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HomeMy WebLinkAboutX2023-011-040DURHAM Ae0UC 1 y A P 9 3 0 0 0 Ic a :DURHAM.' SUBSTITUTES FOR HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS PRODUCTS CLEANERS All Purpose Cleaner Mix together: 1/2 cup ammonia 1/2 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup baking soda 1/2 gallon water Use 3 tablespoons washing soda in one quart of warm water. Baking Soda Use soda directly on all surfaces as a (general cleaner) no -scratch scouring powder. Combine 4 tablespoons (60ml) of soda with 1 litre of water for an all-purpose cleaner. Rinse surfaces. Make a paste of soda and water to scrub oven and stove -top drip -pans. This is not a "Heavy -Duty" oven cleanser. For crusted cookware, boil a half pot of water with 2 tablespoons (30ml) of soda and vinegar. Abrasive Cleaner A dash of salt, mixed with lemon juice and corn starch on a wet sponge or dish cloth. 50 ml pure soap flakes or powder 10 ml borax 375 ml boiling water 50 ml whiting (a chalk powder) Dissolve the borax and soap in the boiling water. Cool to room temperature add whiting, and pour into a sealed plastic or glass container. Shake well before using. If you want it to be more abrasive, add more whiting, 15 ml at a time until it is right for you. Use steel wool instead. Use washing soda and water. Wooden Floors Melt 2 tablespoons of paraffin wax in the top of a double boiler. Mix the melted wax with 4 cups of mineral oil, cool and store in a glass jar. Label clearly. Apply with a soft cloth or applicator, dry and polish. Mix 2 tablespoons ammonia, 1 pint mineral oil, 5 tablespoons turpentine, 1/2 cup vegetable oil. Mix and wash floor, then rinse with water. Varnish Floor Cleaner Multipurpose Floor Cleaner Mix 1 teaspoon of washing soda mixed with 4 litres of hot water. Polish with a solution of one part lemon juice to two parts olive or vegetable oil, if necessary. Clean with cold tea on cloth or mop. For asphalt, rubber, asbestos, and linoleum 1/2 cup chlorine bleach 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup washing soda 1 gallon warm water Mix and apply with mop. cork or wood floors. vinyl, vinyl - Do not use on Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 8 litres of water. Polish with club soda. Linoleum Polish 1 part thick boiled laundry starch 1 part soapsuds tilix, rub on floor and polish dry. Protects finish. Upholstery and --Sprinkle dry cornstarch on rug, leave Rug Cleaner 1/2 hour to absorb dirt and grease and vacuum. Upholstery Shampoo Use 6 tablespoons mild soap flakes or liquid, 1 pint boiling water, 2 teaspoons household ammonia or 2 tablespoons borax. Mix, whip with beater, apply foam _. only. Rug Cleaner 7. To deodorize only, sprinkle baking soda liberally over carpet, leave 15 minutes and vacuum. Sink Stains Baking soda paste made with baking soda and water. Mix 3 tablespoons cream of tartar with 1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide. Scrub and rinse. Glass and Tile Cleaner Mix equal parts vinegar and water. Spray surface and wipe with cloth or crumpled newspapers. Use 1/4 cup cornstarch and 4 cups water. Keep well mixed. Wipe clean with a cloth. Use lemon juice, and dry with a soft cloth. Wood, Floors, Cabinets Murphy's__Qk.l Soap. and Parrelling Oven Cleaners Place aluminum foil liners in oven to catch drips. Sprinkle salt on spills when they are warm and then scrub. Rub spills gently with steel wool. Furniture Polish Use a soft cloth and mayonnaise. Rub toothpaste on wood to remove water stains. Mix 1 part lemon juice pure with 2 parts vegetable oil. Apply with a soft cloth. Use olive oil to polish wood --that has been stained. but not varnished or painted. Spread a little on the wood, dry with a clean cloth. For unvarnished furniture, use a mixture of 1 tbsp lemon oil and 5 cups of mineral oil. For varnished or lacquered wood add 25 ml olive oil and 15 ml white vinegar, mixed in 1 litre of water. Floor Cleaners Damp mop regularly, use baking soda, vinegar and/or salt. Or mix 2 cups cornmeal with 1 cup borax and sprinkle on carpet. Leave 15 minutes or longer. Vacuum thoroughly. Clean stains immediately with cold water or soda water. Stains Mix 1/4 cup borax in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Spray on stain and wipe from the carpet or clothing with a damp sponge. Dab stain with a cloth dampened in a solution of 1 teaspoon white vinegar to 1 quart of