Easy Toilet Cleaning Tips

Baking soda works great for cleaning toilet bowls.  Simply pour in ½ cup of baking soda into the toilet, Brush with a toilet brush and flush.   Bleach will not only help get rid of tougher toilet bowl stains,  but will help deodorize and sanitize the bowl as well. (Do NOT use bleach however if you have a toilet cleaner attached  to your bowl that cleans each time you flush .) Because the combination can cause toxic fumes.  Also do not use this if your bowl has rust because chlorine bleach can Actually set rust stains.)  For other users however, bleach works extremely well.  Simply add about ¼ cup of bleach to your Bowl, let sit for about 10 minutes, then use your toilet brush to clean.   Stains and marks come off easily. Then flush.   Coca Cola also makes a great toilet  cleaner. Just pour a can of Coca Cola into the fbowl, Let it sit for about an hour, then brush it and flush it.   Denture Tablets 2  work well for cleaning toilet bowls as well.  Drop in 2 tablets, (be sure to close the lid) and let the tablets Sit in the bowl overnight.  The next morning a quick brushing and flushing will finish the job.    Gatorade is another strange but true remedy for toilet cleaning.  Pour 2 cups of Gatorade into the toilet and let sit For about an hour. Then brush with a toilet brush and flush it clean.  It is the citric acid in Gatorade that does the trick.   A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is great for removing mineral rings from  toilet bowls.  Simply dampen a medium sized piece of the eraser  and rub on stain till it easily disappears. Strangely enough, the citric acid in Tang make a great toilet bowl cleaner.   Dissolving 3 tablespoons of Tang Powder . In the toilet and leaving it sit overnight will clean rust and stains.  The next morning simply brush and flush.   White Vinegar White Vinegar works great for tougher stains in a toilet bowl.  Pour about a cup of white vinegar into the bowl and let sit For at least an hour. Then use your toilet bowl brush to clean the bowl as usual. When done, flush it away. An added benefit Of using white vinegar is that it also works to clean out drains on the way down.   Another easy to use toilet cleaner is 20 Mule Borax.  Simply pour one cup into bowl, close lid and leave to sit overnight, The next morning brush and flush.  Removing Lipstick Stains ! Hair Spray. Oddly enough, the acetone in hair spray removes oily dye that is found  in lipsticks. Simply spray lipstick stain with hairspray, let sit for a few minutes,  then blot with a Paper towel until the stain is gone.   Baby Oil and Dishwasher Liquid. For washable fabrics, rub a few drops of baby oil onto the lipstick stain  and let sit for about 20 minutes. Then rub in some dishwasher liquid to break up the baby oil. When finished,  launder as usual.   Play-Doh. Modeling clay such as play-doh is great for getting extremely fresh lipstick  stains out. Simply rub the stain with a small ball of play-doh before the oily dye has a   chance to set into the fabric.   Silly Putty. Silly Putty works very similar to the play-doh option above. Flatten a piece of   silly putty, then put over the stain and press down again. Fariy fresh lipstick stains will come right up  with the Silly Putty.   Hand Sanitizer. This is perfect for those of you on the go. IF you have hand sanitizer such as   Purrell in your purse,  simply saturate the stain with sanitizer then blot with cold water  and launder as usual when you get home.   Toothpaste Toothpaste works great for removing many stains and it also works well  for lipstick stains. Simply rub a  dollop of the toothpaste  (be sure it is past and not gel) onto the lipstick  stain and launder as usual.   White Bread. This is another great household remedy for fresh lipstick stains.  If you get lipstick on your clothes  while dressing –  pressing white bread on top of the stain will pick it up.   Petroleum Jelly. Using a petroleum jelly such as Vaseline can also help to remove lipstick stains. Simply rub stain with some jelly, then wash as usual . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Simple and Easy Tips    Easy Band-Aid RemovalYou can make bandage or band-aid removal painless  by simply saturating the band aid and surrounding area with baby oil. The baby oil dissolves the adhesive making band aid removal pain free.   Repair a Hole or leak in an Air MatteressIf you happen to have a tire patch kit in the garage, this works very well for holes in air mattresses.   Get Rid of Cigarette Smoke SmellCharcoal is another easy way to  deodorize a room of cigarette smell. Again, simply fill a few bowls with charcoal,  place them around the room and leave them out overnight.     Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your water with your usual dish soap. It will soften your hands while cutting through that nasty grease.   Spray your shovel with PAM before shoveling snow, the snow won't stick to  the shovel.  