Alternative use for Products
The best tips for alternative uses for all kinds of everyday products.
42. When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness? Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Each day has a different color twist tie. They are: Monday = Blue, Tuesday = Gr een, Thursday = Red Friday = White and Saturday = Yellow. So if today was Thursday, you would want red twist tie; not white which is Fridays (almost a week old)! The colors go alphabetically by color Blue- Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday. Very easy to remember. I thought this was interesting. I looked in the grocery store and the bread w rappers DO have different twist ties, and even the ones with the plastic clips have different colors. You learn something new everyday! Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you are shopping.
10 New Uses for Vodka
Vodka Use #1: Poison Ivy Killer
I could have really used this one a few weeks ago.
You can use vodka to stop the spread of poison ivy on your skin. I read on Daily Green that straight alcohol might work better, but if you’re out in the woods and all you have is vodka then have at it.
Vodka Use #2: Kill Foot Odor
If you’ve got a stinky feet problem then pour vodka on them. Vodka kills germs almost as effectively as straight alcohol.
Vodka Use #3: Keep Flowers Fresh
Bacterial growth is the enemy of fresh flowers. Reader’s Digest says that to keep your cut flowers fresh longer, put a few drops of vodka in the water.
Vodka Use #4: Weed Killer
Avoid harsh pesticides in your yard by using vodka. Simply mix 1 oz. vodka, a few drops of liquid dish soap, and 2 cups water in a spray bottle. On a sunny day (in the middle of the day), drench your weeds with the mixture. RD says that the alcohol breaks down the waxy coating on the leaves, making the plants susceptible to dehydration.
Vodka Use #5: Disinfect Your Toothbrush
I’m starting to see a pattern here…
Vodka kills germs. So, soaking your toothbrush head in a small cup of vodka is a great way to kill the bacteria that starts to grow in there.
Vodka Use #6: Get Shiny Hair
Put a shot of vodka in a 12 oz. bottle of shampoo for glistening locks.
Vodka Use #7: Kill Mold In Your Bathroom
I was really excited to learn about this one because the mold in my bathroom tiles has proved resistant to everything from vinegar to bleach. Well, vodka’s next.
Simply pour some vodka in a spray bottle and spray on the caulking. Let it sit for 5-15 minutes, and then wipe off.
Vodka Use #8: Remove Sticky Glue On Glass
Have a price tag or sticker that won’t come off a glass frame or object? Rub vodka on it and it should come right off.
Vodka Use #9: Keep Aphids Off Houseplants
If you have an aphid problem, my sympathies are with you. You can battle the little buggers by cleaning off the leaves of your plants with water, and then dabbing the leaves with a cotton ball soaked with vodka.
Apartment Therapy recommends you don’t do this with delicate plants like African Violets.
Vodka Use #10: Kill Cold Sores
Cold sores are the worst. You can help dry it out by using a Q-tip soaked with Vodka daily.
Bonus Vodka Use #11: Help a Fever
If you’re suffering with a fever then soak a washcloth in vodka and rub it on your chest and back as a liniment.
Safe Alternatives in the Kitchen and Bathroom
One shelf of simple and relatively safe ingredients can be used to perform most home cleaning chores. All that's needed is a knowledge of how they work and how different ingredients should be combined to get the cleaning power needed for a specific job.
Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate. It has a number of useful properties. It can neutralize acid, scrub shiny materials without scratching, deodorize, and extinguish grease fires. It can be used as a deodorizer in the refrigerator, on smelly carpets, on upholstery and on vinyl. It can help deodorize drains. It can clean and polish aluminium, chrome, jewelry, plastic, porcelain, silver, stainless steel, and tin. It also softens fabrics and removes certain stains. Baking soda can soften hard water and makes a relaxing bath time soak, it can be used as an underarm deodorant and as a toothpaste.
Borax is a naturally occurring mineral (Hydrated sodium borate, Na2B4O7 -10H2O), soluble in water. Borax can deodorize, inhibit the growth of mildew and mould, boost the cleaning power of soap or detergent, remove stains, and can be used with attractants such as sugar to kill cockroaches.
Cornstarch, derived from corn, can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs, and starch clothes.
Isopropyl Alcohol is an excellent disinfectant and cleaning agent but it must be used in a well-ventilated space with adequate protection for the hands and skin.
Lemon Juice, which contains citric acid, is a deodorant and can be used to clean glass and remove stains from aluminium, clothes, and porcelain. It is a mild lightener or bleach if used with sunlight.
Mineral Oil, derived from seeds, is an ingredient in several furniture polish and floor wax recipes.
