Dust

You can make your own polish cloths to dust furniture. Pour some furniture polish into a large glass jar and shake it until the sides are coated. Pour the remainder of the polish back into the polish container. Place terry or other absorbent cloths in the jar and cover tightly. Leave overnight or until the cloths have absorbed all the polish. Store the cloths in the jar.

Here's another method for making polishing cloths. Add 1/4 cup polish (such as lemon oil) to 2 cups hot water. Mix well. Soak dust cloths in the mixture, then let them dry before using. Save the mixture in a glass jar. When the cloths get dirty, wash them, re-treat them, and use again.

Mix 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup lemon juice and you have a polish for your wooden furniture.

Carpet Care

Try mixing up 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the carpet stain, let dry and vacuum the next day. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet first).

Try brushing a coloured stain with a solution of 1 cup white vinegar for every 500ml of water. Use a scrubbing brush and just work over it then use rags or paper towels to blot. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet beforehand).

White foamy shaving cream does a good job removing stains.

Try spraying household ammonia on the stain and blot up.

If you have indented on your carpet place an icecube on each indent and let melt overnight. Blot up the water the next morning and brush up the carpet.

Borax kills flea in the carpet.

Add a few cloves to your vacuum bag. It'll keep it smelling nice instead of all dusty.

Use baking soda sprinkled on your carpet and vacuumed off to remove smells instead of expensive carpet powders.

Toddler Art on Walls

• Try rubbing stale bread on the pen stains.

• If its on wallpaper be careful using vinegar as it strips the glue off the back if it gets through that far and you'll end up with peeling wallpaper!

• Try using a sponge dampened with white vinegar but blot it off within a couple of minutes and don't use near a paper seam IYKWIM.

• Baking soda and water in a thick paste may scrub the pen marks off too.

• Rub the pen marks with Isopropyl Alcohol.

• Remove crayon marks with white toothpaste or baking soda applied with a damp cloth.

Air Freshener Recipe

1 cup water 1 cup household vinegar 1 TBS vanilla extract 1 tsp cloves Bring all ingredients to a boil then simmer over medium heat for two minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain cloves then pour liquid into spray bottle, shake and use as needed.

DIY easy air freshener - Simply fill a spray bottle with water or vinegar, add a dozen or so drops of your favorite essential oils and use.

General Living Area #1

If there is a smoker in the house, put baking soda in the bottom of each ashtray to keep away some of the stale smoke smell.

Use baking soda sprinkled on your carpet and vacuumed off to remove smells instead of expensive carpet powders.

To remove stickers off walls/doors/etc, sponge vinegar over them several times, and wait 15 minutes, then rub off the stickers. This also works for price tags (stickers) on tools, etc.