Household Cleaning Solutions (Miscellaneous Edition)

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Window, Mirror & Glass Cleaner

Some people recommend a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar as a glass cleaner, which works (with enough scrub time and/or elbow grease), but in my experience there is a recipe that works much better. Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle:

2 Cups Water
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/4 Cup Rubbing Alcohol
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

Shake well to mix the solution, and shake well before each use to prevent the nozzle from becoming clogged. Spray onto the glass surface and wipe it clean. For most surfaces, using an old newspaper instead of a rag will prevent streaks and dust particles from appearing.

Clogged Drain Fix

1/2 Cup Vinegar
1/2 Cup Baking Soda
1 Gallon Boiling Hot Water

Pour the half cup of baking soda into the drain, followed by the half cup of vinegar and let it set (fizz) for 5 minutes. Follow by pouring the gallon of water (when it first reaches a boil) down the drain to flush. Repeat the entire process, if necessary, for very bad clogs.

(Add a half cup of lemon juice to the vinegar if you want to deodorize the drain at the same time.)

Jewelry Cleaner (Also Works For Silverware, Etc.)

Line a glass bowl with aluminum foil, making sure that the shiny side of the foil faces outward. (A glass baking pan may work better for silverware.) Put the jewelry in the bowl, touching the foil.

Cover the jewelry with baking soda (enough so that you can no longer see the jewelry) then add enough boiling water to cover the jewelry also.

Let the mixture soak for up to 5 minutes (if it is really dirty), then fish the jewelry out with a fork and rinse it with cold water.

(Be careful with some jewelry that has a lot of cubic zirconia stones glued in it, as the process may cause the glue to melt. Don’t use this method on pearls!)

Furniture Polish

1 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice

Mix olive oil and lemon juice and use it to polish hardwood furniture.