Vacuum Borax into your carpet for a stain solution
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Did you know yoghurt will make your garden greener? Or that you can use hairspray to get rid of stains? This organic A–Z reveals all the tricks you need to keep your home clean, efficient and chemical free
Aluminium foil
Improve the efficiency of radiators by making a heat reflector to put behind radiators. Tape heavy-duty aluminium foil onto a piece of cardboard with the shiny side of the foil facing out. The radiant heat waves will bounce off the foil and into the room instead.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
An excellent cleaner, baking soda forms a mild detergent when it reacts with grease and oil. It’s great for cleaning fridges as commercial cleaning products may damage the plastic and interfere with the taste of your food. Just wipe down with a paste of bicarbonate of soda and water. This mixture can also be used as an all-purpose cleaner in the kitchen, simply sprinkle on a damp cloth and buff your oven hood and extractor fan for a shiny finish.
Candles
Scented candles are a great alternative to air freshener, and without the nasty CFCs. Light in the bathroom to burn off the smell of toilet odours and the kitchen to stop leftover cooking smells.
Dental floss
Wherever you would normally use string, dental floss is less noticeable and often stronger. Great for securely hanging pictures, mobiles and wind chimes.
Eraser
If you have scuff marks on the wall from moving furniture or from rubber soles on vinyl floors, just rub them out immediately and easily with a normal pencil eraser.
Flour
If you need a quick fix for an ant infestation try sprinkling a line of flour along the back of your kitchen cabinets and wherever you see ants entering the house. Repelled by the flour, the ants won’t even cross the line.
Gloves
Soft white lisle cotton gloves are great when buffing up silverware, just rub your fingers in a little polish and gently feel around the intricacies of your ornament to get in all the hard to reach places.
Hairspray
If you have a treasured work of art from your child, try spraying it with hairspray to make it last longer, particularly if it is done with chalk or pastel to stop it smudging. It is also great as a pre-treatment when cleaning clothes, just spray lipstick marks and pen stains, leave for a few minutes, then wipe off and wash as normal.
Ice cubes
If you’re smoothing sealant in the kitchen and bathroom and the compound keeps sticking to your finger, run an ice cube along the sealant line. This forms the sealant into a nice even bead that will never stick to the ice cube.
Jars
These are invaluable in your garage or shed. Use to organise nails, screws, nuts and bolts by size and type. For a more permanent fixture, screw jar lids to the underside of a wooden or melanine shelf, then label the clear jar and screw onto its lid. This also works well if you’re storing seeds in a potting shed.
Ketchup
Use to brighten up copper pots and pans that have become lacklustre and tarnished. Smother the copper surface with a thin layer of ketchup and let it sit for five to 30 minutes. The acids in the ketchup will react with the tarnish and remove it. Rinse the sauce off the pan and dry immediately.
Lemon juice
There are literally hundreds of uses for lemon juice around the home. Clean your microwave by adding the juice and skin of a lemon to a bowl of water and cook on high for 2-5 minutes. Remove and wipe the interior clean, it smells much better than bleach. Lemon is also good for removing grease and limescale deposits around plugholes, just rub and they will disappear.
Milk
Use a little on a soft cloth to polish highly grained wood, such as walnut and cherry, to give a good sheen.
Nail varnish
Clear nail varnish can hide a wealth of mistakes. Paint the under rim of canisters and bottles to prevent rust rings on the shelves. Also great to paint on screws to stop them rusting, or even dab on small nicks on floors and glass for a smooth finish.
Old toothbrush
Great for getting in nooks and crannies, dip in white vinegar and scrub away the mildew from the folds of the fridge door seals or shower screen folds.
Petroleum jelly
Stop squeaking doors by applying a little to the hinge pins as lubrication. Also, if you have a new vacuum cleaner and the external parts are sticking, rub a little jelly to the rims of the tubes and the parts will easily slide away from each other.
Quick fixes
Sometimes you just need an instant, speedy solution. If you have a stain on your rug thoroughly dampen the area then rub in some Borax. Let it dry then vacuum, repeat if necessary. It might be best to try on an inconspicuous area first.
Rubber bands
If you’re doing a bit of DIY painting secure a rubber band around your paint pot lengthways, going across the middle. So when you fill your brush, you can just tap it against the rubber band and the excess paint will fall back into the can to stop any wasteage.
Salt
Mix a teaspoon to a cup of water to clean the sink. The grains will act as a mild abrasive as well as a disinfectant to clear your plughole.
Tea tree oil
This is a natural cleaner and disinfectant. Add a few drops to hot water when wiping down surfaces or use on the toilet bowl for extra disinfectant power and a more pleasant smell than chemical cleaners.
Umbrella
To keep your seedlings frost-free, cut the handle off an open umbrella and place over the seedlings. It will provide protection and perfect growing conditions in the cold weather.
Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar has many uses; add ½ cup of vinegar to two litres of water to clean the bathroom mirror, window glass and tiles. Or clean your computer equipment, window blinds, unglue stickers and price tags by saturating the corners and the sides. Removing old wallpaper is easy if you soak it first with a vinegar and water solution. Then whip the softened wallpaper off with a scraper.
WD-40
There are plenty of uses for the humble WD-40, such as getting rid of cockroaches and repel insects. A squirt will kill them instantly, or spray on windowsills and frames, and door frames as a repellant. Be careful not to inhale the fumes and use in a well-ventilated area but never around babies or small children. Also great for getting rid of tea stains, just spray a little on a cloth and wipe the stain away.
Yoghurt
Make your front garden look greener by painting yoghurt between the stone paths and around flower pots to encourage moss to grow. Put 200ml of plain active-culture yogurt into a blender with a handful of moss and 200ml of water. Blend together, then paint where you want moss to grow.
Zips
If you are always losing the keys to your patio doors, sew a little bit of fabric with a zip on it into the long patio door curtains in a subtle place. This way you will always know where your key is and it will be easily accessible for anyone who needs to get out, without being on obvious display to intruders.
COMMENTS
teeth whitening systems
2010 02 16
Putting toothpaste in the entire length of the brush is a waste and unnecessary. You only need a “pea sized” amount of toothpaste for the entire oral cavity. You just have to maximize its use by spreading it evenly through your teeth and gum. teeth whitening systems
Anti-Evolution Stickers Come Unglued Cobb County public schools that required pasting a sticker critical of evolution in biology textbooks.vinyl banner..
I have stainless steel sink in my kitchen recenly it started to leak and i have been advised by the plumber that it has a hole in the body .and needs to be replaced .i was wondering if any one can advise me how and if it can be repaired and what should i use to patch the holekitchen sinks..
pulaski furniture
2010 05 24
Moving the furniture completely out would involve taking each large piece immediately down a flight of stairs. Can you move the furniture to one side, remove carpeting and install laminate, and then move the furniture to the laminate side?
pulaski furniture
square peg web
2010 06 17
This exactly what i was looking for..thanks for sharing this..square peg web
Soft white lisle cotton gloves are great when buffing up silverware, just rub your fingers in a little polish and gently feel around the intricacies of your ornament to get in all the hard to reach places.Kids metal Beds
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