articlesforchristians

Natural Cleaning Tips: Vinegar, Lemons & Salt

The Virtues of Vinegar, Lemons & Salt

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has long been a proponent of the cleaning power of vinegar, lemons, and salt (and other equally down-to-earth ingredients). Following is a compilation of years of Almanac cleaning advice for the Kitchen.

Appliances

• Dishwasher
  • To help keep the drain line clean and sweet smelling, add ½ cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
  • Fresh lemon juice will remove soap film from the interior.
• Garbage Disposal
  • If the rubber shield smells after much use, soak it in a pan of white vinegar.
  • Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and fresh smelling.
• Humidifier
  • To clean the filter, remove it and soak it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off. Then wash in dishwashing detergent and water.
• Stove
  • Filmy dirt and grease on the stovetop will come clean with white vinegar.
  • To prevent grease buildup, dampen a rag with a solution of white vinegar and water and wipe out the interior of the oven.
  • Oven spills will stop smoking if you sprinkle them with salt. Wipe with a
    damp cloth after the oven cools.
  • If something in the oven catches on fire, salt or baking soda will help smother the flames.
  • A mixture of salt and cinnamon makes a good oven freshener. Sprinkle spills while the oven is still warm to take away the burned smell.
• Refrigerator
  • Half a lemon place on a shelf will absorb odors
  • Salt and baking soda in water will clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator.

Metals

• Chrome
  • Clean of soup and stains with a mixture of 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. To shine chrome and remove spots, rub with a piece of lemon rind, then wash and dry with a soft cloth.
• Chrome and Stainless Steel
  • Shine with a cloth sprinkled generously with flour. Rub well, then dust off gently with another cloth.
• Stainless Steel
  • Remove white hard water stains by rubbing with white vinegar
• Brass, Copper, and Bronzer
  • Make a thick paste of salt, white vinegar, and flour. Rub it on the metal, then wash, rinse, and wipe dry.
• Copper and Brass
  • Rub with lemon juice or for heavy corrosion, a paste of lemon juice and salt. Wash, rinse, and wipe dry.
• Copper
  • Dip sorrel leaves in hot water and rub the metal to a rich
• Silver
  • To ease polishing, rub with salt before washing and polishing.
• Silverware
  • To remove stains, place silverware in a pan and cover with sour milk. Let stand overnight. In the morning, rinse with cold water then hot water.
• Aluminum Utensils
  • When discolored, boil in lemon juice or sliced lemon and water to renew the shine. Or clean with a cloth dipped in lemon juice, then rinse with warm water
• Aluminum Pans
  • Remove dark stains by filling the pan with water, adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each quart of water, and boiling for ten minutes.
• Sooty Pans: Before using a pan for
• outdoor cooking, coat the bottom with soap.
• The soot that accumulates during cooking will wash off easily with
• the soap.
• Greasy Pans: Sprinkle with salt, then wipe with a paper towel
• Pins with Burned-On Food: Fill with cold water, add 2 to 3 table
• spoons salt, and let stand overnight. In the morning, bring the water
• slowly to a boil, and your pan will be dean

DISHES & GLASSWARE

• To remove chalky deposits, put dishes and glassware in the dish washer. Place a cup filled with white vinegar on the bottom rack. Run the dishwasher for five minutes, stop the machine, and empty the cup (now full of water). Refill with vinegar. Complete the cycle. Follow with another complete cycle
  using dishwasher detergent.
• To remove cloudy mineral deposits from drinking glasses, put a tablespoon of lemon juice in each glass and fill with hot water Let stand for several hours, then wash.
• To remove mineral deposits from baby bottles, add lemon juice to the water when boiling the bottles.
• Let discolored or stained bottles, jars, and vases stand for some time in a solution of salt and white vinegar. Shake well and rinse.
• Rub glass decanters with a cut lemon or soak in lemon juice and water. Dry with a lint-free cloth. To renew the sparkle and brightness inside, add a little water and a small piece of freshly cut lemon and shake well.
• Use lemon juice and salt to return the luster to china.
• To remove tea stains, scrub teacups and teapots vigorously with salt, then wash and dry.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Countertops:
  • Laminated counters and tabletops
    • Can be cleaned by rubbing with a soft cloth soaked in white vinegar. This also makes them shine.
    • To remove stains without scratching, make a paste of baking soda and water. Apply it to the stain, let sit for a minute or two, and rub to remove.
• Drip Coffeemakers
  • To clean, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run through a brewing cycle.
• Pastry Boards and Rolling Pins
  • Bleach by occasionally rubbing with a cut lemon.
• Closed Containers
  • Use salt to deodorize Thermoses and other closed containers.
• Sponges:
  • Soak in cold salt water to refresh.

WORKING WITH THE WEATHER

• Heavy-Duty Cleaning
  • Save chores such as scouring the oven for a day with a brisk breeze, since many cleaning products give off potentially harmful fumes. Whether you’re using a commercial cleaner or ammonia or simply turning on your oven for its self-cleaning operation, for good ventilation open the windows on a dry day when the air is moving. Open both a kitchen window and one on the opposite side of the house to get a cross draft.
  • Chlorine bleach and other solutions for cleaning bathroom tiles also should be used only with cross ventilation.
  • As a general rule, unless it’s plain soap, if you can smell it and it is used for cleaning, get it out of the air as quickly as possible. A heavy, humid day, even with the help of a window fan, is not the right time. -Barbara Radcliffe Rogers