Homemade Cleaners

Oven Cleaner Prevention. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the floor of the oven, underneath but not touching the heating element. Although this may slightly affect the browning of the food, the foil can be easily disposed of when soiled. Clean up the spill as soon as it occurs.

Salt. While the oven is still warm, sprinkle salt on the spill. If the spill is completely dry, wet the spill lightly before sprinkling on salt. When the oven cools down, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean.

Vinegar. Retard grease buildup in your oven by dampening your cleaning rag in vinegar and water before wiping out your oven.

Baking Soda and Very Fine Steel Wool. Sprinkle water followed by a layer of baking soda. Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots. Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or a sponge. Rinse well and wipe dry.

Arm & Hammer Oven Cleaner. Consumers Union chemists declared this product nontoxic. Use according to label directions.

Paint Brush Renewer. Vinegar. Soften hard paint brushes in hot vinegar for a few minutes.Then wash paint brush in soap and warm water and set out to dry.

Pest Control. Helpful predators around the home include frogs, spiders, ladybugs,praying mantis, and dragonflies. Keeping these beneficia lcreatures around can help you reduce pest populations.

Ants. Vinegar. Wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with equal pans vinegar and water to deter ant infestations.

Flour and Borax*. Mix 1 cup flour and 2 cups borax in a quart jar. Punch holes in the jar lid. Sprinkle the contents around the house foundation. Keep borax out of the reach of children and pets.

Bonemeal or powdered charcoal or lemon. Set up barriers where ants are entering. They will generally not cross lines of bonemeal or powdered charcoal. If you can find a hole where ants are entering thehouse, squeeze the juice of a lemon in the hole or crack. Then slice upthe lemon and put the peeling all around the entrance.

Pennyroyal*. Spearmint, Southernwood, and Tansy. Growing these plants around the border of your home will deter ants and the aphids they carry.

Fleas. Vacuum, remove the vacuum bag, seal it, and dispose of it immediately outside your home.

Vinegar. A ratio of 1 teaspoon vinegar to 1 quartwater (per 40 pounds of pet weight) in their drinking water helps to keep your pets free of fleas and ticks.

Fennel, Rosemary, Red Cedar Shavings*, Sassafras*, Eucalyptus*, or Pennyroyal*. Spread leaves or shavings ofthese plants under and around the pet’s bed.

Flies Prevention: Keep kitchen garbage tightly closed. Sprinkle dry soap or borax into garbage cans after they’ve been washed and allowed to dry; it acts as a repellent.

Orange. Scratch the skin of an orange and leave i tout; the citrus acts as a repellent.

Cloves. Hang clusters of cloves to repel flies.

Mint or Basil. Mint planted around the home repels flies. A pot of basil set on the windowsill or table helps to repel fleas. Keep basil well-watered from the bottom so that it produces a stronger scent.

Dried ground leaves left in small bowls or hung in muslin bags are also effective.

Sugar and Corn Syrup. Make your own fly paper by boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water together. Place mixture onto brown paper and hang or set out.

Garden. There are many strategies for controlling garden pests without unduly upsetting the local ecology of your garden.These strategies include cultural controls (nutrition, resistant varieties, interplanting, timed planting, crop rotation, mulch, trap crops, and cultivation), mechanical controls (handpicking, physical barriers, traps),biological controls (predatory and parasitic insects,microbes), and sprays and dusts. Because information is too varied to make suggestions in this limited space, we refer you to your library, colleges, and Extension Officefor details on integrated and natural pest control. Extension offices can be found under local government inthe phone book.

Mice. Mashed potato powder or buds. Place instant mashed potato powder or buds in strategic places with a dish of water close by. After eating the powder or buds mice will need water. This causes fatal bloating.

Moles. Castor Oil* and Liquid Detergent. Whip together 1tablespoon castor oil and 2 tablespoons liquid detergent in a blender until the mixture is like shaving cream. Add 6 tablespoons water and whip again. Keep this mixture out of the reach of your children and pets. Take a garden sprinkling can and fill with warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil mixture and stir. Sprinkle immediately over the areas of greatest mole infestation. For best results, apply after a rain or thorough watering. If moles are drawn to your lawn because of the grubs feeding in the soil, you may be able to rid yourself of both pests by spreading milky spore disease to kill the grubs.

Mosquitoes Prevention. Encourage natural predators such as dragonflies or praying mantises. Eliminate pools ofstagnant water. Avoid wearing perfume, bright colors, flowery prints, and bright jewelry as these items attract mosquitoes.

Citronella. Burn citronella candles to repel insects.

Tansy or Basil. Plant tansy or basil around the patio and house to repel mosquitoes.

Moths. If you can see moths, these aren’t the ones to worry about. Moths that cause damage to clothes are too small to notice. It is the larvae of these moths that eat fabric.

