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Inconspicuous Consumption: Seeking Simple Ways Part 2 By Marilyn Houser Hamm

Inconspicuous Consumption: Seeking Simple Ways Part 2

By Marilyn Houser Hamm


One of the great gifts that I have given my mother over the years is the book, Haley’s Cleaning Hints/ A COMPILATION, by Graham and Rosemary Haley.  My mother and her infamously wise sisters were a trio of knowledge magnets when it came to smart cooking, kitchen, or household hints.  Between the book and their shared knowledge, I’ve learned that many basic household staples can effectively clean some common problems.


What can you do with the simple basic household staples of baking soda, vinegar, and salt?  Add ammonia, toothpaste, water softener, hairspray, and the treasure trove of cleaning ability is incredible. Baby oil and club soda are also great to have on hand.


For example, interior fridge deposits? Make a solution of 3 Tbsp. baking soda in 4 c. warm water. Harder stains/deposits? Apply a thick paste of water and baking soda, let sit for 1-2 hours, and rinse off with a 1-part vinegar to 4-part water solution.


Oven spills? Try one part cinnamon to 6 parts table salt. After the oven is cool, wipe up the mixture and enjoy the relief from burnt food odor. Hard-to-clean oven racks? Place racks in a garbage bag and “throw in an ammonia-soaked cloth.  Seal tightly and leave overnight. Wash down well with soap and water the next day.” (from “Appliances bigger than a bread box,” Haley’s Cleaning Hints, p. 29).


A small bottle of vinegar could replace the pricy  copper and brass cleaner, chrome cleaner, glass and toilet cleaners in our cupboards. Suede shoes can be cleaned with a brush dipped in 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water. Things like red wine stains on tablecloths can be removed with a little ordinary borax and water.


How about in the bathroom?  Chrome faucet taps can be cleaned by rubbing with half a lemon dipped in salt. No lemon? No problem – just use distilled white vinegar and salt on a cloth. Hard water deposits on shower heads and faucets? If removable, fill a container with half hot water and half vinegar.  Let soak for 1-2 hours. If you can’t remove the showerhead, pour 2-3 inches of vinegar into a small plastic bag and place over the whole shower head. Tape it and leave overnight.


From paint brushes to lint removal, time and again the solutions are ordinary items in our pantry and storage shelves.  By using them, we reduce our consumption of plastic containers, chemicals, and we link ourselves with the wisdom of that very-wise generation  before us. We also reduce the use of harsh and sometimes toxic chemicals in our waterways and homes.

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What are your best cleaning secrets?  Send us your eco-friendly cleaning hints at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Altona-Community-Action-Network-ACAN



ACAN seeks to educate and inspire sustainable practices in our community.

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