Some Helpful Hints From Your Kitchen

Need to remove grass stains from a garment?  Make a puree of cucumber and evaporated milk, 1/3 cup milk to 1/2 a chopped cucumber pureed and brush it on the grass stain and gently rub it in.  Let it set for a few minutes before washing.  Wash as usual; no harsh chemicals used and the stains are gone.

Use straight lemon juice to remove stains on clothing from ballpoint pens or colored markers.  Just rub in, allow to set for a few minutes and wash as usual.

A cup of vinegar mixed with 2 tsp. of baking soda also makes a great hair conditioner and if you don’t like the scent of vinegar mix it half and half with lemon or lime juice.  It helps to remove oil and soap residue and will leave your hair soft and manageable.

To keep your refrigerator smelling fresh and help prevent foods from picking up odors from each other tie 2 Tbsps. baking soda in a piece of cheese cloth and place in your refrigerator, one in each compartment.  Change about every two weeks.

To keep your garbage can from reeking sprinkle 1/2 cup baking soda in the bottom or bottom of the liner each time you take out the garbage.  Wash garbage can with a solution of vinegar and water.

Lemon, lime, grapefruit, any citrus fruit, even apple or various herbs and spices can be used as a wonderful room deodorizer; simply sprits the juice into the air or steep some of the peel in a little water on top of your range.

Got smelly sneakers; spray them with solution of half vinegar and half water with 2 Tbsp. of baking soda dissolved in it and let them air dry.  Both baking soda and vinegar are natural deodorizers.  You can remove any residue by simply polishing your sneakers with a slice of cucumber for a nice clean shine and no more foot odor.

Do your shoes need a bit of shine and polish but you don’t have the time and hate messing with that shoe polish?  Use a cucumber.  Seriously this works.  Rub a slice of cucumber over your shoes.  It gives a quick shine, even deodorizes and waterproofs your shoes to some degree; it repels water.  

Do you have a problem with mold and mildew, simple spray with straight vinegar and let dry.  Spray again and wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Keep your kitty’s litter box fresh by washing it in vinegar and water and then sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda in the bottom when you change the litter.  Your kitty will love you for it.

Vinegar and baking soda also work great for cleaning your toilet.  Mix half and half and let set for several minutes and brush clean.  Flush and in the flushing your clean your sewage line and it will not hurt your septic system.

You know those pesky ants that sneak into your house during the hot summer months; well, use vinegar and lemon or lime juice to keep them at bay.  Make a solution of 2 parts vinegar to 1 part lemon or lime juice and spray it around your window ledges, baseboards and entry way.  You can even spray it on your deck or porch and on and around your steps but you will have to repeat the procedure if it rains.  Ants don’t like vinegar or the heavy acidity of lemon or lime.  Bye-bye ants, they will go find someone else to pester; probably your next door neighbors so you might want to tell them about this too, just to keep peace in the neighborhood.

Most of these hints came from articles I have read and saved from Grit magazine, Hints from Heloise or taught to me by my grandmothers and mother over the years.  They all work.  I know.  I use them.