For a quick and simple way to remove odors from your dishwasher,  just add 2 tablespoonsof white vinegar to your next wash. Your dishwasher will smell fresh and clean.   Vinegar removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn't leave a film.  Use 1/4 cup (or more)vinegar to 1 gallon water. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Slow KetchupTo speed the flow of ketchup, insert a plastic drinking straw  into the bottle, then remove it.   Removing Rubber GlovesTo remove stubborn rubber gloves, hold hands under cold water for a few seconds and the gloves will slide right off.    Sticky ZipperUnstick a ziiper by rubbing a pencil along it.  The graphite lubercates the teeth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clean Microfiber  FurnitureThe best way to clean a microfiber sofa is with rubbing alcohol.  Place alcohol in a spray bottle and gently mist the dirty areas,  wipe gently with a white sponge or cloth, allow to dry  and then brush or vacuum. couch looks new again!!   Freshening Carpets Over NightSprinkle baking soda on my carpet  before bed and then vacuum in the morning. All the odors are gone and it will even soak up some of the oily  grime that gets in the fibers. Storing Chiristmas Decorations 1. Storing Christmas Linens Store Christmas linens in a suitcase to keep away the risk of moisture damage. Or keep your Christmas towels, rugs, blankets, etc. on an unused shelf in your linen or personal closet. You can put one or two lavender scented dryer sheets between the linens to keep away moths and keep them smelling wonderful. 2. Storing Christmas Wreaths Whatever container you use to store your wreaths must be able to preserve it's shape throughout the year. 3. Storing Christmas Trees Although the box your artificial tree came in may seem like the perfect one to repack it in for storing, this isn't the wisest idea for preservation. The cardboard boxes begin to deteriorate making them more prone to insect infestation. Try a commercially available Christmas tree bag or Christmas tree box. 4.Storing Christmas Ornaments Special ornaments most often benefit from being stored in the boxes that they came in. You can store smaller ornaments in an egg carton. 5. Storing Christmas Candles Wrap the candles in old socks or knee-high stockings to prevent scratching. Make sure to store the candles away from the heat of the attic or other areas which can melt the candles. 6. Storing Christmas Decorations for Reassembling Before you take down Christmas Decorations for storing, take pictures to remember the way you set up your decorations. Then take everything down in reverse order of the way it was put up. 7. Storing Decorations and Planners Don't pack away your holiday planning notebook. You will need this notebook during the year to keep track of recipes, address changes, gift ideas and gifts purchased. 8. Storing Christmas Lights Do away with the tangled mess of years past by organizing your Christmas Lights before you pack them. Make sure to dispose of any lights that have been damaged or are not working properly. You will save yourself storage space. You can use toilet paper cardboard rolls to keep lights from getting tangled. 9. Labeling Christmas Storage Save yourself time next year by thoroughly labeling your Christmas decorations. Make a detailed inventory on the outside of each box. Number the boxes so that you'll know how many you have (i.e. Box 1 of 12). Labeling the boxes this way, also lets you order them according to how they should be unpacked. Consider wrapping your Christmas decoration boxes in wrapping paper for easy identification. 10. Unpacking the First Christmas Box Be sure to prominently label the first box to be opened at Christmas. Box 1 could contain your advent calendar, tree stand, Christmas cards, or whatever you need at the beginning of the Christmas season. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crayon on Walls or Washable Wallpaper: Spray with WD-40®, then gently wipe, using a paper towel or clean cloth. If the mark is stubborn, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp sponge and gently rub in a circular motion. If the WD-40® leaves a residue, gently wipe off with a sponge soaked in soapy water; rinse clean; blot dry.   Dishwashers: To clean mineral deposits from the inside of your dishwasher, pour in a container of Tang® Drink Mix and run the dishwasher (don't put dishes in the dishwasher for this load).   George Foreman Grills: After removing the cooked food from the grill, place a paper towel soaked in water on each of the 2 cooking surfaces. Unplug the appliance, allow it to sit for 5-30 minutes (while you eat), then use the paper towels to effortlessly wipe out the grease and food particles.   