I’ve been doing this for a long, long time, mainly as a simple way of saving money. Another benefit being that household cleaners on the market today can be harmful to your health and are not environmentally friendly. Over the years, I’ve collected a lot of information from various sources. Some of these I have tried (the glass cleaner), others I haven’t (the laundry detergent). I usually make large batches of it ahead of time and store it in empty water jugs. Before you begin, keep in mind…NEVER MIX BLEACH AND AMMONIA TOGETHER! This combination is deadly!

ALL PURPOSE CLEANER:
½ cup ammonia
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup baking soda
Mix the above ingredients with 1 gallon of warm water and use for basic cleaning jobs around the home.

WINDOW CLEANER
3T Ammonia
1T vinegar
Put in spray bottle and fill the rest of the way up with water.

JEWELRY CLEANER
1/4 cup ammonia
1/4 cup dishwashing liquid
3/4 cup water.
Mix all the ingredients well, then soak your jewelry in the solution for a few minutes. Clean around the stones and designs with a soft-bristle toothbrush. Buff dry. (Caution: Don’t use this with gold-plated jewelry; with soft stones such as pearls, opals, or jade; or with costume jewelry, because it could ruin the plastics or loosen the glue.)

TOILET CLEANER
1 cup borax
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
Combine the ingredients to make a paste. Apply it to the inside of the toilet bowl, let sit for 1 to 2 hours, and scrub.

LAUNDRY DETERGENT
In a large heavy-duty plastic container, combine 1 cup soap flakes, 1/2 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup of borax. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load of laundry. Use with cold and warm water washes, with cold water rinse.

FURNITURE POLISH
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
4 cup water in spray bottle
swipe with cloth.

Essential Cleaning Oils
·* Lavender disinfectant, calming scent to ease tension and anxiety.
·*Lemon, Orange and grapefruit oils are tough degreasers with refreshing scents.
·* Eucalyptus is a disinfectant and relieves a stuffy nose.
·* Tea Tree Oil is anti-bacterial, anti viral, and anti fungal. Use as an all purpose disinfectant, especially when there is illness in the home, also eases congestion.
·* Pine oil is a degreaser and disinfectant.

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Here’s a few more recipes for homemade cleaners you can make yourself. Invest in a few spray bottles and make them before you need them. That way you always have them on hand for cleaning jobs.

OVEN CLEANER
2 Tbsp. dish washing liquid
2 Tbsp. borax
1/4 c. ammonia
1 1/2 c. warm water

Mix together, apply to oven spills and allow to sit 20-30 minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse well.

GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 tsp. borax
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. dish washing liquid
2 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon juice instead of vinegar.

EASY SCRUB
3/4 c. baking soda
1/4 c. borax
Dish washing liquid

Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dish washing liquid to make a smooth paste. (Add 1/4 tsp. of lemon juice for a more pleasant smell.)

HEAVY-DUTY DISINFECTANT CLEANER
1/4 c. powdered laundry detergent
1 Tbsp. borax
3/4 c. hot water
1/4 c. pine oil or pine-based cleaner

Slowly stir the detergent and borax into the water to dissolve. Add the pine oil (available at hardware stores and supermarkets) and mix well. For bathroom cleaning, use the mixture full strength. In the kitchen, dilute with water.

GLASS CLEANER
2 Tbsp. ammonia
1/2 c. alcohol
1/4 t. dish washing liquid
A few drops blue food coloring
Water

Combine ammonia, alcohol, dish washing liquid and food coloring,
then add enough water to make 1 quart. If you prefer a
non-ammonia cleaner, substitute 3 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice
for the ammonia.

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Although window coverings are expensive we are generally willing to spend money on them as they fulfill so may purposes in a room, adding warmth and privacy as well as decoration. Rooms simply look unfinished without them. If money is tight you will be wondering how to add effective window treatments without breaking the bank but you can definitely achieve a lot without a huge budget. Here are some ways to save money:-

1. Make Your Own Curtains

You can save a lot of money if you can sew simple straight lines with a sewing machine. If you are inexperienced start with short sill length curtains such as those for kitchen windows and progress to full length curtains for your living room. Choose a light washable cotton fabric for your kitchen curtains and add a heading tape of your choice. If you work neatly and measure accurately you will have no problems at all. Later you can progress to using lining and making fancier items such as window valances and tie backs.

2. Choose Cheaper Fabric

Fabrics vary enormously in price but you can make very effective curtains with simple cream calico or cotton. You can create more effective window treatments by being generous with cheap fabric than you can by creating curtains from expensive fabric where you can not afford enough to create a full effect. You will find that plain fabrics are often cheaper than patterned ones. If you think they are too plain you can always add interest with trimming.

