I may chat about my books, what I'm writing or reading, or just general thoughts. You may read posts about my cats or just my crazy life in general. Comments are welcome, if anyone wants to interact with me. Maybe we can share war stories, whether it's writing related or just about life in general.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Ketchup for cleaning



Yes, ketchup is a great cleaner for tarnished stainless or silver, copper pot bottoms, or brass.  Squirt on and use a damp cloth or plastic scrub sponge to move around in a circular motion and then wash with warm water.

We all know vinegar and lemons can be used around the house, but here a few items in your kitchen that can double as cleaners, as well as food.




Coffee grounds are 1.45% nitrogen and contain traces of calcium, potassium and magnesium.  They are great to sprinkle in the garden, or to steep in water like tea and use as a fertilizer on plants.  Coffee grounds may save your plants from slugs and other pests if you create a barrier around the prone plants.  Coffee grounds are also good for scrubbing pots because they’re abrasive and acidic.


No bottlebrush?  No problem, use white rice instead to get into bottles and containers that are hard to reach, such as thin necked vases and bottles like a salad cruet.  You’ll need warm water and uncooked rice.  Fill the container about half full of water and add about two tablespoons of uncooked rice.  Shake vigorously, stopping the end up with your fingers.  Dump out, rinse, and repeat if necessary.




Use tea to mop the floor.  If you have old hardwood floors that need sprucing up, try mopping them with black tea.  Boil water and let five-six teabags steep for ten minutes.  Pour this solution into your mop bucket, along with warm water, and mop the floors as you normally would.  Don’t use on wood laminate.  Use green tea to deodorize your fridge by placing some leaves in a bowl to absorb onion and garlic odors.


Olive oil can be used to make your own furniture polish.  Simply use a clean spray bottle and add one cup of olive oil and half a cup of lemon juice.  Shake well before each use.  This is a natural chemical-free cleaner, less expensive brands of olive oil will work, and it leaves no scent for people with allergies.  You can make a smaller batch by keeping the same ratio of ingredients.  Spray on furniture, rub it in with a clean cloth, and wipe it dry with another clean cloth.  You can also make furniture polish with white vinegar and lemon juice in equal parts.

If you’d like more tips, you can sign up for the FrugalLiving Newsletter.

12 comments:

  1. You have listed some I have not heard of yet. Thanks for sharing.
    http://enchantedfantasies.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thea,

    With the look toward natural cleaning products, I thought this post might help someone. Most of this stuff all of us have around the house.

    Thanks for leaving a comment.

    Sunni

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  3. Great tips! Think of all the money we'll save on cleaners.

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    Replies
    1. Steph,

      I know. The cost of cleaning products adds up.

      Thanks for leaving a comment.
      Sunni

      Delete
  4. Now this is interesting how to use some of these food items for cleaning products. I have heard about the rice one before, but not the ketchup one. Now if only I can remember it the next time I need to clean something like that.

    thanks for visiting :)

    betty

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    Replies
    1. Betty,

      Thank you for visiting me. It's surprising how many things we have around the house that can also do cleaning chores.

      Sunni

      Delete
  5. These ideas are brilliant! I had heard vaguely of the ketchup one before, but I really like the rice idea. I'm so trying that one! Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie

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    Replies
    1. Elle,

      Glad you liked the cleaning tips.

      Sunni

      Delete
  6. Interesting, it's kind of scary to think about eating ketchup after reading all it can do. And coffee, I wouldn't want to waste it on anything other than my daily latte.

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    Replies
    1. Rhonds,

      It does make you wonder about consuming some foods, doesn't it? Good thing I didn't post about using Coca Cola to scrub toilets. That would make you wonder what it does to your insides.

      Thanks for reading.

      Sunni

      Delete
  7. These are great ideas. I am going to try the tea on the wood floors- I am always afraid to harm my cats, but this will be safe.

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    Replies
    1. Pilch,

      I always have the health of my cats in mind any time I do anything around here. Tea will be safe.

      Thanks for reading.

      Sunni

      Delete

Thank you for stopping by to read and
comment on my posts. I appreciate it.
Sunni