The Radmacher Family: Homemaking Tips & Tricks

In the last couple of days I've caught the Spring Cleaning bug. I'm all for going green when it comes to cleaning...not all because I'm afraid of what its doing to the environment (although that does matter), but because I'm afraid of what its doing to me when I'm using them and what its doing to my family. I first started researching this kind of stuff when I was pregnant with Jonah (guess its the inner hippy in me), 'cause I was all paranoid that I was going to give him brain damage or something from cleaning the bathroom (this was before you could buy "green" cleaners at the non-health food stores). So here's a bit of what I've gathered over the years (Sorry this is another REALLY long post with no pictures...I promise I'll get one up soon!).

Tip #1:

Did you know that you really don't have to dry clean your "Dry Clean Only" down comforters, jackets, sleeping bags, etc? That's right (Maybe you all know this already) A couple years back I was bringing David's suit into the cleaners and asked them the cost to dry clean my down comforter. He said, "Don't bother" and proceeded to tell me how to do it myself.

So what you do is you wash it in your washing machine (you'll want a large capacity washer for sure) as you would any comforter with normal detergent and all. If you'd like you can put it on delicate cycle, but I really haven't ever found this necessary.

When its ready to dry, it'll look real flat like you ruined it or something, but don't worry, that's just wet feathers. Then I just put it in the dryer on high heat and (here's the real trick) place a tennis ball inside a sock in there with it. This fluffs it right up.

Voile, a cheap, easy way to clean your dry cleanable downs!

Tip #2:

I have always hated cleaning the tub...it's awkward, I always seem to get soaking wet, and nothing I've ever found really works without burning my nose or ruining my tub and tile. So I found an awesome and cheap alternative that works every time (except of course on my tub now, 'cause it is so stained with hard water and warn from probably 20 or so years of use - a definite candidate for refinishing!). Here it goes:

Wet your tub/shower. Sprinkle baking soda all over. Take a Magic Eraser and wipe it on down. It is incredible how well it works...takes that soap scum and hard water (unless its been there for 20 years) right off! And I don't even have sore arms when I'm done!

Tip #3:

I'm sure you all know this already, but if you're looking for a cheap, healthier alternative to cleaning products (you know ones that don't burn off brain cells while you're cleaning?), you need not look any farther than your kitchen pantry (and bathroom too). Use baking soda, salt, vinegar, olive oil, rubbing alcohol, and toothpaste. Here's a few things they're good for:

Baking Soda:

A great abrasive for cleaning your tub, sink, counters, cabinets, refrigerator, etc.
To prevent getting a stinky sponge after one use, sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda after a heavy use and rinse it out.
To get the grease out of your pots, pans, etc, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of your dishwasher. It will cut the grease in the first wash cycle. For greasy pots and pans that can't go in the dishwasher, sprinkle some baking soda on them and scrub.
Shine your chrome appliances by making a past of baking soda and water and polish away.
For white sneakers that aren't so white anymore, make a paste out of baking soda and water and scrub.
Place an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator to eliminate yucky odors.
To polish silver, wash tarnished items, place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot, cover with baking-soda solution of 1/4 cup baking soda, a few teaspoons of salt, and 1 quart boiling water. It should only take a few seconds!
To clear drains, pour 1 cup baking soda down the drain. Slowly add 1 cup white vinegar (yes, this is like your kids volcano experiment!). Cover with a stopper. Let mixture fizz for 5 minutes and flush with a gallon of hot (not boiling if PVC pipes) water.
For cleaning scorched pots and baked in food, pour 1 cup of baking soda in, slowly add 1 cup white vinegar, cover with a lid, let mixture fizz for 5 minutes and flush with hot water.

Salt:

Can be used as an abrasive cleaner.
Remove hard-water spots from vases using a paste of 1/3 cup salt and 2 Tbsp white vinegar. Apply to the film, let stand for 20 minutes, scrub to loosen residue, and rinse.
To remove rust from metal, make a paste of 1/4 cup salt and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Scrub, rinse, and buff dry.

