Thursday, April 4, 2013

Here's a tip: salt, baking soda, and vinegar

During my spring hausfrauing, I came across helpful household hints books for salt, vinegar, and baking soda. I'm planning a potions post soon - I make a lot of my own cleaning products - but I wanted to retain this info and figured I'd share it here in case you guys could use it too. I don't typically use salt, but I use baking soda and vinegar a lot (even though MFD is constantly complaining about the smell and comparing it to a Summer's Eve, if you catch my drift).

I hope you can save yourself some cash and incorporate these tips in your regular routines!

Thanks to Geege for being a photo prop.

  • Any spill on the stovetop will come up more easily if sprinkled with salt first - the abrasive quality of salt removes the stuck on food but won't hurt the surface. 
  • Those casserole dishes that won't come clean? Add boiling water and three tablespoons of salt. Let stand until the water cools, then wash as usual. 
  • Exfoliate! While skin is wet, sprinkle salt in your hands and rub all over skin. Ain't nobody got time for dry skin. I am a very bad exfoliater. I need to do it more. 
  • Keep baking soda in fridges and freezers to absorb odors. Change every three months. 
  • Once a month, sprinkle carpets with baking soda, let sit overnight, then vacuum. I should do this. Dogs stink. 
  • Remove mineral buildup and improve performance of your showerhead: Mix 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar in a sturdy plastic bag. Secure the bag around the shoewrhead with a rubber band so the showerhead is submerged in solution. Soak for one hour. Remove and run very hot water through the showerhead for several minutes. I am totally doing this this weekend. I pinned it eons ago. 
  • Face scrub: make a past of three parts baking soda to one part water. Use as an exfoliating scrub. I do this and love it. 
  • Sinks: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda through a funnel followed by one cup of vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with super hot tap water (I normally fill from another sink or the tub). Wait five minutes, then flush again with cold water. This clears blockages and washes away odor causing bacteria. For slow drains, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups of boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water. 
  • Keep frost at bay: Spray the outside of car windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water. I haven't tried this, but I will be trying it this winter. 
  • Microwave: place a glass bowl filled with 1/4C vinegar and 1C water inside. Microwave for five minutes. Once it cools, dip a cloth into the liquid and use to wipe interior. Splatters will be loosened and come up quickly. I add a little squirt of lemon juice to the bowl too. 
  • Pour 1 cup undiluted vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher once a month and run the machine through a full cycle without dishes or detergent. 
I know there are 459,872 uses for each. How do you use them, or what on this list will you try?




21 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing! I'm definitely trying some of those.

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  2. I seriously do all of this! After making my own cleaning products I will never buy the other stuff!

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  3. Great tips. I'm going to try the salt on the stove one!

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  4. Excellent, thanks!

    I use the baking soda, sprinkle on my carpets before vacuuming, too.

    Warm weather on the way!

    Carpe Diem!
    love your momma

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  5. Salt on stove spills? SO GREAT! I'm a bit messy.. and my boyfriend wouldn't let me buy drain-o becaused he was convinced vinegar would work. It did! I was surprised haha

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  6. Have definitely done the microwave trick before and it totally works. Did not know about that dishwasher, going to try this weekend.

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  7. So, I am late to the party...but your pug is so stinking cute I can't handle it!

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  8. I am so trying the salt trick for the casserole dishes. I have a lot of glass ones with stupid cooking spray baked on and it drives me crazy I can't get it clean.

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  9. One time I accidentally put viegar and baking soda at the same itme in my dishwasher.

    Let me save you the mess

    dont do it!

    Just one or the other!

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  10. Excellent tips! I definitely need to try the slow drain fix in our bathroom because we're always using Drano.

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  11. Oh and I need to pin this so I'll remember all these helpful hints!

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  12. Thanks for the tips! I will have to try some of these!

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  13. I have definitely been trying to make my own stuff! I constantly use the baking soda/vinegar drain cleaner - especially after dog baths! The Dawn Blue dish liquid does amazing stuff too! Testing this weekend with soap scum on shower door! I just pinned a whole buncha crap last night!
    Thanks for the Salt info - I had no idea!

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  14. Salt is THE BEST cleaner for cast iron pans! Just pour some in, rub with a damp rag and wipe clean. Done. Keeps the finish and prevents rust.

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  15. definitely trying this. you're so domestic. ;)

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  16. i am loving this post! I love the vinegar for ice on the car windows! I need to get better at always having backing soda on hand. I put it in the cat litter box on top of the litter whenever the cat went into gross overload!

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  17. We use baking soda in our cat's litter box along with the litter, it seriously helps keep the smell down...and I LOVE using baking soda and vinegar to clean the tub. Works SO much better than any cleaning solution!

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  18. I definitely, definitely need to do the dishwasher one! These are all fantastic tips! I swear by keeping baking soda in the fridge and freezer.

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  19. i do the sink trick twice a month and it's super cool too; my 4yo loves it when it bubbles up. i also do my microwave once a week to get rid of any smells too.

    will def do the dishwasher one..i was just asking my husband how i can clean the dishwasher and he said: we have a self-cleaning one. hmmm.... why don't i believe him?!

    great tips!

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  20. I'll definitely be trying out some of those salt tricks.... I've been in a spring housewifely mood lately, too...

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  21. This is awesome! I've been doing baking soda on the carpet one for years and years. I need to do the dishwasher. I think you can do it with washing machine also? I better check before I try. I never knew about the face scrub. I gotta try it! I can't wait for more recipes from you!

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