I was lying in bed last night flipping channels and found this cute, cheesy, little show on PBS called Haley's Hints. It's this guy doing all these amazing cleaning jobs with vinegar and cream of tartar and whatnot.
My favorite trick, that many frugal folks probably know about very well, was getting ink out of clothes. I'm always getting little pen streaks on khakis or white shirts and then just smudging them everywhere trying to get them out.
Haley said, spray the ink stain with copious amounts of hairspray (the cheaper the better). Then take an ordinary bar of soap (no dye, no perfume) and rub it into the stain. Then hand rinse it in cold water. Voila, no more ink stain.
Another one that I really could have used back at my old apartment was about getting melted candle wax out carpets. All he did was put a folded paper towel over the wax and then press down on it with a warm iron (no steam). After about 10 seconds, he'd lift it up, put it turn the paper towel to a clean spot and repeat, over and over until the wax was absorbed. If the wax was colored and left a stain, pour rubbing alcohol on it (make sure the carpet is colorfast) and scrub it out with a toothbrush.
Amazing!
The last one -- and I plan to try it -- was getting those ugly yellow water stains out of the bathtub. Hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar. Mix them together into a thin paste, then pour it onto the stain and rub it in with a sponge or cloth. All gone.
But the thing that irked me about all these wonderfully frugal tips, was that if I wanted any more from Haley's fount of knowledge, the book would have cost $60. Yes, part of that was to help out wonderful PBS, but dang! The irony!
It also made me wonder how well some of this stuff works. But, since it essentially costs nothing, you know I'd try it.
I think it's funny that it's so easy to take care of so many household needs with cheap things you've already got int the house, but people buy expensive, poisonous cleaning products that can only do one thing, and even then might not do the job.
Be easy. Be green. Be cheap!
DH
August 16, 2007
One of the things on my long to-do list is to learn as much green/home-concoction cleaning as possible. Not just for the money, but for the safety, too.
Posted by: Sistah Ant | August 16, 2007 at 09:48 AM
You know, I was amazed to learn this week that putting copious amounts of talcum powder on an item of clothing that you have spilled oil on, and then washing it as normal, does the trick. I did that just this past week after spilling chimichurri sauce on my favorite pair of jeans, and it totally disappeared.
If you have an electronic teakettle (somehow I doubt that you do) putting vinegar on the bottom and letting it sit for a day works like a charm to descale it.
Nice post!
Posted by: Liz | August 16, 2007 at 12:22 PM
An elderly lady gave me a tip. I had a small rust spot on my blouse she said to take a piece of lime pour salt on it, and then rub the rust spot. I did, and it actually worked.
Posted by: tiredofbeingbroke | August 25, 2007 at 12:26 AM
Yes, indeed. Easy, cheap and green. Being environmentally conscious is our insurance for the future. And, it's not too bad to save a few bucks while you're at it. There are a lot of stores now that there are places (Target) that have been selling inexpensive environmentally friendly cleaning products for a while. Good to know...
Jerry
www.leads4insurance.com
Posted by: Jerry | October 10, 2008 at 04:09 PM
Vinegar can be used for a lot of house cleaning and baking soda! Great post:)
Posted by: Cyndy | July 09, 2009 at 02:36 PM
your very practical advice, I will put into practice and are very inexpensive!
Posted by: viagra online | May 19, 2010 at 05:25 PM
What a great post! I just deep-cleaned my apartment yesterday, but you make me want to do it over, with nice (and healthy) smelly things. http://www.kikiclean.com/house-cleaning-denver.php did it.
Posted by: Account Deleted | March 07, 2011 at 01:23 AM
These simple cleaning remedies always amaze me. I work for a commercial cleaning company, but I am still surprised by how simple green cleaning solutions can be.
David
http://www.cleanmyfacility.com
Posted by: SMC_Denver | April 25, 2011 at 07:17 PM
Thank you for sharing these great tips. Your post is really very interesting and useful for those who can’t simply say goodbye to their favorite but stained clothes or other things. Vinegar is perfect solution for those who want to get the stains off the clothes and save a lot of money. It is not only a green way to clean, but it is a cheap one.
Maria
http://www.maidhomeservices.com
Posted by: Account Deleted | May 23, 2011 at 06:39 AM