Diane Dickey asked:
Did you know that your airman in Tech School are not allowed any common cleaning products that are poisonous or contain bleach? Your airman may rely on you for the grandma or 'Heloise' helpful hints! Great cleaning, stain removal or even drain cleaning natural type things to keep handy are: white vinegar, baking soda, pump hair spray, lemon juice, salt. I just gave my airman the baking soda and vinegar for drain cleaning and freshening for her dorm. The ladies used my grandmas hairspray trick to remove paint from their ABUs after details...
Here are some ideas:
Keeping your home in tip-top shape should not be an expensive venture. Most of your house can be cleaned with materials you already have lying around. We researched 10 of the best old-fashioned cleaning tips that grandmas around the country have been using for years. Check out our old-fashioned cleaning tips below and get your house clean in no time!!
1. Baking Soda
- Remove food odors from your pots and pans by filling them with water and adding baking soda.
- Use baking soda to remove varnish from glass.
2. Vinegar
- Get your glass windows and mirrors a sparkling clean with a simple mixture of vinegar and water. Dip a piece of newspaper into the vinegar water and simply wipe once with the wet side and then again with the dry side. Dirt, specks and water marks will come right off without leaving any streaks!
- Wipe down your linoleum counters with white vinegar to keep them grease- and ant-free.
- Remove lime scale from your taps by soaking a white kitchen towel in vinegar and wrapping it around the tap overnight. Wipe down the tap in the morning and you will see the difference.
3. Baking Soda and Vinegar Mix
- Mix up a batch of baking soda and vinegar to pour down clogged drains. It will fizz and then clear away any blockages. Turn on the tap water after it stops fizzing and let it run for a minute to make sure the pipes are clear. If they aren't, repeat the process.
4. Lemon
- Have you ever noticed your cleaning sponges starting to smell sour shortly after purchasing them? Get rid of that odor by rubbing a freshly cut lemon into the sponge. Rinse it well in lukewarm water and let it dry. The smell should disappear!
- Clean stains off your hands by rubbing a slice of lemon over the dirty area. Rinse well afterward.
5. Crisco
- If you're trying to eat healthier but don't want to waste the Crisco you already have in the kitchen, try using it to clean up sticky messes. It will take gum out of your hair and remove the sticker residue from price tags.
- You can also use vegetable shortening to grease a squeaky door hinge so that it doesn't make noise anymore.
6. Salt
- Immediately douse fresh stains with salt before you throw the dirty clothes in the wash. The salt will absorb the liquid and take most of the stain with it. Let the salt dry and then wipe it away. This is one of the great old-fashioned cleaning tips for in and out of the home.
7. Toothpaste
- Use toothpaste to clean up stains in your sink, tub and toilet. All you have to do is rub the toothpaste around with a rag or toothbrush while using a little bit of elbow grease and the stain should come right off. You can also do this to clean any silver in the house, including jewelry!
8. Tomato Ketchup
- If you run out of brass polish or don't feel like paying for a name brand, try using tomato ketchup to clean your brass items. Use one side of a rag to rub it over your brassware and then use the other side of the rag to wipe it off. It works wonders!
9. Steam
- Steam cleaning wasn't only meant for your carpets. It's also a much more efficient way to clean dirty dishes than the usual remedy of leaving them to soak in water. All you have to do is place the hard-to-clean dish upside down in a pan of hot water and let the steam do the dirty work for you in just a few minutes. Wipe away any caked-on grit, give the dish a soapy rinse and set it out to dry.
We hope these old-fashioned cleaning tips have given you some new ideas on how to keep your home clean. If they work for you, share these old-fashioned cleaning tips with your friends!