DIY Furniture Polish/Repair and other cleaning recipes

DIY Furniture Polish/Repair           for fixing scratched furniture or cupboards 
1/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil or canola ( I used canola)
Mix together and apply with a rag or paper towel.  It magically gets rid of the scratches and cleans.
I use this on my kitchen cupboards.  If I am just cleaning them I sometimes use 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle.  It cleans them nicely.  


For smaller amounts......1 T. white vinegar
3 T. olive oil or canola 
Use apple cider vinegar for darker colored wood.  

All Purpose Cleaner
2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp Dawn dish soap4 TBSP white vinegar400 mL warm water
Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Dusting Spray
2 tsp olive oil1 tsp lemon juice1/4 c white vinegar1 c warm water
Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
1/4 c baking soda1/4 c borax1 c white vinegarPlace ingredients directly into toilet. Mix gently with bowl brush. Let sit at least 30 minutes before scrubbing.

Granite Cleaner
1/2 c rubbing alcohol
8 drops Dawn dish soap2 c warm water
Combine in a squirt bottle.

Glass Cleaner
1/4 c rubbing alcohol
1/4 c white vinegar1 TBSP cornstarch2 c warm water
Stir/shake to mix well. Use a squirt bottle for optimal usage.

Tub Cleanser
1/2 cut grapefruit
1/4 c kosher saltPlace salt directly on grapefruit half. Scrub your tub!

Grout Cleaner
1/2 c baking soda1/4 c white vinegarMix in a small, open container. Using a toothbrush, apply paste to grout and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse off.

Hard Water Stain Removal
For extreme hard water stains, I would suggest pouring a little baking soda on the tough spots first, let it sit for 5 mins and rinse....then follow up with this

Fill spray bottle half full of white vinegar
add 1/4 cup lemon juice
Fill the remaining space with dishsoap of choice (I use Dawn)
Shake up that bottle and spray on those stubborn stains
Let it sit for 30 mins….and scrub that grime away!

Jewelry Cleaner

Homemade Jewelry Cleaner

1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon dish detergent
1 cup water
1 piece aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Heat water in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes.
2. Cut a piece of aluminum foil that roughly covers the bottom of a small bowl (like a cereal bowl).
3. Pour hot water into bowl. Place salt, soda, and dish washing liquid into bowl. Place jewelry on top of foil and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse jewelry in cool water and dry jewelry completely with soft cloth. Discard solution after use and make a new batch next time.
4. According to wire-sculpture.com, "this works well for gold-filled, brass, german (nickel) silver, and sterling silver. I have even cleaned jewelry with freshwater pearls, shell cameos and mother of pearl with no problem.".

Grout Cleaner

Spring Cleaning Recipe for Grout
7 cups water
1/2 c. baking soda
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. vinegar 
Mix together and pour into a spray bottle and spray your floor, let it sit for a minute or two... then scrub.

Ice Proofing.....for car windows

Hate scraping ice off your car windows?
Ice Proofing for Car Windows
2/3 Vinegar 
1/3 water
Just spray on windows and ice will melt away! 

Good to know Stuff.......

1. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

2. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

3. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

4. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

5. To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

6. For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

7. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

8. Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

9. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

10. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

11. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

12. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

13. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

14. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

15. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

16. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

17. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

18. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... guess what! ... static is gone.

19. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. (Or spray the measuring cup or spoon with Pam before using)

20. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

21. Re-opening envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

22. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

23. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

24. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

25. Dryer Filter
Even if you are very diligent about cleaning the lint filter in your dryer it still may be causing you a problem. If you use dryer sheets a waxy build up could be accumulating on the filter causing your dryer to over heat. The solution to this is to clean your filter with with a toothbrush and hot soapy water every 6 months.

Magically Clean Windows......

HERE'S A MAGICAL WAY TO CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS!!!
No drying is needed, and you won't have any spots or streaks on your window! 
Mix together in a bucket or dish pan:
1/2 gallon warm water
1 Tablespoon of liquid "Jet Dry"
2-3 Tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent or dish washing soap

Spray your windows down with your hose to get them wet then wipe or brush on the solution onto your windows, then immediately hose it off. That’s all..... you are done. The remaining water just sheets off and you don't need to dry it off!

Laura Walker told me about this....I sure hope it works

Laundry Detergent

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent - 6 ingredients, cost you about $28 a year, this recipe makes a batch that will last a year! Works in HE washers and with cold water too!

Ingredients -

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- or use 3-4 bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs. Scentsy washer whiffs are my top choice, (they smell out-of-this-world amazing – my favorite is Quiver), but when in a hurry, I opt for the Purex, (which can be found in the detergent aisle).