3. Buy Ready-Made Curtains

If you have standard windows you will usually find ready-made curtains work out cheaper than having curtains custom made. Your choice will be more limited but you will usually find something to suit if you check out curtain sites online.

4. Go Simple

It can be enough in a contemporary home to put up simple cream or gray window blinds which you can buy very cheaply. You do not have to get carried away creating elaborate window treatments when “less is more” is often more effective.

5. Add Layers

If you would like elaborate window treatments (and they suit your home) but you can not afford them purchase items over time. For example you could start with a simple blind and then later add dress curtains and then later still a window valance or wooden cornice.

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Here’s a few more homemade cleaners for you to try out. I haven’t tried them out yet so let us know how they are if you do!

Window Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1 Tbls. cornstarch
1 gal. water
*used balled newspaper

Wall Formula
1/2 cup ammonia
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup washing soda
1 gal. water

Hardwood Floor Formula
1 cup Ivory Flakes
1/2 cup bleach
1 gal. warm water

Upholstery Stains (old stains)
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/4 cup vinegar
warm water

Whiten Whites / Brighten Polyesters
2 cups electric dishwashing detergent
cold water
Soak overnight; was as usual

Commercial Spot Remover
2 parts water
1 part rubbing alcohol
Put into mist spray bottle; use for clothing

Frost Prevention
Rub inside window with rubbing alcohol; wipe with newspaper.

Fabric Softener
1 cup ammonia to washing cycle along with detergent.

Clogged Drains
1 cup salt
1 cup baking soda
1 cup boiling water
*Do not use with garbage disposal

Or try

3 cups boiled vinegar into drain.
Flush with water.
OK to use with garbage disposals.

Homemade Pre-Wash
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup liquid detergent
1/3 cup ammonia
Mix well and put in empty spray bottle.

Carpet Stain Formula
1/2 cup powdered laundry detergent
1/2 cup vinegar

Urine Spot Remover for Carpets
1. Blot up urine with paper towel.
2. Apply carpet stain formula (above); blot.
3. Pour on club soda; blot.
4. Mist/spray with vinegar.
5. Layer paper towels; place a heavy object on top to pull out moisture.

Mildew Prevention
1/2 cup salt into wash cycle to cut down possible mildew.

Baby Formula Remover
1/4 cup bleach
1 cup dishwashing detergent
1 gal. water
Soak overnight; wash as usual.

Spot Remover
1. Flush with club soda
2. Mix together 2 parts water and 1 part rubbing alcohol
3. Mist/spray spot with above and wipe off.

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One of the best means of avoiding exposure to household hazardous materials is to use safer alternatives whenever possible. Included in this section are time honored recipes and suggestions to help you make the switch toward safer household products. Ingredients followed by instructions will guide you through an array of easy-to-make, easy-to-use safer alternatives. Some ingredients recommended as alternatives are safer, but not nontoxic. These ingredients have been marked with an asterisk(*) to assist you in identifying their presence. Making your own simple and effective products is fun and economical.

Air Fresheners
Most commercial air fresheners do not freshen the air at all. Instead, they mask one odor with another, coat your nasal passages with an undetectable oil film, or diminish your sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. For a safer alternative, you may wish to try
one of the following.

Ventilation. Open windows or doors in the house for at least a short period every day. This will also help to reduce toxic fumes that may be building up indoors.

Vinegar. Distribute partially filled saucers of vinegar around the room or boil 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in 1 cup of water to eliminate unpleasant cooking odors.

Cinnamon and Cloves. Boil these spices for a fragrant smell. For ease of cleaning, make a cheesecloth bag to contain these spices, and boil the cheesecloth bag. An excellent alternative when entertaining is to steep spiced tea or cider.

Potpourri. Buy or make your own potpourri from your favorite herbs and spices. Place the potpourri in a small basket or jar or in small sachet bags.

Kitchen And Food Odors

Vanilla*. Place pure vanilla on a cotton ball in a small saucer. Place the saucer in the car or refrigerator to remove odors. It is reported to remove even skunk odors. Keep the cotton ball out of reach of children; vanilla has a high alcohol content.

Baking Soda. Place a partially filled saucer of baking soda on the refrigerator shelf. Replace every two months and when you do, pour the contents of the used box down the drain to remove odors and keep the drain clean. Baking soda can also be used to deodorize bottles by filling them with undiluted baking soda and allowing the bottles to soak overnight. Then wash as usual.

