Baking soda and vinegar: ‘Round the house uses

Have you seen the cost of cleaning supplies lately?  I’m talking upwards of $3.00 for one of whatever it is you need to buy; window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, shower cleaner, toilet cleaner, dusting stuff…  It’s a hard pill to swallow.

There are some household, or non-cleaning-supply-aisle, items that you can use for everyday cleaning for A LOT less moola than cleaning-supply-aisle items.  Cheap, cheap!  The other thing about using baking soda and vinegar is that they are not nearly as harsh on the environment as cleaning chemicals.

What non-traditional items do you use around the house?

I will highlight the two that I use the most.  It took me some time to put this list together because I just use these out of habit now.

Vinegar

• Mop wood/laminate floors (no wax) – use 1/2 cup to 1/2 gallon.  I have light colored laminate wood floors and I have never used anything else.
• Smelly sink – pour some vinegar down the sink and run the disposal to get rid of the “smelly sink” smell.
• Stainless steel -  I have a stainless steel trash can that drives. me. nuts!  I cannot keep it shiny and clean.  And then I stumbled upon this little tip… wipe down appliance, or whatever, with vinegar on a kitchen towel, or paper towel, and buff to a shine.  VOILA!
• Clothing/blankets – add 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to keep clothes “fresh”.  You can also use vinegar for light stain removal by rubbing the stain area with vinegar before washing.  Beware of the noticeable “clean spot” thing though…
• Clean windows – use a 50/50 mixture of water and vinegar.  It works AWESOME!
• Wayward grass and weeds – spray vinegar directly on the areas you want gone!  If they grow back, go on and get ‘em again.
• And the obvious… Easter eggs!

Baking Soda

• Refrigerator – Keep your refrigerator free of strange smells by placing an open box of baking soda in it.  It’s only good for 6 months so be sure to replace the box and then use it for some cleaning that way a full box doesn’t get thrown away.
• Sinks, tubs, shower walls – baking soda and a bit of water makes a great cleaning paste.  The grit makes a great scrub!  Wet down your sink, sprinkle in some baking soda and scrub-a-dub-dub.  Baking soda also has the same “freshening effect” as vinegar on a smelly sink so… two birds, one stone.
• Teeth – brush your teeth with baking soda.  My great-grandma taught me this trick and it gagged me.  But now that I’m older and see the money the toothpaste companies are making off of it… I’m brushing with it a few times a week.  Hmph!
• Clean jewelry – using a toothbrush, brush the jewelry with a thick paste of baking soda and water.  Be sure you close the sink plug FIRST!  (No, uh, I’ve never had this happen before to ONE black onyx earring.)
• And the obvious… baking!  Use a fresh box for baking.

Check out more great money saving tips here.