The hardest most time consuming part is grating the cheese soap. It looks like pink cheese….has anyone ever seen pink cheese? If you do not have a food processor you will need to use a typical hand grater. We would recommend using a large mixing bowl to grate into and using the fine side of the grater. Another option is to microwave the soap before hand. First, cut the bar into chunks or slices. Pop it into the microwave for about a minute. It will expand… a lot…but then it is dry and just crumbles into tiny bits! The hardest part is now over and all that’s left is to mix everything together. Use a very large bucket and take a layering approach to mix it easier. Take a small amount of each ingredient and layer it on top of each other, then grab a large mixing spoon and mixed it together. Do this about 5 times. This is so much easier than dumping all the ingredients in at once and then trying to u it well. This batch makes A TON! Now for probably the best part…you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size. Now here comes the stroke of genius, if you opted to put the Purex Crystals in your batch, you can scoop the detergent right into your bottle and use the cap as your measuring spoon. There are 3 lines on the side and the middle one is approximately 2 Tablespoons…genius right?

feel free to FOLLOW ME! I am always posting awesome stuff! www.sfolds.sbcrotator.com

Recipe to make your bathtub SHINE!!!

This might not sound too exciting....but it sure is to me.  When we remodeled in 2009 we did not put a new bathtub in even though I would liked to have.  I had a hard time justifying a new tub just because the old one wasn't shiny any more.  I have tried every possible remedy from cleaning books, on the internet, and anything else I could find.  But as soon as my tub was dry.....it was not shiny.  Even though it was clean it was not shiny and to me it just doesn't seem really clean if it isn't shiny!!   Have you figured out that shiny is kinda important to me??? Here is the recipe that worked the magic......
To make tubs and sinks shine, use a lemon dipped in borax. Rub the lemon with the borax on the tub and sink. Rinse when done for a sparkling shine.

Read more: How to Make a Bathroom Shine | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2307649_make-bathroom-shine.html#ixzz1zbjtreq4
I suggest you wear rubber gloves and it did say if you don't have a lemon lemon juice would work.  I used 1 lemon and about 1/4 c. borax for 1 tub and 3 sinks.


Here are a few more ideas it gave for a shiny bathroom.

To remove soap scum build up from sinks and tubs use a cloth soaked in white vinegar. Wipe down the tub and sink with the vinegar, then use a different cloth and baking soda. Rub the baking soda all over the tub and sink. Rinse the tub and sink with water.

To clean a toilet, pour some vinegar in the toilet bowl and allow to sit for five minutes. Flush the toilet. If there are stubborn stains, pour the vinegar into the toilet bowl and scrub with a toilet brush.

To remove calcium build up on faucets, take some tissue paper soaked in white vinegar and wrap it around the faucet for two hours. Remove the tissue and rinse with water for a clean and shiny faucet.

To bring out the shine in a faucet, rub flour on the faucet with a dry cloth. Dust off the flour with a different cloth and the faucet will shine. Some people find that vacuuming works better for removing the dust.

Read more: How to Make a Bathroom Shine | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2307649_make-bathroom-shine.html#ixzz1zbkPBb8n

Cleaning......everyday stuff

I've found a few new things that work really well  and thought I better post them before I forget them.

Laundry Stain Remover.....I have used Fels Naptha Bar Soap as my stain remover for as long as I can remember.  It is cheap and it works way better than anything I have purchased for this purpose.  I used to give all my 4-H girls a bar when we learned about clothing care in sewing 4-H.  You just simply get the clothing/stain wet and rub it with the bar of soap.  Leave it or wash immediately.  It works for everything except those crazy armpit stains.  So here is what you do for those......After rubbing in the Fels Naptha make a solution of 1 part Dawn Dishsoap and 2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide.  Pour on stain and scrub with a brush.....if you still need more scrubbing action.....sprinkle with baking soda and scrub a bit more.  Let set for at least an hour and then wash as usual.

Soap Scum Remover......For years I have used Old English Lemon Oil to clean my showers, faucets and  countertops; along with my wood furniture.  It does a great job and helps to prevent water spots.  But sometimes when you have really hard water you need something more.  I have searched and searched and bought different products only to wish I hadn't wasted my money.  I finally found something that works and it is cheap and easy to make.  In a 16 oz. spray bottle pour in 1/2 cup of Dawn Dishsoap. Heat one cup of white vinegar in the microwave for 1 minute and pour it into the spray bottle.  Shake well and spray on to surface to be cleaned.  Scrub with a scotch brite pad, old toothbrush or scrub brush.  Rinse and then wipe with lemon oil or Carnu-B Wax.
If you haven't used Carnu-B Wax and you have hard water you might want to try it.  It puts on a protective wax coating that will last for 6 months (the lemon oil does the same thing but it doesn't last as long).  Can be used of painted surfaces, metals, glass, fiberglass and chrome.  Yes, it was made to be a car wax but it is much more than that.  You can find it at:
 www.carnu-b.com

for whiter whites.....add 1/2 c. washing soda   and/or  1/2 c. hydrogen peroxide

Glass Cook Top Cleaner.......this works way better than CeramaBryte Cleaner.  Sprinkle with baking soda, dampen with water to make a paste,  scrub with a scotch brite pad.  This also works on the window on the inside of your oven (You will need to let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before scrubbing it).  Baking soda is also great for cleaning your toilet (sprinkle and let sit 1 hour).....and many other things too!

Happy Cleaning!!!

Laundry Stain Remover

This one is especially great for saying goodbye to those yellowed under arm stains. Finally!!!
For normal stain removal simply wet the stain and rub with a bar of Fels Naptha.  This is all I have used for years.  It works wonderful and is so much cheaper than all those expensive strays and sticks that don't really work anyway.  But I haven't been able to remove those stubborn arm pit stains no matter what I've tried.


