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9.0 SIMPLE CLEANING SOLUTIONS - DO-IT-YOURSELF - DIY TIPS

Modern cleaning materials carry long and detailed warnings. The back of a liquid "drain blaster" bottle reads like a legal contract. It is full of cautions, skulls and cross bones, etc.

As if the dangers of these products weren't enough, most of us use only a little bit. We end up with dozens of half-full bottles of hazardous household chemicals.

Instead of using all these poisonous substances why not go back to basics? You will save a lot of money and storage space.

== The basic inexpensive cleaning ingredients are these: baking soda, lemon, white & cider vinegar, chlorine bleach, salt, ammonia, ivory soap, borax, and turpentine. (NOTE: never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia, the combination is toxic; also make sure you use adequate ventilation when using either of these.) Buy the store brand.

If you make all three of the solutions mentioned next, you will eliminate a "drain blaster" bottle, a window cleaning bottle, and a kitchen disinfectant spray bottle.

== For example, our kitchen drain was almost plugged up; it was starting to back up. Instead of using the "drain blaster" product mentioned earlier, I did the following. I dumped about four tablespoons of baking soda into the drain which I followed with about half a cup of vinegar. This produced a chemical reaction which pulverized and softened most of the gunk that was clogging the drain. In the meantime I boiled about three gallons of water. When it had come to a full boil, I dumped the water down the drain. The very hot water flushed the clog that had been softened by the vinegar and baking soda. After that the drain drained perfectly.

It has been three months now, and it still works just fine.

== To keep kitchen cutting boards and counter tops free of bacteria cleanse with a mild solution of chlorine bleach and water. This will kill salmonella and other food borne bacteria.

== To wash windows use a solution of white vinegar and water, about 4 tablespoons of vinegar to two cups of water. Put this mixture in a spray bottle for convenience.

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