Ditch expensive cleaners and head for the vinegar, lemon and
bleach, because we’ve found 10 home remedies
guaranteed to make the toughest cleanups a breeze.
- Almost-Free All-Purpose Cleaner
Why buy an antibacterial spray cleaner if you can make one in less than five minutes? Combine 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spritz on kitchen surfaces including tile and chrome, wipe off, and watch how quickly the germ-killing polish evaporates. - Add Vinegar to Your Mop Water
Add a few drops of white vinegar to your mopping bucket to remove soap traces. If the floor is linoleum or vinyl tile, add a little baby oil to the mop water to bring a soft gleam to the surface – a mere 1 or 2 capfuls at most, or you’ll turn the floor into a skating rink. - Lemon Stain Lifter
Getting that tomato sauce stain off your countertop or cabinet is easier than you think. Simply wet the stain with lemon juice, let sit for 30 minutes or so, and then sprinkle baking soda on the abrasive side of an all-purpose kitchen sponge and scrub the discoloured area. Most stains will vanish, and your kitchen will smell fresher. - Erase Pencil Marks with Rye Bread
Remove your young Picasso’s kitchen wall pencil sketches with a slice of fresh rye bread (seeded or not). An art-gum eraser can also erase the marks, without the thrill. - Dynamic Grease-Busting Duo
The chemistry between baking soda and vinegar is so powerful that this combo can flush grease out of kitchen drains. Just pour ½ cup baking soda into a clogged drain and follow it with ½ cup white vinegar. Cover the drain for a few minutes as the chemical reaction dissolves the grease – then flush the drain with warm water. A caveat: Never use this method after trying a commercial drain cleaner; the cleaner could react with vinegar to create dangerous fumes.