Laundry Stain Remover
1 part Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
2 parts Hydrogen Peroxide
Pour directly on to the stain and watch them disappear.  For especially stubborn stains.....Scrub solution into stains with a scrub brush (can sprinkle on some baking soda for added scrubbing power).  Let sit 1 hour.  Wash as usual.

Dishwasher Detergent....and rinse

‎Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup baking soda 
1 cup borax 
1 cup warm water 
Mix well and store in an airtight container.
Use 1 tbsp for light loads or 2 for heavier ones.
For a rinse agent to keep the cloudiness and spots off....fill the rinse container with white vinegar. 


OR try this one....This is the one I used because I have really hard water...
Dishwasher Detergent
1 c. borax
1 c. washing soda
1/2 c. citric acid (double this amount for hard water) I used 1 c. Lemi Shine
1/2 c. kosher salt
Stir together and use 1 T. per load.  
The citric acid may cause this to clump together.  To prevent this leave the lid off for a day or two and stir it often until it dries out.  
You may also use lemon juice as a rinse agent instead of white vinegar.


Now you have a couple of choices to try.  

Septic Tank Bacteria Activator......

Septic tanks require regular maintenance to keep them working properly.  Septic tanks use bacteria, or "activators," to break down solids and keep the system flowing smoothly.

Read more: How to Make Septic Tank Bacteria | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6175512_make-septic-tank-bacteria.html#ixzz1QRXugj2c
Septic Tank Bacteria Activator
Combine:
2 pkts. yeast or (2 scant Tablespoons)
2 c. corn meal
2 c. sugar
add:
12 c. warm water
Stir and flush down the toilet nearest the septic tank.  Repeat every 3 to 6 months..

5 recipes to unclog your drain......

Clogged drains can be a big pain......and yes I have clogged drains!!!  I found these to be helpful but I still had to call a plumber in the end.....but in the future I will use them periodically to prevent future problems.


1)   Drop 3 Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain and add one cup of white vinegar (try Heinz White Vinegar). Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the combined ingredients to fizz which will break up grease and allow the clog to wash down easier. Pour a small pan full of boiling water down the drain to flush the drain clean.

2) Pour 1/2 cup  Baking Soda and 1/2 cup Morton Salt down the clogged drain. Then pour 6 cups of boiling water over the mixture and let sit overnight. Flush the drain with water in the morning. The baking soda and salt act as abrasives to force the clog out and flushing with water will cleanse the drain thoroughly.    (Karla has always used 1/2 c. salt, 1/2 c. baking soda, 1/2 c. white vinegar.....followed by 2 qts. or more of boiling water.)

3) Boil 3-4 tablespoons of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a pan full of water. Pour the heated mixture slowly down the clogged drain. Let sit for about 20-30 minutes and flush with hot tap water. The Dawn Dishwashing Liquid will break down the grease and the boiling water will force the clog free from the drain.

4) Drop 4-5 Efferdent tablets into the clogged drain. Fill with hot water. Let the mixture sit overnight. Rinse thoroughly in the morning with more hot water to free the clog. Efferdent tablets loosen grease and clean the drain much like it does the stains on dentures.

5) To clear clog drains and keep them clear, pour a bottle of Coca-Cola down the drain and let it sit over night. Rinse the drain well in the morning with hot water. The Coca-Cola will fizz and clean the drain, ridding it of any grease and debris.

Read more: How to Unclog a Drain | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4891012_unclog-a-drain.html#ixzz1QRUF8uJU

Pergo Floor Cleaner.....and tile too!!

I was reading a website listing all the uses for vinegar...
I found this recipe....I tried it and I love it!!!  It works really well....no more streaks....and I don't have to dry my floor after mopping any more!!! 
I mixed this in my 1 quart spray bottle.  Sprayed it on my floor and microfiber mop pad.  Scrubbed my floor and that is it!!!!  Here is the mixture I used.....it just said to use equal parts vinegar, alcohol & water....

Pergo Floor Cleaner
1 1/4 c. white vinegar
1 1/4 c. rubbing alcohol
1 1/4 c. water
3 drops dishwashing liquid
Mix in 1 qt. spray bottle.  Spray and mop.  Use on pergo and tile - makes a great room deodorizer - great for fast cleanups too. 

Laundry Detergent.....

Lisa & I have both been interested in making our own laundry soap because it is so expensive.  I think Lisa may have found the perfect recipe......Lisa says,  "Hey I found this recipe for homemade Laundry soap. I thought you might be interested because it works on Front Load machines. I am going to try this because I think that the other detergents are much too hard on the fabric and make your cloths wear out much quicker? So I will be getting the stuff to make it on Friday when I go to Wal-Mart. I am giong to make the recipe on the bottom because it is much easier but you would want the top recipe."   Here is the website I got it from http://duggarfamily.com/recipes.html
This site also has many other recipes....especially great for large quantity recipes.....as this is a LARGE family!!!
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
-Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 3 Cups detergent. (Approx. 40 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.