The Painted Apron

the Organized Life, Cleaning Green for 2013

Posted by the Painted Apron on January 3, 2013 · 7 Comments 

Is a thorough house cleaning on your list of things to do this month? Or a New Year’s resolution for keeping a greener house perhaps? These tips are handy and economical too!

Have a clean green thirteen!

CLEAN GREEN TIPS FOR 2013

A white vinegar solution will help clear up a hazy film of soap scum. Dampen a cloth with white vinegar and move from top to bottom on your glass shower door. Then rinse thoroughly with your shower spray.

Martha Stewart’s Tub Scrub–works better than any other cleaning product to get off hard water and soap residue off sinks, tile, tubs.
Here’s a nontoxic but effective way to clean your tub: Add one teaspoon of liquid soap and several drops of an antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) to one cup of baking soda. Add just enough water to form a paste, and use it with a sponge or brush to scour bathtub surfaces.Works great on glass shower doors too- no more soap residue!

Lemon as Laundry Brightener
Skip the bleach—add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighter up those fading whites.

Baking Soda will unclog drains
To get your drain running again (without resorting to chemicals worthy of a hazmat suit) pour ½ cup soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water.

Aluminum Foil as Glassware Scrubber
To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad.

Baking Soda as Silver Polish
To polish silver: Wash items, then place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot. Add a baking-soda solution (¼ cup soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water) and cover for a few seconds. The result? A chemical reaction that gets the black off the gravy boat.

Cornmeal as Grease Absorber
Add this to the grocery shopping list for new reasons. Cornmeal absorbs grease on light colored fabric or upholstery. Pour enough on to cover the soiled area and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Vacuum to remove the grains.

Microwave Oven Cleaner
Heat a bowl of water and vinegar for 5 minutes in the microwave, the steam will dissolve stuck on stains. Simply wipe off. Genius!

Rice as Vase Scrubber
Prepare a stained vase for a new batch of blooms. If you can’t reach the residue at the bottom, add a tablespoon of rice and a lot of soapy water, shake, and rinse until clean.

Salt as Salad Wash
Clean dirt from leafy vegetables by washing them in a bath of salt water.

Walnut as Scratch Filler
Repair hardwood floors by rubbing shelled nuts into shallow scratches. Their natural oils help hide the flaws.

Baking Soda as Crayon Eraser
Sprinkle it on a damp sponge to erase crayon, pencil, and ink from painted surfaces.

Sugar as Hand Degreaser
Cut grease on hands by rubbing them with a mixture of sugar and water.

Vinegar as Sticker Remover
Dislodge a stubborn price sticker. Paint with several coats of vinegar, let it sit for five minutes, then wipe away

Vinegar as Garbage Disposal Deodorizer
Deodorize a garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through the drain.

Vinegar as Coffeemaker Cleaner
Clean a coffeemaker or a tea kettle by making a pot using a mixture of water and vinegar. Follow with several cycles of water to rinse.

Lemonade Kool-Aid as Dishwasher Cleaner
Clean lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher by pouring a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and running the (empty) dishwasher. The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains; you don’t have to.

Wax Paper as Floor Cleaner
Use this kitchen staple to pick up dirt and dust. Rip off a piece roughly the size of your sweeper and attach it just as you would a cleaning cloth. As you sweep highly trafficked or dirty areas, the gunk sticks. Wax on, dirt off.

Clean away!

The painted tableware is from JMdesigns Gallery

I’m joining

the Tablescaper for SEASONAL SUNDAY

Between Naps on the Porch for METAMORPHIS MONDAY & TABLESCAPE THURSDAY

Stone Gable for ON THE MENU MONDAY and TUTORIALS, TIPS & TIDBITS THURSDAY

The Gunny Sack for WHAT’S IN THE GUNNY SACK?

Savvy Southern Style for WOW US WEDNESDAY

Rattlebridge Farms for FOODIE FRIDAY

The Everyday Home for “Better Late than Never” Christmas inspirations

Alderberry Hill for Make the Scene Monday

The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday

No Minimalist Here for Open House Thursday

check out these amazing blogs!