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Cleaning… trying those homemade mixtures … Most of these cleaning ideas I saw somewhere on Pinterest. And, for most of them, I’ve seen several variations. As an official disclaimer, you should use these at your own risk.
These are not my creations and I don’t take credit or responsibility for them. But, I can tell you if they worked for me or not. You know, I’ll still be scrubbing, but, maybe with fewer yucky toxic chemicals.
And be sure to check out my Tips for Updating your Home for some great info that you can use in your house.
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Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn
I’ll start with my favorite. Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn.
This one I’ve been using for many years (before Pinterest ever came around). Use about equal parts; I don’t really measure it; I pour approximately the same amount of each Hydrogen Peroxide and Dawn Dishwashing Liquid into a small glass dish. Mix them together, and you have a powerful cleaner. Take the mixture and rub it into the spot with a clean cloth.
I started using it because someone spilled red wine on my white couch at a party and didn’t bother to tell me about it. There was a spot a day or so later. I did some research and decided I couldn’t ruin the couch any more than it already was, so I tried the HP & Dawn. To my surprise, it worked like a charm!
It works on the stains in the carpet (even ones that have been there forever, though you might have to do more than one application on really old stains).
Try it on on ring around the collar (test it in an inconspicuous area of the garment first).
It works on upholstered furniture. It works on everything that I’ve ever tried it on. I love this one! Oh, and if you mix it up and leave it for a little while, it’ll turn clear and bubbly. That’s normal.
Laundry Detergent
Laundry Detergent:
3 bars of Ivory, Fels-Naptha, or Kirk’s soap
12 ounces {affiliate} Borax
4 pounds Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
3 pounds & 7 ounces Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
2 containers of Oxi Clean
Grate the soap using a food processor or a hand-held grater, just like cheese. Then mix all ingredients together. Store in a large jar or box. Use 1-2 Tablespoons of laundry detergent per load. It’s safe for HE washers, it’s safe for sensitive skin, and is almost unscented. It leaves my clothes really soft and clean, and I’ve been very happy with it. I love this one too!
super clean laundry
But my favorite hack for the laundry is this one:
Do your towels smell a little, er, funky? {affiliate links} Vinegar can help that!
Wash your towels in hot water with a cup of vinegar or lemon vinegar, then run the towels in a load again in hot water with a half-cup of baking soda. Doing this will strip that residue & mildew smell out of the towels, and will leave them feeling fluffy & smelling fresh. This really works! I love it & do it all the time!
Citric Acid to clean the dishwasher
Dishwasher Cleaner: I have hard water, so I get lime deposits all the time. Using lemonade (Kool-Aid Lemonade Unsweetened or Country Time) really works to get rid of those deposits. Pour a packet of lemonade mix or a tablespoon from a large container of mix into the detergent cup and run the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains. Works really well!
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
Dishwasher Detergent:
One box of Borax
One box of Washing Soda
3 cups of Kosher Salt
1 cup Kool-Aid Lemonade Unsweetened
Mix all the ingredients together well, and store in a large container or even an empty oatmeal canister. Use 1 tablespoon mix per load. I use this fairly regularly now. But, I’m not always happy with it. It seems to leave a white film on some of my plastic items. I like that it has the lemonade in it already to clean out some of the lime deposits.
Coca-Cola as a cleaner
Coca-Cola as a cleaner: Coke also has a lot of citric acid in it, and it cleans hard water stains in the bathtub, sink, and toilet. Just pour it in, let it sit, and wipe away the stain, and rinse. It also helps to unclog hair and debris in your pipes as it goes down. Now, in theory, I understand how this works, but I didn’t really see too much of a difference when I used it.
What are your favorite cleaners?
And, the follow-up… Lemon-Vinegar Cleaner with a bunch of ways to use it around the house! Click on the photo below to get the instructions for this great cleaner!
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Debi
Cecilia, It might help. I’ve never tried it on chiffon. Depending on how much the top means to you, and if you don’t mind ruining it you could try it. I would wonder what the washing instructions on the tag say. If it’s dry clean only, I might take it to the dry cleaner first, and then try other methods of getting the stain out. Again, just depending on what the tag says and if you don’t mind doing some experiments on the shirt.