Glass cleaner: Mix ¼ c. vinegar, 1Tbsp cornstarch & 1 qt warm water. Place in a spray bottle. Use with old newspapers for a lint-free finish. Works great!!! I’ll never buy the blue stuff again.
Fake Febreeze: Mix 1 Tbsp baking soda, 2 c. warm water and ¼ c. of your favorite fabric softener. Spray lightly on fabrics (great to freshen couches, chairs & curtains).
Hard water stains: heat white vinegar in microwave until very warm. Lightly scrub surfaces with a washcloth. This works great for me on frosted glass shower doors and the chrome fixtures in the bathroom. You can also leave the washcloth on fixtures overnight and rub them with the washcloth and rinse in the morning. I have read that leaving oven cleaner on overnight is an even more potent solution.
Heavy-duty cleaner: Use a half-and-half mix of ammonia and rubbing alcohol. I use this on the stovetop for greasy messes. You can also try pure alcohol and a scrubbing sponge (I haven’t needed this so I can’t comment).
All-purpose cleaner: Combine 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda into a gallon of warm water. Mix well.
Antibacterial solution: One quart of 70 F water plus one teaspoon of liquid bleach. If the water is warmer the bleach will evaporate. A stronger bleach concentration can harm some surfaces and fabrics. This works great on my cutting boards and kitchen counters. When I’m done with the solution, I soak my dish sponges in it for a while to disinfect them too.
Floor cleaner: Mix ½ cup vinegar with 2 quarts water. Do NOT use this on surface-finished wood floors (i.e. ones that have been sealed with polyurethane)—vinegar and ammonia can dull its finish. A very lightly dampened mop or a cleaner made specifically for wood floors is a much safer bet.
Home-made soft scrub: Combine 3/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup powdered milk, 1/8 cup Murphy`s oil soap, and optionally, a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Mix ingredients with enough water to make a smooth paste in and pour into a squirt bottle (not spray). Shake well before each use. Keep tightly capped between uses. Alternate recipe (haven’t tried this one): mix together 1 2/3 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup of liquid soap (not detergent). Dilute with 1/2 cup water and add 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Stir with a fork until smooth and all the lumps are gone. Pour into a 16-ounce squeeze container.
Tub cleaner: Pour 1/2 cup dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Fill the rest of the bottle with vinegar. Spray on tub and enclosures and scrub. Rinse well. I have been very happy with this cleaner.
Toilet boil cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. This combination cleans and deodorizes. Have rusty stains in the bowl? Try using a pumice stone to scrub, or in hard to reach places, use a green scouring pad. I find that for really tough stains requiring that kind of serious scrubbing, a cleanser like Ajax requires just a little less elbow grease than the baking soda/vinegar combination--but both will work.
Refrigerator freshener: Place filter bag of coffee grounds in a small glass. Leave it in the fridge, replacing as the grounds get dried up. One day’s worth of coffee grinds changed once a week works better than 2 open-sided boxes of baking soda in my fridge!
JetDry: Fill the rinse aid receptacle in your dishwasher with white vinegar instead.
Dish detergent: Good Housekeeping magazine rated Walmart’s brand of powdered detergent as the best buy. I haven’t tried it yet but apparently it’s converting liquid Cascade users. (Gels are harder on pipes/gaskets than powders anyway.) Put it in an airtight container so it doesn’t get clumpy.
Wrinkle releaser spray: Fill a spray bottle with water plus a capful of fabric softener.
Fabric softener: Many people use ¼ c. vinegar instead (no vinegar smell is left in the clothes). I don’t use any so I can’t comment on this one.
Silver cleaner: Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and massage in gently with an old toothbrush. Rinse under warm water, or if the piece is too big, wipe off with a wet cloth and buff to a shine with a clean cotton towel.
Drain cleaner: To help dissolve scum and hair in sluggish drains, pour a mixture of 1 cup salt, 1 cup baking soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Let stand for 15 minutes and flush with 2 quarts boiling water. Then flush hot tap water down the drain for 1 minute.
Jewelry cleaner: A jeweler-recommended solution is to soak in a 50/50 solution of household ammonia and water. After about an hour brush gently with an old soft toothbrush and rinse well. (Toothpaste is a popular choice; however, if any gets stuck in ring crevices it will harden and require more soaking to remove.) WARNING: Soft stones such as opals should be cleaned only with a mild soapy lukewarm water solution.
Homemade baby wipes: (haven’t tried this one) With a serrated knife cut one roll of high-quality paper towels to form two short rolls. Put one half of the short rolls into a #9 Rubbermaid container or homemade equivalent. Gently mix 2 cups hot water, 2 tablespoons mineral oil and 1 tablespoon baby shampoo. Pour this mixture over the towels. Pull out the cardboard core (this will be easier after the towels are wet). The wipe sheets can be pulled out from the center just like the commercial brands. Fans of these wipes say that they are great makeup removers also.
Wondering where I learned all of this? http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com. (This website, which was created by a Christian businesswoman that encourages living beneath your means instead of relying on credit, is not endorsed or supported by Calvary Chapel.) For tips, see the “Everyday cheapskate” and “browse tips” sections.
Kathy Kellogg