As environmental awareness grows – and as landfill sites overflow – people recognize the value of the mantra, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".
That applies to these home cleaning tips, too. Why scrub with a commercial cleaner when a simple, natural solution will do? Why purchase a manufactured tool or cleaning implement when a common inexpensive item can be used instead?
Natural Stain Removers
Removing coffee and tea stains from cups and pots can be a chore. Readily available natural cleansers can make the job easier.
- Baking soda – a mild abrasive that can remove a number of stains with a little scrubbing. It will remove tea stains from cups, clean stainless steel sinks, clean stains from stoves.
- Lemon juice – The citric acid in lemon juice will remove tea stains from cups almost magically, without scrubbing. Just put a squirt of lemon juice in the cup and rub with a finger; rinse.
- Vinegar – The slightly stronger natural acetic acid in vinegar is good for cleaning calcium buildup out of a coffee machine. Fill the carafe with white vinegar and run it through the machine with no filter. Repeat with clean vinegar for a really heavily calcined machine. Run two carafes of clean water to rinse.
Oddly enough, vinegar doesn't work well on tea stains, but lemon juice does.
Bonus Tips with Lemon Juice:
- Lemon juice will also remove stains from delicate cloth. CHOW Food Editor Aida Mollenkamp has a clear and helpful video.
- Run lemon & orange peels for through the garburetor to freshen it and remove smells. Rinse well.
Reuse an Old Toothbrush to Clean
An old toothbrush is a wonderfully handy cleaning tool of a hundred uses. The small brush size, the angled head, and the extra reach of the handle make it useful for small areas and tight spaces.
- Window Screens – Clean cobwebs and dust off window screens (then use the hose to spray them clean)
- Faucets – Hard water spots and soap buildup can be scrubbed away from faucets (especially in the corner where faucet meets sink)
- Sinks – Use the toothbrush to clean the junction where the sink meets the counter.
- Shoes – A toothbrush works okay to clean the bottom of shoes and sneakers (boots and shoes with deeper treads will need a heavier brush).
- Computer keyboards – "Why buy that expensive 'canned air?'" wonders Mary Ann
- Bicycle chains – Degrease or scrub off a little surface rust; spray on WD-40 and scrub with the toothbrush
- Bicycle Gears – Clean the rear gear assembly and derailleur with WD-40 and a toothbrush. Re-oil with heavier lubricant.
- Jewelry – For rings with diamonds or other stones, an old toothbrush can get jewelry cleaner in between the settings.
- Combs and brushes – Wet the toothbrush first, rub on a little soap.
- Nooks and crannies – Near baseboards, corners of shower doors, any place a small brush will reach.
Some of the above ideas are adapted from Mary Ann Romans' Frugal Families blog, where she also discusses recycling old toothbrushes as home-made jewelry.
Natural cleaners like lemon juice, baking soda, and vinegar provide "green" solutions, reducing dependence on commercial cleaners. An old toothbrush can also be reused as a cleaning aid.
Thomas Alan Gray - Tom has been writing for over 30 years; curiosity leads him to dig into a wide variety of topics.
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