Posted on 09/02/2015 5:33:16 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I suspect that everyone who keeps a recipe box or binder has, as I do, a section for favorite homemade concoctions for household use. I thought this week I'd share some of mine.
I've collected some nice old copper pieces on thrift-store forays; most of them aren't used often, but look lovely hanging in the kitchen - my favorites are a set of copper mixing bowls. Usually when I find these items, they have spots of tarnish or are completely tarnished. Here is the best recipe for copper cleaner that I've found:
Copper Cleaner
1/4 Cup White Vinegar
1/8 Cup Coarse Salt
White flour to make a paste
(Increase proportionally, if you have a large item or multiple items to polish.)
I usually rub this on with a sponge, let it set for awhile, and then rub it off. I sometimes lightly use the abrasive side of one of those yellow sponges with the green textured side, for stubborn spots.
This works wonderfully for bare copper; if you have pieces that have been lacquered, it doesn't work; you must remove the lacquer first.
Here is a recipe for removing lacquer from copper; after removing it, the Copper Cleaner above should work to remove any spots and polish it up:
http://fleamarket.about.com/od/diyrepairsrestyling/qt/removelacquerfromcopper.htm
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About twenty years ago, there was a facial mask recipe going around the Usenet fora, and the ladies raved about it - it was made of crushed aspirin. I tried this, and for me it is a really nice exfoliating mask that leaves my skin very soft and 'glowy', without drying it. (I don't have very sensitive skin; if you do, you will want to try it on a small patch to make sure you don't have any kind of reaction.)
You want to use aspirin without the enteric coating. I usually buy a big bottle of cheap store-brand, throw it in the blender until it's a fine powder, and keep it in a pretty jar in the bathroom.
All you do is wet your face with warm water after cleansing, put a couple of teaspoons of the aspirin powder in your palm, and add enough water to make a spreadable paste. Apply this paste gently over your face, and let it dry. When it is dry, rinse it off with warm water, rubbing very gently to remove the stubborn bits.
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I once had a beautiful woolen Irish Fisherman-type sweater. I made the mistake of washing it, and the sweater shrank down to child-size - I couldn't believe that big sweater shrank so much! Fortunately, I had a little godchild to give it to, and it fit her perfectly.
Later, I discovered that usually, you can UNshrink sweaters. The first recipe I found used Epsom salts to soak the item; but the suggested method today appears to use baby shampoo or a cheap, mild hair conditioner for some items; or borax and vinegar.
After soaking, you want to 'block' the sweater back to its original size and shape, which can be done with pins on a thick towel on top of layers of heavy cardboard (I usually use a sewing pattern-cutting-board to block things like knitted or crocheted items, and put waxed paper on top of the board to protect it from moisture).
Here's a good link with numerous methods for different fibers:
http://www.wikihow.com/Unshrink-Clothes
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Last year we found some beautiful heavy, half-sheet aluminum pans at the Costco store. I thoughtlessly put one in the dishwasher, and the aluminum oxidized horribly. (In my defense, I have previously put aluminum in the dishwasher with no ill effects: it seems that some brands of liquid detergent will not do this to your aluminum; but others, and especially powdered ones, will always do it.)
I found a solution on the Internet, and tried it: make a paste of Cream of Tartar and water, and rub it on the item and scrub. This works; but it requires a great deal of elbow grease, and the main benefit is that you'll remember all of that hard work and NEVER put aluminum in your dishwasher again.
If you have a small, very special item to restore, it may be worth the work. But for a sheet pan - just resolve to never make that mistake again, and buy a new one :-)
-JT
I use baking soda paste.
Explosives are more fun.
I’ve never had that problem. We do have one bathroom that we use as a storage space, and almost never use the toilet. The only problem we have is with sewer gas, if we let it go dry; so I go in and clean/flush every month or so, and it’s fine.
But I did a quick search, and this site has a lot of suggestions (I like the idea of filling it with Coca Cola ;-)
http://www.finishing.com/397/08.shtml
(As an aside: we bought a steam-cleaner a while ago, and have never used it yet. Are they good for scale; or for cleaning ovens? I need to dig that thing out and learn to use it.)
