Drain Cleaner

1 box of baking soda
vinegar

Get a small box of baking soda and pour about half of it down the clogged drain. Top it off with just enough vinegar to really get it foaming. Wait for the foam to settle, then repeat with the other half of the baking soda, followed again by vinegar. Let the mixture sit in your drain for at least an hour, longer if you can, then rinse it with plenty of hot water.

Furniture Polish

1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.

Silver Cleaner

Get out a pan/bowl and line it with aluminum foil. Make sure the shiny side of the foil is up. Now arrange your silver items on top of the foil. Pour plenty of boiling water over the silverware making sure everything is submerged. Spinkle 3 tbsp baking soda and 1 tbsp. salt mixture all over the pan. Then just walk away for 15-20 minutes. Use some tongs to remove the silver pieces and drop them in some soapy water. Give them a quick wash and then lay them out to dry. You can polish them a bit with a soft cloth.

Soft Scrub/Dish Soap

Baking soda made into a paste, use with scouring pad and rinse thoroughly.

1/4 c. soap flakes or soap shavings (any bar soap will do)
2 c. water
1 tsp. lemon juice or white vinegar
a few drops of essential oil (optional)

Get out a sturdy sauce pan. Pour the water and soap flakes in and slowly heat it over medium heat. Stir the mixture and keep heating it until all the soap flakes melt into the water. DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil. Turn down the heat if needed. Allow the soap mixture to cool a bit, then stir in the lemon juice or vinegar. Keep it sitting in the pot until it is completely cooled, then pour it into an old dish soap bottle.

Orange Cleaning De-greaser

7-8 orange peels
2 c. water

Slice orange peels in strips and boil in the 2 cups of water in medium pot for 1-2 minutes or longer. Let cool and bottle in in a spray bottle. Works great in the kitchen.

Mildew Cleaner

Mix equal parts of plain white vinegar and water and fill it into a clean spray bottle. Spray it on bathroom fixtures, shower curtains, tiles, etc. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe the counters, etc. with a clean wet rag. In cases of really bad mildew use a stronger vinegar solution.

Glass Cleaner

1 c. rubbing alcohol
1 c. water
1 tbsp. vinegar

Mix everything together and pour it into a clean spray bottle. The alcohol in the cleaner helps it evaporate quickly giving you that streak-free shine.

Stain Removers

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup baking soda
1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

Store in spray bottle. Spot treat stains and soak overnight.

2 qts. water
1/2 cup ammonia
2 tbsp. laundry detergent

Store in spray bottle. Spot treat stains and soak overnight. DO NOT use this recipe with bleach!

Ballpoint ink: Press a paper towel against the stain to absorb the wet ink. Using a cotton swab dipped in denatured alcohol, lightly dab at the mark. Rinse in COLD water then wash according to fabric.

Blood: Soak the stained garment for 15 minutes in a bucket of cold water mixed with a handful of salt. Then soak in an enzyme-based detergent. Launder according to fabric. (If the blood stain is fresh, have the person whose blood it is spit onto the blood and rub a bit, then rinse in cold water. The enzymes from the spit help breakdown the stain.)

Chocolate: Pretreat stain with an enzyme-based detergent, then launder as usual. If stain remains, remainder with bleach if safe fabric (or color safe bleach).

Dirt/Mud: Allow mud to dry. Brush off any hard residue, then launder to remove any remaining marks. Treat persistent mud stains with denatured alcohol.

Fruit Juice: RInse immediately under cold water. Treat any remaining stain by sponging it with denatured alcohol. Launder according to fabric.

Grass: Soak in an enzyme-based detergent. Launder according to fabric. Apply vinegar to the stain with a sponge, and lightly dab to lift. If the stain persists, make a paste of vinegar and baking soda, and brush it into the stain with an old toothbrush. Then, wash as usual.

Grease, oil or fat: With a paper towel, blot away any remaining grease. Sponge with dry-cleaning solvent, then launder according to fabric. Pretreat grease spot with Dish soap (like Dawn), rub into stain and launder as normal. If stain is stubborn, put WD-40 on spot and then retreat with dish soap and launder. Adding the grease will help unset the stain. Soak the stain in undiluted white vinegar. Then wash as usual.

Gum: Soak gum stain in distilled white vinegar until it softens enough to remove. Launder as usual.

Lipstick: Dilute by sponging with denatured alcohol. Repeat with dishwashing liquid. Launder according to fabric.

Liquid Medicine: Sponge stain lightly with denatured alcohol. Launder according to fabric.

Mildew: Brush of mildewed area, then pretreat stain with a heavy-duty liquid detergent. Launder in hottest water wafe for fabric. Dry in the sun.

Latex paint: blot excess paint immediately, then sponge with cold water. Launder according to fabric.

Perspiration: Pretreat heavy stains by blotting with ammonia solution (1 tsp. ammonia to 2 cups cold water). Launder using all-fabric bleach. Saturate with vinegar and rub salt into stain, allow to dry in the sun. Launder as normal.

Tomato-based sauces: Place the fresh stain under cold water, rubbing it between your fingers. Saturate the area with a prewash treatment. Launder according to fabric. Saturate with distilled vinegar, allow to soak in. Launder as normal.

Scorching from iron: If it's slight, and has not damaged fibrers, wash immediately with regular detergent in warm water.

Wax: Scrape as much of the wax deposit as you can using a spoon. Place brown paper over the spot and iron with a warm iron until the wax melts into the paper. Treat any residual marks with denatured alcohol.

Spray Starch

Dissolve 2 tbsp. cornstarch in 1 pt. cold water in a spray bottle. Shake before each use. For delicate fabrics, dissolve 1 pkg. unflavored gelatin to 2 cups hot water. Dip a corner of the fabri into the solution to test; if fabric becomes sticky when dry, add more water.

Fabric Softener

3 C. vinegar
2 C. cheap hair conditioner (smell you like)
6 C. water

Mix together in an old fabric softener jug and use as you would in your washer. If you like you can use it make your own dryer sheets. Cut up an old t-shirt and pour softener onto the rag and toss in the dryer with wet clothes.

Deodorize shoes: place 1 dryer sheet in each shoe while not wearing. Helps keep teenage boy feet smelling less sour.

Laundry Detergent

1 bar Zote soap or Fels Naptha

1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

1 cup Laundry Soda

Grate the bar of soap like cheese. Add the rest and blend until a grain-like texture. Use 2 tbsp/1/8 cup per load.