Borax*. Empty the garbage frequently and clean the can as needed. To inhibit growth of odor-producing molds and bacteria, sprinkle 1/2 cup Borax in the bottom of the garbage can.

Vinegar or Celery Stalk. To avoid or remove onion odors from your hands, rub white vinegar on your hands before and after slicing. Rubbing hands with the end of a celery stalk will also remove the odor.

All-Purpose Cleaner

Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner.

Baking Soda. Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner. Or use baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Carpet And Rug Cleaner

IF YOU PLAN TO SHAMPOO YOUR CARPET, FIRST TRY A PRE-CLEANING TREATMENT. Sweep the carpet, which will make the nap stand up and loosen the imbedded din. Next vacuum. With this work alone, the rug should show a noticeable improvement, so much in fact that you may decide to delay the shampooing.

To neutralize odors: Borax* and cornmeal. Sprinkle the carpet with a mixture of 1 cup Borax and 2 cups cornmeal. Let this mixture stand for an hour before vacuuming.

Another alternative is Baking Soda. Making certain that the carpet is dry, sprinkle baking soda liberally over the entire carpet. Wait at least 15 minutes, or overnight if the odor is particularly bad, before vacuuming.

Decal Remover
Vinegar. To remove no-slip decals from the bathtub, saturate a cloth or sponge and squeeze hot vinegar over decals. Vinegar also removes stick-on hooks from painted walls. Saturate a cloth or sponge with vinegar and squeeze the liquid behind the hook so that the vinegar comes in contact with the adhesive. In addition, vinegar can be used to remove price tags and other decals from glass, wood, and china. Paint the label or decal with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in and after several minutes the decal can be rubbed off.

Disinfectant
Soap. Regular cleaning with plain soap and hot water will kill some bacteria. Keep things dry. Mold, mildew, and bacteria cannot live without moisture.

Borax has long been recognized for its disinfectant and deodorizing properties. Mix 1/2 cup Borax into 1 gallon hot water and clean with this solution.

Isopropyl Alcohol*. This is an excellent disinfectant. Sponge and allow to dry. (It must dry to do its job.) Use in a well-ventilated area and wear gloves.

Drain Cleaners and Drain Openers

Prevention. To avoid clogging drains, use a drain strainer to trap food particles and hair; collect grease in cans rather than pouring it down the drain; pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain weekly to melt fat that may be building up in the drain; or weekly put
some vinegar and baking soda down your drain to break down fat and keep your drain smelling fresh.

Plunger. A time-honored drain opener is the plunger. This inexpensive tool will usually break up the clog and allow it to float away. It may take more than a few plunges to unclog the drain.

Baking Soda and Vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain if possible. Let set for a few minutes, then pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain to flush it. The combination of baking soda and vinegar can break down fatty acids into soap and glycerine, allowing the clog to wash down the drain.

Salt and Baking Soda. Pour 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit overnight and then flush with water. The hot water should help dissolve the clog and the baking soda and salt serve as an abrasive to break
through the clog.

Floor Cleaners and Floor Polishes
Vinegar. A few drops in the cleaning water will help remove grease panicles. Dull, greasy film on no-wax linoleum can be washed away with 1/2 cup white vinegar mixed into 1/2 gallon water. Your floor will look sparkling clean.
For Linoleum: Mild Detergent. Damp mop using a mild detergent and water for day to day cleaning. Keep water away from seams and edges to prevent loosening of the tiles. To preserve the linoleum floor you may wish to add a capful of baby oil to the mop water.
For Wood Floors: Vegetable Oil and Vinegar. Mix a 1 to 1 ratio of oil and vinegar into a solution and apply a thin coat. Rub in well.
For Painted Wooden Floors: Washing Soda*. Mix 1 teaspoon washing soda into 1 gallon hot water and wash the floor with a mop, sponge, or soft bristled brush. This solution can
also be used to remove mildew.
For Rubber Tiles: Mild Detergent. Avoid oils, solvents, and strong alkalies as they will harm the surface. Wash with clear water, a mild detergent, and a clean mop.
For Brick and Stone Floors: Vinegar. Mix 1 cup white vinegar into 1 gallon water. Scrub the floor with a brush and the vinegar solution. Rinse with clean water.
For Ceramic Tile: Vinegar. Mix 1/4 cup white vinegar (more if very dirty) into 1 gallon water. This solution removes most dirt without scrubbing and doesn’t leave a film. Washing ceramic tiles with soap does not work very well in hard water areas as it leaves an insoluble film.
Club Soda. Polishing your floor with Club Soda will make it sparkle.
Wax Remover
For Vinyl and Asbestos Tiles: Club Soda. Remove wax buildup by pouring a small amount of club soda on a section. Scrub this in well. Let it soak in a few minutes and wipe clean.
For Linoleum Flooring: Isopropyl Alcohol*. To remove old wax by mopping, mix a solution of 3 pans water to 1 pan rubbing alcohol. Scrub this in well and rinse thoroughly. Be sure the area is well-ventilated and wear gloves.
Special Problems
To remove black heel marks:
Baking Soda. Rub the heel mark with a paste of baking soda and water. Don’t use too much water or the baking soda will lose its abrasive quality.
To remove tar:
Scrape up excess tar with the side of a dull knife. Rub again with your fingernail, a popsicle stick, or anything that won’t scratch the floor. Finally, wipe up the tar with a dry cloth.
To remove crayon marks:
Toothpaste. Crayon marks on the floor may be removed by
rubbing them with a damp cloth containing toothpaste. Toothpaste will not work well on wallpaper or porous surfaces.
To remove grease from wood floors:
Ice Cube or Cold Water. If you spill grease on a wood floor, immediately place an ice cube or very cold water on the spot. The
grease will harden and can then be scraped off with a knife. Then iron a piece of cloth over the grease spot.