Kitty Litter: To keep cat litter fresh smelling, mix baby powder in with the litter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Freshing the air in your house . Put a dryer sheet in the vacuum bag. Stick a room freshened in your kitchen trash container. Also, throw orange peels in the trash disposal for a fresh smell.   Have a Large Gift To Wrap?If you have a large gift to wrap, rather than struggle with regular gift wrapping paper, use a paper tablecloth to wrap your large gift. You usually can find one with a holiday, birthday, and other special occasion patterns or solid colors .. and often at the dollar store!   Candle Holders: To prevent the wax from melting and sticking to the inside of a votive candle holder, pour a bit of water in the holder, then place the candle on top. If you're reading this tip too late, and there's already wax stuck inside your candle holder, pop it in the freezer for an hour. The wax will chip right off.   Chimney: To keep your chimney clean, throw a handful of salt on the fire.   Kitty Litter: To keep cat litter fresh smelling, mix baby powder in with the litter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unclogging The Hairspray NozzleYou've probably tried running hot water over your clogged hair spray nozzle, but many times it just doesn't do the trick. Get that bottle of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol out and dip the nozzle into a little bit of it and let sit for a few minutes. Wipe off and you're ready to spray.   Germ Fighter SprayWe've all been told to wash our hands more frequently. Here is an antiseptic, germ fighting spray to use on cuts and scrapes. May also be used as a room spray. 12 drops Tea Tree 6 drops Eucalyptus Unrectified 6 drops Lemon 2 oz. distilled water Combine ingredients and add to spray bottle. Shake gently before use.   TIPS FOR TAPE Prepare to pucker up. For a smoother finish press the sticky side of a piece of tape to your lips to remove dry skin (that is not cracked) before applying lipstick. Identify plants. Use clear tape to cover seed markers in the garden. You'll be able to read the names all season long rain or shine. Try a new color. Find out what Hot Tamale nail polish will look like on you. Place a small piece of tape on your fingernail then brush on a test coat. Arrange flowers. Clear tape when applied across the mouth of a vase in a grid formation makes an invisible guide for arranging flowers. Seal the frayed end of a shoelace. Create your own plastic end with a wrapped piece of tape. Get hung up. Before hanging a picture on a plaster wall put a small piece of tape where the nail will go. This will prevent the plaster from chipping when you hammer in the nail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Rake Utensil Wall HangerI just had to share this. You can Pain the rake any color as long as you use paint for metal.   Hang Eucalyptus your shower Steam will release beneficial oils Benefits of Eucalyptus: Antiseptic Anti-stress Mental Clarity Mood Inhancer Anti Inflammatory Respiratory Health    Lazy Susan in your fridgePut a Lazy Susan in your fridge to easily access your condiments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Coffee or Tea Stays On The RugPour a bit of beer right on top. Rub the beer lightly into the material, and the stain should disappear. You may have to repeat the process a couple of times.   Identifying Your LuggageWhen traveling, tie a small piece of bright-colored fabric to your luggage. It makes it a lot easier to spot on the baggage carousel.   Antibacterial and Cleaning AgentsLemon and vinegar are THE best antibacterial and cleaning agents. Cut up some lemon and put the slices in the dish soap. You can also use the lemon to rub down your wooden cutting boards to make sure all the nasty stuff is out. It smells great!   Car Oil Stains?Pour kitty litter and / or sand over them. It will help soak up the spill.   Fleas in your Carpet>To get rid of fleas in your carpet. Vacuum several times a day. You can use baking soda but best is salt. Finely grained salt. This will dry out the flea larvae and vacuum vacuum vacuum!!   Ant Problems?Pour used coffee grounds on them. They will get a caffeine shock and die.   Using a Post-It To Clean KeyboardsThe sticky edge of a post-it is perfect for cleaning between the keys on your keyboard to collect crumbs, pet hair  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homemade Scented Bath Bombs 1 1/2 cups baking soda 1/2 cup citric acid 8 drops essential oil - your choice of scent 3 tsp. sweet almond oil 2 drops food coloring - your choice of color -Combine all ingredients. -Press into oiled muffin tin or mold of your choice. -Release from mold. -Wrap in colored plastic wrap and tie with a ribbon. Notes: Fizzes when dropped in water. When selecting an oil for scent, read  warnings about use. Some oils are not intended to have direct contact with skin.  To ensure your mold comes out okay you should rub the almond oil into your mold first before packing in the bath bomb. You should also leave them in the mold for 24 hours so they  maintain their shape. They work really well and make for a lovely bath. