Lemon Rub for Copper + Brass
Dip half a fresh lemon in salt and rub it over a tarnished metal. Wash with soapy water, rinse and buffer dry.
Oven Cleaner
Scrub a cold over with equal parts vinegar and water. If something spills in your oven, pour salt on the spill while the oven is still warm, and sweep out the salt with a brush when everything’s cool.
Killing the Fridge Demon
Clean your refrigerator’s walls, shelves and drawers with a solution of 1/2 cup water, 3 tablespoons baking soda, and 6 drops essential oil of your choice.
To absorb weird smells, leave a small, open box of baking soda in a corner of the fridge. Alternatively, you can use a small bowl of coffee grounds (unused coffee grounds, thanks). These two tricks work well for musty freezers, also.
Gross Food Tips
If your cooking pot is crusty with burnt stuff, scrub it with baking soda while it’s still hot.
Method 2: Use the pot to boil some water with a couple spoonfuls of baking soda thrown in. Let it sit until the food can be scraped off.
For really greasy dishes, add 1/2 cup lemon juice or vinegar to your dishwasher.
Appliance Cleaner
Mix together 2 parts each vinegar and lemon juice and 1 part water. Don’t leave your appliances plugged in when you clean them!
Cleaning a Coffeemaker
Fill the coffee maker’s water reservoir 1/4 full with white vinegar, and add water until totally full. Turn the little guy on and let the cleaner drip into the pot. Turn the maker off and let it cool. Pour the vinegar-water solution back into the reservoir and let it cycle through again. Repeat once more. Pour out the vinegar solution and replace with clean water. Let that cycle through twice, and then wash both the coffee pot and the grounds basket in warm, soapy water.
More from Make Your Place:
- Herbal Infusions for Skin Conditions
- Herbal Recipes for Ear, Nose, and Eye Health
- Herbal Remedies for Menstrual Symptoms
Excerpted with permission from Make Your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs, published by Microcosm Publishing, 2nd ed. 2018.
