Cleaning Supplies!

StarSong said:
I put a little squirt of Dawn on the spot and let it sit for about 5 minutes before starting the washing machine. If it's good enough to remove oil from bird wings after an oil spill, I figure it's good enough on my spotted tee shirts. Sometimes I have to repeat the process a second time, but have found this to be pretty effective.
Click to expand...
That’s it?
That’s seems too easy.
Thanks so much Starsong.🥳
I’ll try it tomorrow. 😁
 

In the past I've made cleaning solutions in a more natural way, last time I started doing that was when my dog was a puppy and I didn't want a lot of chemicals on the floor. I used things like a white vinegar or lemon juice mixture to clean the kitchen and bathroom floors.

Now I use store brands like Lysol Clean & Fresh Tangerine Mango, use that for floors, woodwork, etc. I use Windex for mirrors and windows, honestly haven't found anything that works better and leaves less streaks. For toilets I use Ajax or Clorox bleach. I clean the charcoal BBQ grill with a brillo pad.

Last thing my cat knocked over on the sand colored carpet was my morning coffee that has a spoonful of coconut oil in it, was hard to clean up. I blotted well with paper towels and cold water at first, then I went over and gently blotted again with a mix of seltzer water and white vinegar. When that was completely dry, at least a day later, I vacuumed and sprinkled the area with baking soda, rubbed that in with a dry brush and let it sit for hours, then vacuumed. Came out pretty well for a home cleaning.

I like to use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on walls and woodwork, they are pricey though and fall apart quickly. I just did my whitish kitchen floor today with one, going over each area with the mop and Lysol mixture. Every now and then before vacuuming, I use Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh carpet powder deodorizer, I use it lightly though so the scent isn't too strong.

Like StarSong, I squirt some Dawn on oily spots and just hope for the best, sometimes they disappear and sometimes not. For laundry I buy more natural environmentally friendly, fragrance free detergents. For wood furniture dusting I use something like Pledge or Orange Glo (oil).
 

Keesha said:
I wonder how many people using Dawn are using it because of that commercial of it cleaning the ducks from the oil spill. It was moving and the type of commercial that stuck with you.
Click to expand...
That commercial did move me emotionally, but I use Dawn because I've tried Palmolive and so many other brands, including natural ones, and nothing gets greasy dishes and pans cleaner than the Dawn.
 
I do not usually creat my own, except for mixing vinegar and water for some cleaning tasks.
I agree with using Dawn for oil stains. I use the spray furniture polish for the dusting. The only laundry soap I use is Arm & Hammer. My skin gets rather sensitive, and Rick's was worse. That one, seemed to work the best for both of us. Plus, when he was still working, I liked getting the detergent with the Oxy clean deodorizer.
I have seen the Method cleaning supplies @Keesha and always wondered about them. So, I guess you like them? I will have to look into them.
 
My daughter owns and operates a very successful house cleaning company, in Austin. She was on TV, where she discussed the all-natural products her company uses on the job. I found them to be expensive, and about the same as the cleaners I buy at the grocery store, in their effectiveness. In truth, they're better for the environment and one's health, but I've stuck with my old cleaning stuff.

I use a bleach-based counter spray, Mr. Clean on the floors, Windex on the windows, Ajax dish soap. I found Dawn to be too concentrated, for my use. Even a tiny bit, in water, seemed to stay on my dishes, despite several rinses.
 
I really appreciate this thread on cleaning supplies Keesha. It's given me a whole lot of good ideas. I need to change some of the things I've been using like bleach spray for the bathroom. I have always liked Scrubbing Bubbles and someone mentioned that here. Going to get some.
 