-JT
You and Johnny need to get together.
(I’m just wondering where you’ll live and poop, after you explode your bathrooms....)
-JT
Robot vacuum scared the heck out of my cats. And died quick with all the cat hair. (Five fuzz butts = too much hair!)
Found a robot thing more like a carpet sweeper. That held up to the cat hair deluge much better.
We have one of those. Problem is they don’t work so good if you let the grass get too high.
You can buy a pumice stone for removing those calcium rings. Had that problem in my upstairs bath where the toilet doesn’t get used very much. Worked like a charm.
Now, for the grout problem. I had a problem in our last house. The tile installer told me to clean the grout with CLR and then use a bleach to kill what’s growing. According to her a small amount of mold will grow, and then the hard water hits that area and leaves a deposit. The deposit kind of seals in the mold.
I have also had great success with my kitchen floor grout using a steam cleaner. Not one of the steam mops, but an actual steam cleaner that shoots out a kind of pressurized steam through a nozzle. I put a scrubber nozzle on and scrub with the steam.
Simple hand salve:
1 oz (by weight) grapeseed oil
1 oz (by weight) cocoa butter
Melt together on stove over low heat, stirring well.
Poor into small glass jar with lid for keeping.
Simple lip balm:
1 oz (by weight) grapeseed oil
2.5 oz (by weight) cocoa butter
Same directions as above.
You can allow chamomile flowers to steep in the oil for several weeks prior to making a batch for a nice healing salve. 1 Tbsp of chamomile per 3 oz of oil. Let steep for about 6 weeks out of direct sunlight. Pour oil through coffee filter to remove flowers prior to making salve.
You can allow Cayenne pepper to steep in the oil for several weeks prior to making a batch for a pain relieving/warming salve. 1 Tbsp cayenne per 3 oz of oil. Same directions as above. Do not get salve on your clothes because it will stain.
Add peppermint essential oil to your lip balm. Be careful if adding citrus essential oils, they can make your skin photosensitive.
**** “So you’re making fun of the stuff growing in my fridge? ;^)” *****
My stuff is blooming ... I’m scared to think what the fruit may be!
I was going to say hydrogen peroxide too, if no one else had. It turns to water sometimes so get a small spray bottle and put hydrogen peroxide in it, just enough for that day’s work. Refill it each time you clean. If you spray it on a cloth, use it immediately or it will lose that effectiveness.
Use it also on organic fresh stains on clothing also. Watch it bubble. Can be amazing.
Everything you put on your skin goes into your bloodstream. I have the greatest moisturizer that has only one ingredient and you can eat it. Coconut oil. Every bathroom should have a jar! It’s good for any number of things.
With mine I found there is an art to using it. When it gets going and cutting, I can do fairly well.
bflr
Abrade it away is the only way then. Thanks.
Question for readers:
I’m on a tight budget but saw a beautiful, fairly large ALL-CLAD braising pan for $24.00. It has a lid, a small handle for hanging and a long handle on the other side. It can go in the oven. I can stick with my old Teflon $12.00 pan or should I go for this admittedly beautiful pan? My opinion of All-Clad is very high.
I usually keep a couple cheap Teflon skillets. Teflon does not last forever so I replace those every few years.
Thank you for your opinion! I will buy it. Storage space is always a problem as well. I ripped off Julia Child’s idea and put up pegboard all around my kitchen (so cheap - $14 bucks for a huge piece that Home Depot cut to my specifications)and hung everything up that could go up. It made the kitchen look a lot more interesting than it would be otherwise and is totally handy!
Get an overhead rack..I did..also dealing with a small kitchen..after decades in a big house. Found one at Amazon for about $35..it’s great..
I had an overhead rack in my old home (we recently moved). It was ok. I prefer the pegboard. My ceilings, here, are very low, and my husband would be banging his head on the overhanging pans.
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