UNUSUAL CLEANING PRODUCTS

UNUSUAL CLEANING PRODUCTS: As seen on 3TV / Phoenix (Good Morning Arizona) – Monday, July 9, 2019 at 8:40am

PETROLEUM JELLY: Makes a great polish and restorer for dull wood furniture. Massage it in, let it sit an hour or so and then buff really well.

ASPIRIN: Drop an aspirin in a vase of flowers to keep the flowers fresh longer. Soak underarm stains with a solution of 1 cup warm water and 8 – 10 aspirin tablets. Let soak for 30 minutes and then launder as usual. Best for light stains.

PEROXIDE: Remove stains from counters with a paste of Cream of Tartar and 3% hydrogen peroxide. Rub into stain, let sit for 15 – 30 minutes and then rinse and dry. Spray a solution of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water on stains on white or light colored clothes to remove stains. On colors, test in a small area first. Once stain is removed launder as usual.

ALCOHOL: Mix 50% rubbing alcohol with 50% water in a spray bottle for a great window cleaner. Simply spray and wipe.

MEAT TENDERIZER: Mix into a paste with cool water and apply to protein based stains such as meat juice, blood, milk, egg, yogurt etc. on any color clothes. Let sit until stain is dissolved, then launder as usual.

WHITE VINEGAR: Just the thing to remove hard water and soap scum. Warm it and spray on shower walls. Let sit 15 minutes or so and then work in Borax with a scrubbing sponge. Rinse and wipe dry.

TOOTHPASTE: Old fashioned non-gel toothpaste is a wonderful polish for silver and also removes marks from hard floors and counters. It is also great for cleaning black marks off of leather athletic shoes. Work in and rinse off.

POTATOES: When using them for cleaning they can be old potatoes that you can no longer eat.

Remove Rust

To remove rust, simply cut into the potato and rub the raw flesh on the rusty area. Potatoes contain oxalic acid, an ingredient in commercial rust removers. The coarse surface of the cut potato will also help remove rust as it’s mildly abrasive. For very rusty items, amp up the potato’s power by adding a little dish soap or a sprinkle of salt to the surface of the potato. (If you use the salt method, be careful not to scratch the metal underneath the rust with the salt.)

Remove Tarnish

You don’t need a fancy cleaner to refresh your fancy silver. Either rub a cut potato on the tarnished area, or use cooked potatoes. For this method, boil a few potatoes in water just as if you were cooking them to eat. After you’ve boiled the potatoes, remove them from the water, set them aside for another use, and turn off the stove. Place your tarnished silver in the potato water and let it soak for about 20 minutes. After it’s soaked, you should have shiny silver.