1. Air Freshener: To make a basic air freshener, squeeze juice from a fresh lemon into a cereal bowl half filled with baking soda. Leave the dish uncovered.
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Cleaning With the Season
The Best Homemade Cleaning Solutions
by Allison Lind
Save yourself some dough (and the planet!) by making your own cleaning solutions. These actually work! We promise.
While spending weeks researching our recent series on testing old versus new cleaning techniques (for soap scum, shower curtains, windows, candle wax, clogged drains, scuff marks and red wine) one thing became glowingly apparent: New isn't always better.
View the slideshow above for cleaning solutions you can make yourself!
For more cleaning tips, take a look at Unusual Uses For Corn Starch, and Unusual Uses For Nail Polish.
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2. All-Purpose Cleaner: Kill germs with an all-purpose vinegar solution: Combine nine parts water with one part white vinegar in a spray bottle. For those extra germy messes, such as a countertop that's been exposed to raw meat, squirt straight white vinegar on the surface, and follow with a squirt of hydrogen peroxide to knock out those germs.
Photo Credit: flickr/fatedsnowfox
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3. Carpet Cleaner: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water. For heavy duty jobs, mix 1/4 cup each of salt, borax and vinegar. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum, then clean.
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4. Floor Cleaner & Polish: Most floors can be cleaned with a simple water-vinegar solution. For damp-mopping wood floors: mix equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and water. Add 15 drops of pure peppermint oil for a minty fresh smell; shake well to mix.
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To get other types of floors sparkly clean try these other assorted at-home solutions:
Vinyl and linoleum: Mix 1 cup vinegar and a few drops of baby oil in 1 gallon of warm water. For tough jobs, add a 1/4 cup of borox, but use sparingly on lineoleum.
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Wood: Apply a thin coat of equal parts vegetable oil and vinegar and rub in well.
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Painted wood: Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon of hot water.
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Brick and stone tiles: Mix 1 cup white vinegar in 1 gallon of water; rinse with clean water.
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5. Drain Cleaner: For light drain cleaning, mix a 1/2 cup of salt in 4 liters of water, heat (but not to a boil) and pour down the drain. For stronger cleaning, pour about a 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, then follow it with a 1/2 cup vinegar. After 15 minutes, pour in boiling water to clear residue.
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6. Dust-Buster: Mix 10 drops of pure lemon oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and a few drops of olive oil in a spray bottle. Spray onto surfaces and wipe clean with a clean (recycled) flannel cotton cloth.
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7. Furniture Polish: Varnished wood - Add a few drops of lemon oil into 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix well and spray onto a soft, slightly damp cotton cloth. Wipe furniture with the cloth, then wipe clean with a soft, dry cotton cloth.
Photo Credit: flickr/CJ Woodworking & Design
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Unvarnished wood: Mix two teaspoons each of olive oil and lemon juice and apply a small amount to a soft cotton cloth. Wring the cloth to spread the mixture further into the material and apply to the furniture using wide strokes to distribute the oil evenly.
Photo Credit: flickr/TheLivingRoominKenmore
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8. Magic Degreaser: Combine a pinch of washing soda, a couple drops of castile soap and two tablespoons of vinegar into two cups of boiling water.
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9. Oven Cleaner: Mix 2 cups of hot water, 1 tablespoon of natural dish liquid and 1 teaspoon of borax in a spray bottle. Spray on the designated mess, let sit for 20 minutes and wipe off with a clean cloth. For handling an extra-greasy mess, wipe off as much loose goop as possible first with crumpled newspaper, then use the spray.
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10. Plant Cleaner: Want to get down to the details of cleaning? If you're a plant lover, chances are your indoor plants get covered with dust just as your furniture does. As strange as it sounds, polish your leaves with a soft rag dipped in mayonnaise.
Photo: Flickr, EraPhernalia Vintage
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11. Rust Remover: Sprinkle a little salt on the rust, squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Leave the mixture on for 2 to 3 hours. Use the leftover lime rind to scrub at the residue.
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12. Spot & Scuff Eraser: Marks on walls and painted surfaces are a common household occurrence. Simply clean ink spots, pencil, crayon or marker spots from painted surfaces with baking soda applied to a damp sponge. Rub gently, then wipe and rinse with water.
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13. Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Mix 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Then pour them into the toilet basin and let set for a few minutes. Scrub with a toilet brush and rinse.
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14. Tub & Tile Cleaner: 5 to 10 drops of pure essential oil of lavender, tea tree oil, or rosemary (optional for fragrance). Place 1/2 cup of baking soda in a bowl and slowly pour in liquid soap, stirring until it looks like cake frosting. Add optional essential oils, like 5 to 10 drops of pure essential lavender, tea tree or rosemary oil. Scoop onto a sponge, scrub and rinse.
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15. Wallpaper Remover: Mix equal parts of white vinegar and hot water, apply with a sponge over the old wallpaper to soften the adhesive, then gently pull paper from the loose corners.
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16. Window Cleaner: Combine ¼ cup vinegar, ½ teaspoon natural liquid soap and 2 cups water in a spray bottle and shake to blend. Spray on the glass, working in small sections so that the solution doesn't have time to dry before you're able to wipe it clean. Scrub as needed with the rough side of a kitchen sponge, and squeegee off.
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