cold water. If this fails try straight vinegar. For grease, rub with a damp cloth that has borax on it, or rub with soap and baking soda. For grass, rub with glycerine. Let stand one hour and wash. For mildew on shower curtains, wash in 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of washing soda, adding 1 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Let dry in the sun if possible. Use undiluted white vinegar or lemon juice. Ink stains can be removed with a combination of lemon juice and cream of tartar. One can also use hairspray or let the garnment sit in milk for an hour or two. Club soda removes red wine stains. Silver Polish Place a piece of aluminum foil in sink. Add 1/4 cup of baking soda, and enough hot water to cover the silver pieces. Let soak 5-10 minutes, wash with warm water and soap, rinse and dry. _. Toothpaste or a paste of baking soda and water. Brass Polish Mix equal parts of salt and flour with a bit of vinegar and rub. Polish with Worcestershire sauce. Chrome and Stainless Use a dry cloth and rub flour over the Steel Cleaner surface. Dishwashing Liquid Use soap flakes with vinegar. Use a natural liquid soap, available in bulk and Natural Food Stores. Use a phosphate -free product, such as VIP, available at your supermarket. Dishwasher Detergent Use 1 part Borax 1 part washing soda Laundry Detergent Washing soda, soap flakes or baking soda. Liquid Fabric Softener Add 1/4 cup white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Bleach Washing soda, salt, vinegar, or borax. For laundry, 1/2 cup sodium hexametaphosphate per 5 gallons of water. Drain Openers Maintenance: Flush drains with boiling water twice weekly. To clear: Put a handful of baking soda, and 1/2 cup of white vinegar down drain; cover tightly for 1 minute. Flush. Put 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, follow with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit several hours or overnight, then flush. Pour 1/2 cup washing soda plus hot water down drain. Use a plunger or mechanical snake. Pour 1 cup warm vinegar into drain, cover. Room Deodorizers Vinegar or vanilla in a dish in a room for 1 hour. Simmer 1 teaspoon of one of the following in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes; pine oil, clove, cinnamon or vanilla. Place a few drops of wintergreen oil on cotton ball and place out of sight in each room. ( It lasts for months) Herbs can be used individually or in a potpourri to keep rooms fresh smelling. Create a baking soda paste on your hands. Rub on plastic containers that have a strong odour such as fish or onion. It also works well to clean out coffee makers. Moth balls Cedar chips or dried lavender PAINT ALTERNATIVES Milk Paint: This old paint mixture is popular with antique lovers. It soaks into the wood grain, and is impossible to remove. Clean- up immediately with soap and water because the lime in the mixture hardens as it dries. 6 ounces hydrated lime 1/2 gallon milk 4 ounces linseed oil 3 pounds powdered calcium carbonate. Put lime in a bucket and add enough mix to make the thickness of cream. Stir in linseed oil, a little at a time. Then add the rest of the milk. Sprinkle calcium carbonate over the top and. let it sink in before stirring. Add powdered pigment if desired. Whitewash: For wood, glass, or metal surfaces. 15 pounds of salt or 5 pounds dry calcium chloride 50 pounds hydrated lime Dissolve salt or calcium chloride in 5 gallons of water. In a separate container soak 50 pounds of hydrated lime in 6 gallons of water. Combine the two mixtures, stir and thin with water to the consistency of whole milk. Yields 10 gallons. Proportions can be reduced. Whitewash: For masonry 25 pounds white portland cement 25 pounds hydrated lime Mix in 8 gallons of water, adding extra water until the consistency of heavy cream is reached. Only mix enough for a few hours work. Yields 10 gallons. Whitewash: For interiors Dissolve 5 pounds hydrated lime into 1 gallon water. Let sit overnight. Add powdered pigment to the desired shade. Remember that the mixture will be further diluted and dry to a lighter shade. Dissolve 1 1/2 pounds salt into 2 quarts warm water and add to the lime mixture. Stir thoroughly and frequently during use. INSECTICIDES Spider mites, aphids and mealybugs can be removed from punts, bushes and trees by hosing them off with a strong burst of water. Pick small groups of insects such as lilac leaf