Soap (NOT detergent) is made in several ways. Castile soap can be used as a shampoo or as a body soap. Olive-oil based soap is gentlest to the skin. An all-purpose liquid soap can be made by simple dissolving the old ends of bar soap (or grated slivers of bar soap) in warm water.
Steel Wool is an abrasive strong enough to remove rust and stubborn food residues and to scour barbeque grills.
TSP ( trisodium phosphate), a mixture of soda ash and phosphoric acid. TSP is toxic if swallowed, but it can be used on many jobs, such as cleaning drains or removing old paint, that would normally require much more caustic and poisonous chemicals and it does not create any fumes.
Vinegar is made from soured apple juice, grain, or wine. It contains about 5 percent acetic acid, which makes it a mild acid. Vinegar can dissolve mineral deposits, grease, remove traces of soap, remove mildew or wax buildup, polish some metals, and deodorize. Vinegar can clean brick or stone, and is an ingredient in some natural carpet cleaning recipes. Use vinegar to clean out the metallic taste in coffeepots and to shine windows without streaking. Vinegar is normally used in a solution with water, but it can be used straight. More Vinegar Uses
Washing Soda or SAL Soda is a sodium carbonate decahydrate, a mineral. It can cut stubborn grease on grills, broiler pans, and ovens. It can be used with soda instead of laundry detergent, and it softens hard water. These items are available from most supermarkets or hardware stores.
For common household tasks, try these nontoxic strategies using the above ingredients:
Freshen air by opening windows and doors for a short period; distribute partially filled dishes of vinegar around the kitchen to combat unpleasant cooking odours; boil cinnamon and cloves in a pan of water to scent the air, sprinkle 1/2 cup borax in the bottom of garbage pails or diaper pails to inhibit mould and bacteria growth that can cause odours, rub vinegar on hands before and after slicing onions to remove the smell, use bowls of potpourri to give inside air a pleasant scent.
All-purpose cleaner can be made from a vinegar and salt mixture or from 4 tablespoons baking soda dissolved in 1 quart warm water.
Disinfectant means anything that will reduce the number of harmful bacteria on a surface. Practically no surface treatment will completely eliminate bacteria. Try regular cleaning with soap and hot water. Or mix 1/2 cup borax into 1 gallon of hot water to disinfect and deodorize. Isopropyl alcohol is an excellent disinfectant, but use gloves and keep it away from children.
Drain cleaner - try a plunger first, though not after using any commercial drain opener. To open clogs, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down drain, add 1/2 cup white vinegar, and cover the drain. The resulting chemical reaction can break fatty acids down into the soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain. Again, do not use this method after trying a commercial drain opener--the vinegar can react with the drain opener to create dangerous fumes.
Floor cleaner and polish can be as simple as a few drops of vinegar in the cleaning water to remove soap traces. For vinyl or linoleum, add a capful of baby oil to the water to preserve and polish. For wood floors, apply a thin coat of 1:1 oil and vinegar and rub in well. For painted wooden floors, mix 2 teaspoon washing soda into 1 bucket of hot water. For brick and stone tiles, use 1 cup white vinegar in 1 bucket water and rinse with clear water.
Metal cleaners and polishes are different for each metal -- just as in commercial cleaners.
- Clean aluminium with a solution of cream of tartar and water.
- Brass may be polished with a soft cloth dipped in lemon-and baking-soda solution, or vinegar- and-salt solution.
- Polish chrome with baby oil, vinegar, or aluminium foil shiny side out.
- Clean tarnished copper by boiling the article in a pot of water with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup white vinegar, or try differing mixtures of salt, vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and cream of tartar.
- Clean gold with toothpaste.
- Clean pewter with a paste of salt, vinegar, and flour.
- Silver can be polished by boiling it in a pan lined with aluminium foil and filled with water to which a teaspoon each of baking soda and salt have been added.
- Stainless steel can be cleaned with undiluted white vinegar.
Oven cleaner - sprinkle baking soda on moist surface and scrub with steel wool.
Scouring powder can be made from baking soda or dry table salt.
Toilet bowl cleaner - baking soda and vinegar or borax and lemon juice.
Tub and tile cleaner can be as easy as rubbing in baking soda with a damp sponge and rinsing, or wiping with vinegar first and following with baking soda as a scouring powder.
Window and glass cleaner is easy with these tips: to avoid streaks, don't wash windows when the sun is shining. Use a vinegar-and-water solution, cornstarch-vinegar-and-water solution, or lemon-juice-and-water. Wipe with newspaper unless you are sensitive to the inks in newsprint.