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homemade Scented Bath Salts 1 cup coarse sea salt 10 drops essential oil - your choice of scent 1 tsp. avocado oil -Mix all ingredients well. Notes: This makes a wonderful gift when poured in a decorative glass bottle. When selecting an oil for scent, read warnings about use.  Some oils are not intended to have direct contact with skin. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Laundry and Drain Cleaner   Homemade OxiClean RecipeMix one cup hot water, 1/2 cup baking soda,  and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide. Just soak the clothing in it for 20 minutes to overnight and then  wash as usual.   Laundry Spray fabric softener on a washcloth and add to the dryer  in place of a dryer sheet. This cloth can be used over and over.   Super Drain Cleaner1 cup baking soda 1 cup table salt 1/4 cup cream of tartar 1 cup boiling water Cold Water. Mix baking soda, table salt, and cream of tartar. Stir each time before using. Keep in a clean, covered jar. When ready to use, pour 1/4 cup of mixture into drain.  Immediately add the 1 cup boiling water. Wait ten seconds, then flush with cold water for at least 20 seconds.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Simple Tips   Bathroom Odors: Place an opened box of baking soda OR an open container of activated  charcoal behind the toilet to absorb bathroom odors.    Blood Stains: Soak the stain in hydrogen peroxide, wash (don't dry),  and repeat if necessary. This tip works especially well for caret and clothes.    Carpet Stains: Baby wipes are miracle-workers on carpet stains, from motor oil to blood,  they remove almost anything!    Candle Holders: To prevent the wax from melting and sticking to the inside of a votive  candle holder, pour a bit of water in the holder, then place the candle on top. If you're reading this tip too late, and  there's already wax stuck inside your candle holder, pop it in the freezer for an hour. The wax will chip right off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tips for Today    Itchy Mosquito Bites To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.    Splinter in your Finger When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.    Stainless Steel To remove water spots on stainless steel, rub area with a clean, soft cloth dampened with white vinegar. Then wipe dry to avoid spots. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Burned Tongue Soothe a burned tongue. With Domino sugar. Just a few grains relieves the pain.    Using Coffee As hair Dye Dye your hair. With Folgers instant coffee. Add a packet with your regular conditioner mix well. Apply and let set 1 minute, then rinse clean for brown hair.    Grass Stains on Clothing Remove grass stains from clothing. With Karo corn syrup. Rub onto stain wash as normal.    OUCH Paper Cuts! Heal paper cuts. With ChapStick. Rub on paper cuts to stop the pain immediately heal the cut. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Simple Tips  Dark Furniture Scratches To cover scratches on dark wood furniture,  make a thick paste of instant coffee and a little water. Rub it into the nicks and scratches.    Eliminating Pet Hair To pick up cat hair, put on a wet rubber dishwashing glove  and wipe your hand over surfaces. The hair will stick right to it.    Staying Focused While CleaaningSet a timer for 30 minutes. It helps to  stay focused, and I get more done in a short amount of time.   Storing Cleaning  SuppliesKeep cleaning products in a shoe holder  over the back of your laundry room door. They're easy to see and access, and it saves space.   Zapping Red-Wine Stains A dab of foaming shaving cream can help  remove many red-wine spills from carpets. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Re-Use Old Dryer Sheets Old dryer sheets can be reused to remove soap residue and mineral deposits  from shower and other bathroom surfaces. Simply dampen your old dryer sheet and use it to scrub away the grime!    Shower Surface  ShineFor a fresh and natural way to make your shower  surfaces shine, use grapefruit. Grab a fresh grapefruit and cut it in half. Next, sprinkle the fruit with salt, wet your shower and bathroom surfaces,  and cover them in salt as well. Finally, use your new handheld grapefruit scrubber to wipe away the grime and dirt.    Steamy Mirror You can prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging up  after a steamy morning shower by applying a small amount of car wax to the mirror and buffing it with a soft cloth. As an alternative, you can use shaving cream or non-gel toothpaste in a similar fashion to create a protective fog-fighting barrier.    Save Drying Time Put a dry towel in the dryer with each load of wet clothes.  The towel will absorb dampness and reduce drying time, thus saving energy and money.