miners, leaf rollers, Colorado potato beetles and spruce budworms off your plants by hand. This is done best early in the morning. When planting, intersperse pest resistant plants such as yarrow, thyme and marigolds. To keep cutworms away, remove both ends from cans and sink them around the bedding plants, or use aluminum foil around the base of the plants. Tar paper around the base of cabbage plants help prevent cabbage flies from laying their eggs. Rotating species of vegetables and flowers from year to year helps prevent soil diseases and insects from setting in. To get rid of slugs place flat boards near plants, and later lift the boards and destroy the slugs that gather there to avoid sunlight. Flea Repellents Place eucalyptus seeds and leaves around the area where the animal sleeps. Feed pet fresh garlic, vitamin B, or heated brewer's yeast. Vacuum your home well, seal the bag and throw it out. Ant Control Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of borax with 2 tablespoons of water to make a syrup. Soak a cloth in the mixture and place it out in a flat dish near the infestation. Earwigs Use epsom salts. Fill a 500 gram plastic container half full of water. Mix 1 tablespoon of molasses and 1 tablespoon of brewers yeast. Add to water. Float 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on surface of water. Sink container into ground at ground level. Empty container each morning. Leave old rags on the ground overnight (they will burrow underneath). Shake out into a pail of soapy water in the morning. Spidermites Spray house plants with isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and rinse after insect has died. Roaches Put borax in cracks and dark places. Put some grease or vaseline on the inside of a jar that contains a banana. Set up a stick as a ramp. Garden Insects Place suet in trees to attract insect eating birds. Snails Place a shallow pan with beer in the infested areas. Overturn clay pots. The snails will take shelter in them during the sunny days and they can then be collected and removed. Coat the inside of grapefruit or orange skins with molasses or honey and leave them, cut -side down, in the garden overnight. The next morning, salt the slugs underneath or spray them with a half vinegar -half water mixture. Cutworms Put two toothpicks, or anything else that acts as a barrier, right up against the sides of the seedling stem. Anthills Use boiling water (This kills grass too) . Rats and Mice Put a screen over drains. Fruit flies A simple trap will attract fruit flies and keep them under control. The materials required include; a jar, a plastic bag, beer and a rubber band. To make the trap, pour a half -cup or so of beer into the jar. Place the plastic bag over the mouth of the jar with one corner reaching down into the jar. Poke a small (no more than 1/4 inch diameter) hole in the corner of the bag with a pencil. Secure the bag around the rim with the rubber band. Fruit flies will be attracted by the fermenting beer, find their way through the tiny hole in the bottom of the funnel, and not be able to find their way out. rubber band corner of plastic bag small hole 1/2 cup of beer Some Recipes: Soaps and Water: Add 1/4 cup grated bar soap to 1 gallon boiling water or 2-4 tablespoons liquid soap to 1 gallon water or 1/4 cup powdered soap to 1 gallon warm water. Dissolve soap in 2 cups water. Add remaining water, cool and use. Test first, as household soap may damage some plant foliage. This is effective against soft -bodied pests (aphids) which are destroyed by the soap's fatty acids. Plant Juice Spray: Use any smooth -leaf plant free from pests. You can also use leaves of repellent plants such as marigolds or nasturtium. 1 part chopped leaves 1 part water Mix leaves and water and blend for 30 seconds. Strain liquid through several thicknesses of cheesecloth and pour into sprayer. For follow-up applications make a fresh solution. Can be stretched up to five times by diluting with water. Insect Juice Spray (Bug Juice): 1/2 cup insect carcasses of the pest 2 cups water Blend insects and water. Strain through several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Dilute with 4-8 parts water. Spray plants, including undersides. Remainder can be frozen for weekly applications and after rain. Note: Do not use houseflies, mosquitoes, fleas or ticks. They harbour human disease agents which could be spread by spraying.