Prevention. Store items in a clean condition; moth larvae especially like areas soiled with food stains.

Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, Cloves, and Ginseng (optional).Chicago area weavers and spinners use 1/2 pound rosemary,1/2 pound mint, 1/4 pound thyme, 1/4 pound ginseng(optional), and 2 tablespoons cloves. Mix and put in cheesecloth bags and place in closets or drawers. Dried Lavender or Rosemary and Mint. Make sachets ofdried lavender or equal portions of rosemary and mint. Place in closets, drawers, or closed containers to mothproof garments.

Rosemary, Sage, Mint, Dried Lemon Peel, and Cinnamon. Mix handfuls of first three ingredients. Add a littlelemon peel and a pinch of cinnamon. Place in muslin bags.

Molasses, Vinegar, and Yellow Container. To trapmoths, mix 1 pan molasses with 2 pans vinegar and place ina yellow container to attract moths. Clean regularly.

Clothes Dryer. Kill moth eggs by running garmentthrough a warm dryer.

Roaches. Prevention. Close off all gaps around pipes and electric lines where they enter the house by using cement or screening. Caulk small cracks along baseboards, walls,cupboards, and around pipes, sinks, and bathtub fixtures. Seal food tightly. Rinse food off dishes that are left overnight. Do not leave pet food out overnight.

Hedge Apples (Osage Orange). Cut hedge apples in halfand place several in the basement, around in cabinets, or under the house to repel roaches.

Flour, Cocoa Powder, and Borax*. Mix together 2tablespoons flour, 4 tablespoons borax, and 1 tablespoon cocoa. Set the mixture out in dishes. CAUTION: Borax istoxic if eaten. Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Borax* and Flour. Mix 1/2 cup borax and 1/4 cup flourand fill a glass jar. Punch small holes in jar lid. Sprinkle powder along baseboards and doorsills. Caution: Borax is toxic if eaten. This recipe may not be for you if there are young children or pets in the house.

Oatmeal, Flour, and Plaster of Paris. Mix equal pans and set in dishes. Keep out of reach of children and pets.

Baking Soda and Powdered Sugar. Mix equal pans and spread around infested area. Slugs And Snails. Natural Predators. Gardener snakes, grass snakes, ground beetles, box turtles, salamanders, ducks, and larvae of lightning bugs all feed on snails.

Clay Pots. Place overturned clay flower pots near the shady side of a plant. Rest one edge on a small twig or make sure that the ground is irregular enough for the slugs and snails to crawl under the rim. They will collectthere during the warmest pan of the day. Remove slugs and snails regularly and drop in a bucket of soapy water.

Sand, Lime, or Ashes. Snails avoid protective borders of sand, lime, or ashes.

Tin Can. Protect young plants by encircling them with a tin can with both ends removed. Push the bottom end of the can into the soil.

Porcelain Cleaner. Cream of Tartar. To clean porcelain surfaces, rub with cream of tartar sprinkled on a damp cloth. Works well on light stains.

Rust Remover. Peeled Potatoes and Baking Soda or Salt. To remove rust from tinware, rub with a peeled potato dipped in a mild abrasive such as baking soda or salt.

Aluminum Foil. Briskly scrub rust spots on car bumperswith a piece of crumpled aluminum foil, shiny side up.Also works well on the chrome shafts of golf clubs.

Scouring Powder. The amount of chlorine in scouring powder is not significant enough to cause harm, but if you want tototally avoid chlorine or are sensitive to it follow these recipes.

Non-Chlorine Scouring Powder. Several commercially available products.

Baking Soda or Dry Table Salt. Both of these substances are mild abrasives and can be used as an alternative to chlorine scouring powders. Simply put either baking soda or salt on a sponge or the surface you wish to clean and then scour and nose.

Shoe Polish. Cold Pressed Nut Oil, Olive Oil, Walnut Oil, or Beeswax. Apply oil to leather product and buff with a chamois cloth to a shine.

Lemon Juice. Lemon juice is good polish for black or tan leather shoes. Follow by buffing with a soft cloth.

Vinegar. Remove water stains on leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.

Petroleum Jelly. A dab of petroleum jelly rubbed into patent leather gives a glistening shine and prevents cracking in the winter.

Vinegar. To shine patent leather, moisten a soft cloth with white vinegar and wipe clean all patent leather articles. The color of the leather may be slightly changed.

Art-Gum Eraser and Sandpaper or Emery Board. Dirtmarks on suede can be rubbed out with an art-gum eraser.Then buff lightly with sandpaper or an emery board.

Spot Removers. To remove grease from concrete flooring: Dry Cement.Sprinkle dry cement over grease. Allow it to absorb the grease, then sweep up.