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Copper Polish . Silver
Cleaner . Automatic Dishwasher Powder . Carpet
Deodorizer . Oven Cleaner . Glass Cleaner
. Laundry Bleach . Household Disinfectant
. All Purpose Cleaners . Bathroom and Kitchen
Scouring Powders . Toilet bowl Deodorizers . Toilet
Bowl Cleaner . Furniture Polish . Moth
Repellants . Air Freshners . Drain
Openers
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Copper
Polish
Make a paste
of lemon juice or hot vinegar and salt and rub on with a rag.
Silver
Cleaner
1 quart (1
litre) warm water
1 tsp (5mL) salt
1 tsp (5mL) baking soda
Place silverware in the
mixture. Add a small piece of aluminum foil and replace it with
another as it becomes black. Rinse and polish silver with a soft
cloth.
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Automatic
Dishwasher Powder
Mix one part borax
with one part washing soda. Increase washing soda if your water is hard.
Carpet Deodorizer
Mix two parts cornmeal
with one part borax. Sprinkle liberally, leave one hour, then vacuum.
Oven Cleaner
To clean the entire
oven:
2 tbsp (25mL) liquid soap
1 tbsp (15mL) borax
½ cup (125mL) water
Mix together in spray bottle
until soap and borax are dissolved. Spray in the oven and let sit for
one hour. Scrub with fine steel wool or a nylon or metal pot scrubber.
Keep these preventative
measures in mind:
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Catch spills by placing a baking sheet on the rack below items being
cooked.
- Cover
the bottom of the oven with aluminum foil making sure to keep the foil
from touching the cooking element.
- Scrub spills immediately
after the oven has cooled with a baking soda and water paste.
Glass Cleaner
Mix together 1 part
vinegar and 3 parts water in a spray bottle (for small jobs) or a pail
(for large jobs like windows). Damp newspapers work well for polishing
glass.
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Laundry
Bleach
Add 125mL of
borax or 125mL of vinegar to full wash load
For tough stains, soak
items in a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 8 parts cool water.
Household
Disinfectant
½ cup
(125mL) borax
4 quarts (4L) boiling water
Mix together in a pail.
Allow the mixture to cool slightly before use.
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All Purpose
Cleaner # 1
1 quart (1 litre)
hot water
1 tbsp (15mL) liquid soap
2 tbsp (30mL) borax
½ cup (125mL) vinegar
Mix together in a pail and
use the mixture as you would any all purpose cleaner.
Mixing together 3 tbsp
(50 mL) of washing soda and 1 quart ( 1 litre) of hot water also makes
a nice all purpose cleaner.
All Purpose Cleaner # 2
Baking soda makes
an excellent all purpose scouring powder. Sprinkle it on the surface and
wipe clean with a scouring pad or an old cloth.
Bathroom
& Kitchen Scouring Powders
Sprinkle baking soda
or washing soda on the surface and add enough water to form a paste. Wipe
clean. For tough stains allow the paste to sit then wipe off.
Use a scouring pad to
wipe surfaces clean. This will make the job a little easier. Some elbow
grease may be required.
A large salt shaker,
with the holes enlarged, or an empty parmesan cheese container, makes
an excellent dispenser.
Toilet
Bowl Deodorizer #1
Add 1 capsule of
Vitamin C (1000mg) to the bowl and allow to sit overnight.
Toilet Bowl Deodorizer #2
Pour in vinegar and
allow to stand for several minutes, then flush.
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Toilet
Bowl Cleaner
½ cup
(125mL) borax
1 gallon (4 litres) hot water
Use this recipe for tough
stains.
3 tbsp (50mL) borax
1 tbsp (15mL) lemon juice
Mix together and apply
to stains. Let sit for 2 hours before scrubbing.
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Finished
Furniture Polish
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive
oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar
4 cups (1 litre) water
Mix
ingredients together in a spray bottle. Spray lightly on furniture. Wipe
with a soft clean rag.
Furniture
Polish
Mix together 1 part lemon juice and 2 parts cooking oil. Polish with a
soft clean rag.
Unfinished Furniture Polish
For unfinished furniture, try the following ingredients. Never
use water on unfinished furniture.
Apply small amounts of mineral oil or mayonnaise with a soft clean rag.
Test on a small area first before using over the entire piece.
Moth Repellents
Place cedar chips
or lavender flowers in a cloth bag and store with clothing
You
may also want to try some of these preventative measures:
Clean all items before
storing them. Moths are attracted to the food and perspiration in clothes.
Store clothing in air-tight
containers.
Shake and brush clothes
periodically.
Air Fresheners
Boil cinnamon and cloves in water on the stove.
Place 2 to 4 tbsp (25 to 50 mL) of baking soda in small bowls around the
house and in the refrigerator.
Set out a sauce of vinegar. To remove paint fumes, place a cut onion in
the room, or fill a bag with charcoal and leave it in the room.
Drain Opener
#1
¼ cup (50mL)
baking soda
½ cup (125mL) vinegar
Pour the baking soda and vinegar
down the drain and cover lightly with the drain plug. Wait 30 minutes
and then run boiling water down the drain.
Pouring boiling water
down the drain twice a week will help to prevent clogs.
Drain Opener #2
1 cup (250mL) baking
soda
1 cup (250mL) salt
¼cup (75mL) cream of tartar
Mix together and pour 1/4 cup
(50mL) of mixture down the drain. Follow this with about 1 quart (1 litre)
of boiling water. Finish by running cold water down the drain.
We would like to thank the Ontario
Waste Management Corporation for some of the recipes we have used in this
booklet. We would also like to thank Ontario's Association of Municipal
Recycling Coordinators for providing us with sample cleaning kits so that
we could test some of the recipes.
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As with any household
cleaning products, read labels carefully and take caution when mixing
ingredients.
If you have recipes for
alternative household products please share them with us. You may
write to us at:
Consumers' Association
of Canada (Manitoba)
21-222 Osborne St. S.
Winnipeg, MB
R3L 1Z3
You may also call us
at 452-2572 or toll-free at
1-888-596-0900. We look forward to hearing from you and would appreciate
any comments.
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