*more to come*

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A while back, I read and reviewed Julie Morgenstern’s Time Management From The Inside Out. I found it to be fairly interesting and a good complement to Getting Things Done, which is the basic framework for how I organize my time.

Almost immediately after I wrote the review, several readers wrote to me and strongly encouraged me to pick up Morgenstern’s earlier book, Organizing From The Inside Out, Morgenstern’s first book that uses essentially the same philosophy. I picked it up, gave it a read, and actually quite liked it.

To me, Organizing From The Inside Out is one of those books that’s so sensible that while you’re reading it, it seems almost like common sense, but when you sit down and actually apply it, it’s as smooth as a hot knife through butter. That’s a high compliment, in my opinion. This is an astounding book for organizing your home or workspace, well worth reading if you have clutter issues either at home or at work.

Peeking At Organizing From The Inside Out

Right off the bat, the book makes an interesting statement: sometimes quick solutions are the best ones. This book is all about framework, much like Getting Things Done works for task management. Once you’ve got the framework down, solving organization problems is quite simple because everything just falls into place.

Part One – Laying The Foundation
Morgenstern is a big believer in tackling any problem with a three piece approach: analyze, strategize, and attack. This philosophy works quite well for organization, too – look at a space, analyze what’s wrong with it, develop a strategy for what you would like it to be, and attack it head-on.

Most people stumble at this because of one of three things: technical limitations (like inadequate storage space), external limitations (like working conditions), and psychological obstacles (like anxiety over changing your routine). If your limitations are technical, the best approach is usually to minimize as much as possible – get rid of stuff you don’t use, for starters. If external elements are limiting things, look for options to reduce your workload for a bit so that you can get organized, as this will enable you to tackle more work efficiently. If the limitations are psychological, interestingly, the chief recommendation that Morgenstern offers is to throw yourself into focusing on something else and let organization just be something that’s an assistance, not a primary focus. I find that in various ways, all three of these are very helpful, basic tips – they all lead to a truly functional organization that matches you, not a generic system for everyone.

Part Two – Secrets of a Professional Organizer
This portion of the book focuses on the analyze/strategize/attack plan mentioned above.

Analyze
Ask yourself these five questions about the area you wish to organize:

1. What’s working?
2. What’s not working?
3. What items are most essential to you?
4. Why do you want to get organized?
5. What’s causing the problems?

The first questions seek to identify the good and bad elements in the situation, while the third seeks to minimize. The fourth and fifth are more introspective, but they actually form an interesting cycle with the first three. Try answering all of the questions twice – I found that it helped quite a bit when trying to use Morgenstern’s philosophy for organizing my home office.

Strategize
Julie really recommends evaluating what you actually do in the area you’re organizing and define “zones” that are focused on each activity. For example, I have a writing space, a GTD/paperwork space, and (soon) a reading space in my home office. Each of these spaces has different things that are easily available – for example, the writing space usually has the books I’m currently reviewing, my list of writing ideas, and my laptop, while my GTD space has an inbox and lots of files in it.