Because my primary objective in cleaning is to eliminate as many germs as possible, I mostly use bleach. I have a spray bottle with a bleach/water mix. In the kitchen, I spray the sink and then add a small squirt of Dawn and scrub it with a dish brush. I spray some mixture on a cloth and wipe down all the door knobs and the back of chairs, wipe the phones and remotes to the TV. Spray on kitchen counters and faucet handles, wipe off refrigerator doors, toaster, microwave, dishwasher, etc. Spray wipe the kitchen table couple times a day. I've read that when using bleach on surfaces, it works better against germs if allowed to dry on its own - don't know. For floors I mostly use 409 but use the spray bleach in the bathrooms. Looking for a good floor wax. The tile floors are over 50 years old and they need a shine. Glass can be cleaned with vinegar/water mix which I use for house and car. Laundry is odor free store brand in a large tub (powder) with dryer sheets in clothes with nylon. Pillows I wash gentle cycle then put in dryer with 3 tennis balls and set on low. Just thought I'd throw that hint in.
 
SeaBreeze said:
In the past I've made cleaning solutions in a more natural way, last time I started doing that was when my dog was a puppy and I didn't want a lot of chemicals on the floor. I used things like a white vinegar or lemon juice mixture to clean the kitchen and bathroom floors.

Now I use store brands like Lysol Clean & Fresh Tangerine Mango, use that for floors, woodwork, etc. I use Windex for mirrors and windows, honestly haven't found anything that works better and leaves less streaks. For toilets I use Ajax or Clorox bleach. I clean the charcoal BBQ grill with a brillo pad.

Last thing my cat knocked over on the sand colored carpet was my morning coffee that has a spoonful of coconut oil in it, was hard to clean up. I blotted well with paper towels and cold water at first, then I went over and gently blotted again with a mix of seltzer water and white vinegar. When that was completely dry, at least a day later, I vacuumed and sprinkled the area with baking soda, rubbed that in with a dry brush and let it sit for hours, then vacuumed. Came out pretty well for a home cleaning.

I like to use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers on walls and woodwork, they are pricey though and fall apart quickly. I just did my whitish kitchen floor today with one, going over each area with the mop and Lysol mixture. Every now and then before vacuuming, I use Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh carpet powder deodorizer, I use it lightly though so the scent isn't too strong.

Like StarSong, I squirt some Dawn on oily spots and just hope for the best, sometimes they disappear and sometimes not. For laundry I buy more natural environmentally friendly, fragrance free detergents. For wood furniture dusting I use something like Pledge or Orange Glo (oil).
Click to expand...
I use rug shampoo and a wet vac on rugs.
Works great. Easier than blotting.
I can't find ammonia anymore. None of the chain stores seem to carry it. Great cleanser for floors.
 
Marie5656 said:
I do not usually creat my own, except for mixing vinegar and water for some cleaning tasks.
I agree with using Dawn for oil stains. I use the spray furniture polish for the dusting. The only laundry soap I use is Arm & Hammer. My skin gets rather sensitive, and Rick's was worse. That one, seemed to work the best for both of us. Plus, when he was still working, I liked getting the detergent with the Oxy clean deodorizer.
I have seen the Method cleaning supplies @Keesha and always wondered about them. So, I guess you like them? I will have to look into them.
Click to expand...

I like Oxy clean too. It works well with other things.
Sometimes I make my own cleaning products using vinegar, baking soda and essential oils but lately I’m really liking these method cleaners. They do work very well but the scents they use are so enjoyable. I love the scent they leave. It makes cleaning more enjoyable.
 
Last edited:
Oh yes; Orange Oil. I like using that too. I’m not a fan on using ammonia. I can’t stand the smell of it but know it works well.
 
I use vinegar a lot in the kitchen. Love Clorox wipes (must be the name brand, generic doesn't cut it for me) for a final wipe of the counters, and in the bathroom. Tide Pods for the laundry. Swiffer and/or a microfiber cloth for dusting.
 
enhanced-buzz-4584-1380224728-25.jpg


Danger warnings, on the use and storage of Bleach:

"Despite claims that it’s extremely safe when used properly, bleach continues to be the subject of research for its potential impact on respiratory health, particularly in children."

"In addition, one of the most sinister dangers of bleach involves what happens when you mix it (on purpose or without realizing it) with other household chemicals."

