Grandma likely used every one of these, how about you?
#1 Soak Greasy Tools in Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola might not be good for your waste or teeth but it sure is good for cleaning tools and sticky surfaces. Since the late 1800s, when cola was invented mechanics have been using it as a cleaner for their tools and for mechanical items. New Jersey textile designer William H. Carroll’s says “Soak in Coke!” When tools or mechanical items get all plugged up with oil and grease, just soak them overnight in a Coca-Cola bath and it will cut the grease and make them shine. Coca-Cola costs less than water so there’s no expense here.
#2 Freshen Up a Room Using Coffee Grinds
A house that has a fireplace that hasn’t been used for some time can start to have a sooty odor from drafts circulating through the house. The 1914 Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests using coffee grinds to freshen the air: Crumple old newspapers, put them in the fireplace, and sprinkle ground coffee on top of the newspapers. Light the fire and let it burn. The coffee scent will over power the soot smell.
#3 Non-toxic Cleaner: Baking Soda and Murphy Oil Soap
This is a very effective bathroom cleaner recipe that’s natural. All you need is baking soda and Murphy Oil Soap, a biodegradable, phosphate-free vegetable oil soap invented way back 1905. Sprinkle baking soda on your porcelain bathroom fixtures and then rub with a wet rag. Add a little bit of Murphy Oil Soap to your rag and keep rubbing. Then rinse well. For the toilet, sprinkle baking soda inside the bowl followed by Murphy Oil Soap. Then scrub with a toilet brush.
#4 Save the Cooking Water
When you prepare pasta, corn on the cob, potatoes, or vegetables, don’t pour the hot water down the drain. Save the water and when it has cooled dump it directly onto a thirsty plants.
