All-Purpose Cleaning

Make a spray that will clean most areas of your home (except marble and especially stubborn grime). Mix 13 ounces of hot water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, 15 drops of grapefruit essential oil, ten drops of lavender essential oil, and seven drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle. This all-purpose cleaner also can be made without essential oils if you don’t have any on hand.

For soft surfaces like marble, combine 1/4 cup of vodka, 2-3/4 cups of distilled water, 1/4 teaspoon of lavender essential oil, and 1/8 teaspoon of tea tree essential oil. Again, essential oils can be omitted if you do not have any on hand.

Drain Cleaner

Regularly, use the following mixture to keep drains flowing: Combine 1 cup each of baking soda and table salt with 1/4 cup of cream of tartar, then stir well. Pour 1/4 cup of this mixture into the drain. Add 1 cup boiling water. When the bubbling ends after a few minutes, flush entirely with cold water. Store leftover mixture in a tightly covered metal or glass container.

To clean out a grease-clogged drain or to loosen a blockage, combine 1 cup each of baking soda, salt, and white vinegar. Pour down the drain. After 15 minutes, flush thoroughly with 2 quarts of boiling water.

Red Wine Spills

Treating red wine spills will be made easier if you follow these three rules:

• Do not scrub;
• Do not procrastinate; and,
• Do not apply heat.

First, use an absorbent cloth to blot as much of the spilled wine as possible. Then coat the spill with table salt. (Alternatively, you can use baking soda, talcum powder, or even cat litter.) Let this sit on the spill for a while, pulling the red wine out of the carpet or fabric. When the spill is dry, clean up the salt (or another drying agent). Then apply a mixture of three parts hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar and one part dishwashing liquid to the red wine stain. Let this sit for at least 20 minutes, then blot clean. Use cold water thoroughly to wash out the mixture.

Never Combine These Chemicals

Some chemicals should never be combined because they create hazardous fumes.

• Bleach and vinegar combine to produce chlorine gas, which causes coughing, problems breathing, and burning eyes.
• Bleach and ammonia make a toxic gas called chloramine.
• Bleach and rubbing alcohol create chloroform, which is highly toxic.
• Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar form peroxyacetic acid, which can be highly corrosive.