"BuzzFeed includes three toxic bleach combinations on a list of common products never to mix, warning readers about what happens when bleach comes into contact with vinegar, ammonia or rubbing alcohol."


https://draxe.com/health/dangers-of-bleach/
 
Mixing toxic things can have devastating results for sure. We need to remember to use them in a safe way with proper ventilation.
When I was young, I was outside when suddenly my mom came running out, breathing heavily and sat on front steps. Turns out, she was cleaning the bathroom and decided to mix bleach and ammonia to disinfect better. Fumes got to her. I made her stay outside and went back in and opened a bunch of windows.
Scary for both of us.
 
Marie5656 said:
Mixing toxic things can have devastating results for sure. We need to remember to use them in a safe way with proper ventilation.
When I was young, I was outside when suddenly my mom came running out, breathing heavily and sat on front steps. Turns out, she was cleaning the bathroom and decided to mix bleach and ammonia to disinfect better. Fumes got to her. I made her stay outside and went back in and opened a bunch of windows.
Scary for both of us.
Click to expand...

Exactly. These two mixed together is dangerous which is why I added a laughing face when jujube said she only used bleach and ammonia but please not together. It’s deadly. Good point worth mentioning Marie.
 
StarSong said:
I put a little squirt of Dawn on the spot and let it sit for about 5 minutes before starting the washing machine. If it's good enough to remove oil from bird wings after an oil spill, I figure it's good enough on my spotted tee shirts. Sometimes I have to repeat the process a second time, but have found this to be pretty effective.
Click to expand...
Dawn rocks...we just scrubbed our big pool deck with it.
 
I probably haven't had ammonia in my house for 20 years (other than what's contained in Windex).

Agreed that Dawn rocks. I won't buy other brands with the single exception of a bottle of Palmolive clear dish soap that I bought about 10 years ago for stubborn stains on carpet and other places where removing the "Dawn blue" would be a task in and of itself.
 
Ken N Tx said:
Many other uses..
.
>>>CLICK HERE<<<
Click to expand...

Great link, for sure.

I knew about the hair dye because my DIL is a stylist - she told me that's what her salon uses. LOL Wash it about 10 times in a row to strip out some of the color. I needed to do this and found it worked pretty well. Didn't strip as much as I'd hoped for, but definitely toned it down. For the next week, every time I washed my hair I did it twice with Dawn, then conditioned. By the end of that week my hair color was where it should have been.

Have intuitively tried many of these other tricks, but many are new to me.

Speaking of tricks, how about if we start a thread about household hints and tricks, but only ones we've tried ourselves? Do you think that would be worthwhile?
 
Marie5656 said:
@Camper6 Do you have dollar stores up there? Or are they a U.S. thing? I have seen ammonia in ours.
Click to expand...
I have checked the dollar stores as well. Only bleach and vinegar.
I'm starting to think Ammonia might be a restricted product now because the fumes are dangerous.
There is a chemical supply house in town and even they don't carry it.
It's an excellent product for removing grease from an oven as well.
Just leave a dish of it overnight in the oven.
 
I can only talk about some of the products that I use. for many years I have used TSP to clean outdoor wood, before painting. In recent years, it has been deemed too toxic, so before my old box was used up, I found Sunny side TSP Substitute. Its a powder, without the phosphate. I have yet to try it, as I am still working to use up the old stuff.

savogran-paint-thinner-solvents-cleaners-10621-64_1000.jpgindex.jpg

I have been using Glass wax Christmas Stencils for many years, and last year our can of Glass wax dried up. Never used it to clean windows (Windex). Can't seem to find it anywhere (the can says "Vanishing Action".... I guess it vanished) , so I drafted an old friend from my Army days, to take over the job. I've learned that Brasso can be used on glass, so I will try it on the stencils, using a sponge.

GW.jpg brasso-metal-cleaners-76523-64_1000.jpg

I guess the secret is that when you find an old favorite, stock up big time, to be sure you don't run out.
 

Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top