# Alternative Uses for Common Household Items



## SeaBreeze (Aug 10, 2014)

I use white vinegar a lot for cleaning/deodorizing things, safer than some chemical products, especially for the pets. More HERE.



> *1. Clear dirt off PCs and electronics*
> Your  computer, printer, fax machine, and other home office gear will work  better if you keep them clean and dust-free. Turn off your machine and  wash with a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water. Wash with a  cloth, not a spray bottle. You can use cotton swabs for tight spaces.
> 
> *2. Get rid of smoke odor*
> ...


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## Raven (Aug 10, 2014)

Thanks SB, some good household tips there.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 10, 2014)

*45 Uses for Lemon*

I sometimes add organic lemon juice to the water I rinse the kitchen floor with, also use some in my tiny bedroom humidifier in winter, will drink lemon juice in tepid water for a healthy organ cleanse.  Here's more tips on lemon uses.



> 1. Freshen the Fridge
> Remove refrigerator odors with ease. Dab *lemon* juice on a cotton ball or sponge and leave it in the fridge for several hours. Make sure to toss out any malodorous items that might be causing the bad smell.
> 
> 2. High Blood Pressure
> ...


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## Falcon (Aug 10, 2014)

Thanks Sea.  We have a large lemon tree out back that's ALWAYS full of fruit.  Haven't bought a lemon in years.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 10, 2014)

You're sooo lucky to have a lemon tree on your property Falcon!  I love tart lemony treats.


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## SeaBreeze (Jan 31, 2018)

My PUR faucet filter had some serious hard water deposits on it, it was a plain white plastic one I used in the bathroom.  Whenever I changed filters, I'd try and scrub it with a toothbrush and Ajax, but could never get off the hard water deposits.  I finally went out and bought a new black fixture for the PUR and replaced it today.

My husband was telling me I should just try to soak it in bleach and scrub it with a toothbrush, but I decided to try pure white vinegar instead.  After letting it soak for around an hour, I had some Ajax handy to help with the scrubbing, but the deposits came off so easily that I didn't need it.  So I'll just be storing that away for the next time I need a replacement.  

Going to start using vinegar again more for cleaning.  When we were training the puppy I was washing the kitchen floor with vinegar and water mixture because I didn't want any chemicals around him, but since then I haven't used it much, except occasionally to clean the coffee pot.

I buy a large bottle of it from Costco.  I need to use it this spring to kill weeds that grow between the outside bricks and driveway.  Also want to try wiping down the windshield this winter when they predict frigid weather and snow, and see if it really stops that hard ice from forming.

Vinegar is so inexpensive to use and really effective.  I remember as a kid, my mom washing the windows with bunched up newspapers and vinegar solution.


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## nvtribefan (Jan 31, 2018)

I use vinegar for most cleaning applications, but for safety's sake, do not think of it as a disinfectant.  It is not!


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## HipGnosis (Feb 17, 2018)

I found an alternative use for re-usable, fabric grocery bags.
I was cleaning my kitchen and got to the top of my fridge...
I put the stuff that was up there into a re-usable, fabric grocery bag, cleaned the fridge top and then put the stuff back.


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## Gary O' (Feb 17, 2018)

I've found half gallon milk jugs to be handy

Other than cutting the bottom off and using as a scoop, I recently found an altered one useful when draining oil from small engines


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## Senex (Feb 25, 2018)

I discovered I was spending way too much on eyeglasses cleaner, and anti-fog spray. Went looking for a DIY answer, and found one:
https://healthfully.com/make-antifog-lens-cleaner-6395775.html
https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Soapy-Ammonia-Cleaning-Solution
This stuff is not just the best (and cheapest) cleaner, but also works as an anti-fog solution.


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## HipGnosis (Mar 1, 2018)

I've got a couple recipes that include fennel and caraway.
I don't make those often enough to justify buying a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.  I've looked for mortar and pestle many times at thrift stores.
But I've found an alternative;
I put a bit of the seeds in a heavy shot glass and use the end of a wooden spoon as the pestle.


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## SeaBreeze (Feb 25, 2019)

First time this ever happened while getting ready to have my morning coffee at the computer.  My cat ran really fast and jumped up onto my computer desk, with my full cup of coffee on it.  The coffee also had a tablespoon full of MCT oil in it.  After jumping up, he ran quickly across the desk, kicking the cup of coffee down to spray all over the carpet, luckily it didn't land in my keyboard or on my computer.

I just became annoyed and hurried to clean it up the lazy way.  I just grabbed a sponge and the spray foam carpet cleaner and sprayed it, or at least the parts I could locate because it went all over, but there was a large spot that was soaked, then rubbed it in with the sponge that was wet with cold water, then rinsed the sponge a couple of times with plain water to get up the cleaner.

Well, after we went about our business and saw the carpet a few hours later, it had a big nasty looking brown stain, I'm sure the oil in the coffee didn't help. 

So when it felt pretty dry, a few hours after that, I put a baking soda/salt mixture over it and rubbed it in with an old toothbrush, I had no larger brush unfortunately.  I let that set for an hour or so, then vacuumed it up, hoping to get up some of the oily residue.

I just made a mix of white vinegar and seltzer water in a bowl, and dabbed it onto the stain with white paper towels, the towels did turn a bit brown.  I dabbed, pressed and lifted a few more times and now I'm just letting it dry overnight.  I'll take another look at it in the morning and decide what else I need to do.  Right now it doesn't look too bad.


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## Keesha (Feb 25, 2019)

I’m sure you’ll get the stain out Seabreeze. 
Meanwhile im going to bookmark this page.
Some great info


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## Keesha (Feb 25, 2019)

Gary O' said:


> I've found half gallon milk jugs to be handy
> 
> Other than cutting the bottom off and using as a scoop, I recently found an altered one useful when draining oil from small engines


Yes! Use them as funnels. :clap:


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## Ken N Tx (Mar 7, 2019)




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## Ken N Tx (Mar 8, 2019)




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## jujube (Mar 8, 2019)

Ken N Tx said:


>



That was one of the old "You know you're a Redneck when:" jokes.  "You know you're a Redneck when you have a matched set of salad bowls and they all say CoolWhip".


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