Attack
Solving the problem boils down to five steps:

Sort
Purge
Assign a home
Containerize
Equalize

One key thing to take out of this is that you shouldn’t buy a single container or organization material until you reach the fourth step. Before you buy a bin or a filing cabinet or a box, instead first go through all of the stuff, get rid of the stuff that’s unnecessary, and figure out your general groupings and where they go. Once you have that done, you’ll have some idea of the containers you actually need and they’ll meet your functionality needs.

Part Three – Applying What You’ve Learned
Here, Morgenstern applies all of the information from the first two parts to specific situations: a traditional office, a home-based business, a cubicle workstation, a mobile office, a “household information center,” attics, basements, garages, bathrooms, bedrooms, closets, kids’ rooms, kitchens, and living rooms. Whew! Each one is addressed on a few pages in order to give an outline of a healthy plan of attack.

For example, I gave her information a shot in my home office, which is actually a mix of a traditional office, a home-based business, and a household information center. I read those three sections in detail before diving in and found that I also wound up using the closet information as well, as I began to utilize the closet in there.

The end result? Actually, the process is still ongoing, but I can already feel how much more organized and efficient it’s going to become.

Part Four – Tackling Time and Technology
This final section is very brief and is just a several-page summary of the material in Morgenstern’s Time Management From The Inside Out.

Buy or Don’t Buy?

Time Management From The Inside Out was a good book that I quite enjoyed, but Organizing From The Inside Out thoroughly supercedes it. The underlying philosophy is the same, but that philosophy applies so much better to organizing rooms than to organizing time.

If you have trouble organizing a room efficiently and effectively, take a serious look at Organizing From The Inside Out. My experience in our home office with the ideas in this book have been tremendous – I’m quite convinced that it works, it just takes some thinking and analysis instead of just diving in and “organizing” without a plan.

**written by Trent at The Simple Dollar**

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Having a nice garden was be rewarding….and costly. I have a love/hate relationship with my garden but I try to do the best I can with it. Stepping stones are a nice touch for any garden and making them yourself can be a great way to cut costs.

Garden Stepping Stones

*cement containing sand
*water bucket and mixing stick
*corrugated pizza box (about 14″ square)
*duct tape and petroleum jelly
*twigs and shells
*rubber gloves
*piece of cardboard

Reinforce the pizza box with duct tape by wrapping tape all around sides. Apply thin coating of petroleum jelly to inside of box to aid in releasing stone.

Protect work surface and wear gloves. Mix cement in bucket according to instructions on package. Add enough water so that it is the consistency of cookie dough. Pour mix into box.

Use straight edge piece of cardboard to smooth top. Gently vibrate sides to release bubbles and even surface. Allow mix to set for about one hour before pressing embellishments into stone. Test with a small object first. If object sinks, allow cement to set a little while longer. Arrange objects to spell out greeting, or in design of your choice.

Allow stone to set for 3 to 4 days. Amount of time will vary depending on weather/temperature conditions. Peel box away from stone and set in garden.

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I’ve had this saved for a while and thought it would come in handy for one of our readers.

If you drop a whole egg on the floor, pour salt all over the egg, let it sit for awhile, then use dustpan, the egg will come right up, without all that mess.

Soak stained hankies in salt water before washing.

Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away.

Soak fish in salt water before descaling; the scales will come off easier.

Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring.

Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting.

Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float.

Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way.

A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier.

Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up.

Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won’t stick.

Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer.

Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

Mix salt with turpentine to whiten you bathtub and toilet bowl.

Soak your nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily.

Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer.

Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar, thickened with flour

Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life.

Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain.

Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on the damp cloth on the ironing surface.

Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods in a double boiler will make the food cook faster.

Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys.

To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty.

Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water.

Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle.

Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher.

Use salt for killing weeds in your lawn.

Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt.

A dash of salt in warm milk makes a more relaxing beverage.

Before using new glasses, soak them in warm salty water for awhile.

A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea.

Salt improves the taste of cooking apples.

Soak your clothes line in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line; likewise, use salt in your final rinse to prevent the clothes from freezing.

Rub any wicker furniture you may have with salt water to prevent yellowing.

Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water.

Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty.

Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them next day to remove burned-on stains.

Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt.

Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added.

Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor.

Fabric colors hold fast in salty water wash.

Milk stays fresh longer when a little salt is added.

Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth.

Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean.

Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains.

Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt.

Salty water boils faster when cooking eggs.

Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more quickly.

Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odour.

A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee.

Boil mismatched hose in salty water and they will come out matched.

Salt and soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator.

Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; rinse in cool water later.

Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon.

A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa.

To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts alcohol.

Salt and lemon juice removes mildew.

Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don’t want grass growing.

Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look.

Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water.

If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won’t smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled.

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