rub gently over the entire shoe, then let dry.