Deep Cleaning.

Aside from the many renovation type works going on in our school this summer, I'm doing a deep cleaning of the environment. There are some magical tips out there that I found extremely useful in the process. Old timey cleaning tips are priceless!

CRAYON ON WALLS: Damp rag dipped in baking soda. It is really miraculous. :)

SILVERWARE: Immerse the silverware in water with 2 tablets of Alka Selzer. Let it sit there for a couple of minutes.

PEACE FLOWER (fake flower): put it in a bag with salt and shake it. The salt will absorb the dirt (really.)

WAX IN CANDLE HOLDERS: Freeze the candle holder. The wax will shrink and then you can tip it out.

NEW MATERIALS: To remove a label, decal, or price tag, cover with a cloth soaked in white distilled vinegar. Leave the cloth on overnight and the label should slide off.

SPONGES AND RAGS: Renew sponges and dishrags by placing them in just enough water to cover them. Then add 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar. Let them soak overnight.

TILES: Mix up an inexpensive tile cleaner by adding 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup white distilled vinegar, and 1 cup ammonia to a gallon of warm water.

TOILETS: Deodorize the toilet bowl by allowing 3 cups white distilled vinegar to sit in it for about a half hour before flushing. To make the toilet bowl sparkle, pour in a cup or more of diluted white distilled vinegar and let it sit several hours or overnight. Scrub well with the toilet brush and flush.

FLOORS: For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dish washing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

SCISSORS: Clean scissors that have become sticky (after cutting tape, for instance) with a cloth dipped in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

SINKS: To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.

KITCHEN COUNTERS: Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar.

DRAINS: Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so, then run hot water down the drain.

SHELVES: Clean the shelves and walls of the refrigerator with a half-and-half solution of water and white distilled vinegar.

WINDOWS: To clean a grease splattered oven door window, saturate it with full-strength white distilled vinegar. Keep the door open for 10 to 15 minutes before wiping with a sponge.

BRASS OBJECTS: To clean tarnished brass, copper, and pewter, use a paste with equal amounts of white distilled vinegar and table salt.

BELLS: Make a metal cleanser by adding enough white distilled vinegar to 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar to make a paste. Rub it on and let it dry on the surface. Wash it off and dry with a soft cloth.