Vinegar:

To remove hard water from a pot or kettle, pour in 2 cups of vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes; rinse well.
To clean and disinfect your wood cutting board, scrub with baking soda, then rinse with full strength vinegar.
For spot cleaning your carpet, use a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups water.
You know how your towels lose their fluffiness after a few washes or a few years? Revive them by throwing in a cup of vinegar to the wash cycle. Don't worry, they won't smell like vinegar when they're done!

Rubbing Alcohol:

A great disinfectant for counters, floors, etc...it kills like everything.
Is incredible at removing marker (even permanent!). Spray on marker spot and wipe clean. On hard surfaces you can actually watch the alcohol suck up the marker.

Olive Oil:

Great for cleaning your kitchen sink.

Toothpaste (the white paste kind):

To remove skid marks from lenoleum and pergo, rub the spot with toothpaste, then wash the floor with a rag or mop (it also cleans the scuffs off your bald cabbage patch kid heads...oh wait, that tips from like 1980 something).
Great for fixing scratches on your skipping CDs and DVDs. Use a cotton pad and rub with toothpaste in a straight line from the center of the CD outward and over the scratch. Rinse toothpaste off with water.
Have a nail hole in your wall, but don't have spackle? Fill with toothpaste (just make sure its the white paste kind) and wipe smooth with a moist towel.

Lemons and lemon juice are also great household cleaners. And used dryer sheets are great for shining up sink faucets and hardware.

Tip #4:

Want to clean and freshen up your garbage disposal (unfortunately I don't have one here)? Throw in a slice of lemon and run the disposal. Each time you use it for the next couple times it'll continue to fresh it up!

Tip #5:

Want to make your own OxiClean? (found this here) Combine 1 bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide, 2 Tbsp Baking Soda, & 1 Tbsp Laundry Soup. Put it in a spray bottle and spray the stain. Let it sit for a minute and the stain will come to the surface.

Tip #6:

WD40 is great for removing crayon off of just about anything. Spray a little bit on crayoned surface and rub away with a clean cloth.

Tip #7:

I don't have a dishwasher to try this on, but if I did, it would be totally worth trying for sure (especially because I used to always buy those dishwasher cleaners for like $5+ that never really worked)! To get rid of lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher, pour a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (ONLY this flavor works!) into the detergent cup and run the dishwasher while empty.

Tip #8:

I got these carpet cleaning tips from some book somewhere sometime.

As a multipurpose cleaner, use a mixture of 1 tsp liquid dish detergent, 1 quart of warm water, 1/4 tsp white vinegar. Let the solution sit on the stain for 10 minutes before blotting clean.
To remove rust, spot clean with a solution of 1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups of water.
For tomato stains, sponge with gold water, then dab with detergent solution or citrus-oxygen cleaner. Rinse with cold water.
For grease and oil, sprinkle with baking soda; let sit for at least 6 hours. Vacuum; apply spot cleaner. Rinse; blot or wet-vac dry.
For juice, spritz with club soda. Blot. Repeat until stain is gone.
For soft drinks, use a detergent solution. If stain remains, mix 1 cup vinegar to 2 cups water. Sponge; blot.
For blood, treat immediately. Apply cold water or club soda and blot with clean cloth. Repeat until stain no longer appears.
For dirt and mud, allow dirt/mud to dry before treating. Scrape off as much as possible; vacuum. Apply detergent solution.
For fat-based stains such as butter or gravy, use a dry solvent spot cleaner. Blot or wet vac dry.
To remove gum, peel away what you can. Harden by placing a ziplock bag of ice cubes over it. Chip gum away with a spoon or dull knife. Vacuum. Spot clean with a dry-solvent spot carpet cleaner.
For acrylic and latex paint, (dry paint is hard to remove, so try to get it right when it happens) while wet, spot-clean with detergent solution. If color remains, dab with rubbing alcohol. For oil-based paint, while wet sponge with odorless mineral spirits, being careful not to soak carpet backing.
For urine, feces, and vomit (aka pee, poop, and barf...yuck!), apply detergent solution or a citrus-oxygen cleaner. Rinse and blot or wet vac dry.
For wax, harden (can speed up process with a ziplock full of ice), shatter, and remove as for gum. Dampen a clean white cloth or cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and blot remaining wax. If this doesn't work, you can try placing a paper grocery bag over it and running a hot iron over, soaking the melted wax into the paper bag.