Ideas within topic home,cleaning: (click suns to rate or comment on ideas)

1 When you buy food (like nuts or berries) that comes in a ziploc bag, after using up the contents save the empty bag to dispose of food waste for a day or two, resealing it to prevent odor. This really reduces bad smells and bugs. E-mail
 
2 A separate household garbage bin, colour-coded for collection by the local garbage service, only for organic waste (eg. vegetable waste etc.) and without plastic bags, for conversion into organic manure at a central plant. E-mail
 
3 Often, people print on only one side of a piece of paper, and then throw it out. However, a piece of paper can be used again on the other side for draft copies. E-mail
 
4 Transparent roof-top water tanks will allow easier checking of amount & cleanliness of stored water. With Sun-rays on water, much lesser chance of mosquito / insect larva growth in it. E-mail
 
5 In Japan they take off their shoes and put on special slippers before entering a home. This not only keeps your home cleaner, but it saves on the power required to clean it often. E-mail
 
6 Am anxious for someone to invent a sweeper attachment that is long, thin piece of metal to fit in narrow spaces, such as air conditioner vents, etc. E-mail
 
7 Ceiling fan blades are dirt catchers. A sleeve that slips over the blades (like a woman's stocking) could be slipped off and cleaned in the washing machine. Different colors would match blades for invisibility. E-mail
 
8 To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop, or add soap and a little water to pan before it cools. E-mail
 
9 With people living in dire poverty, there should be a plan implemented for them, to recycle the furniture, electronics, etc., that are routinely discarded as garbage or "junk" every day! Example E-mail
 
10 To keep your refrigerator smelling fresh, put a cut piece of lemon inside the fridge. This reduces the bad odors. E-mail
 
11 When washing dishes in your dishwasher, use white vinegar in the rinse compartment instead of those expensive rinse solutions. The dishes would never be more clean and they would actually squeak. E-mail
 
12 Rain water can be collected from building roofs to store in underground tanks. Washing clothes, watering plants in the garden or washing our cars can be done with that water. It may even be fit for drinking if it were purified. E-mail
 
13 Used pantyhose make an excellent disposable collector bag for grass clippings from your power mower. They can be held in place on the mower with a short bungee cord. They are very amusing to see standing up. E-mail
 
14 Paper products could be shredded and used for bedding for small pets or stuffed into old t-shirts to use for outside pet bedding (dogs, etc.). E-mail
 
15 To poison cockroaches and other insects, put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. It is less toxic to mammals. (borate) E-mail
 
16 To teach kids tiddiness, make cleaning fun. If my 2-year old opens a drawer and takes out a CD, I'll say, "Oh, a CD. Thank you. Please put it back in the drawer there." Surprisingly, she'll often happily comply, and I'll thank her again. E-mail
 
17 Think twice before you buy that newspaper or magazine. A small portion is usually read of each and then ends up in the garbage instead of re-cycled. Think, walk away, then think again--usually you won't buy and you won't miss it next week. E-mail
 
18 Catch gray water (from washing dishes) and use for outdoor plants, vehicles. (I've seen plans for simple filtering through sand in an old barrel).
 
19 Often, people throw away recyclable material just because they are too lazy. To prevent this, small recycling baskets should be kept near each garbage bin in houses so that it is easy to recycle. E-mail
 
20 Toothpaste is a very good cleaning agent for silverware and ornaments. E-mail
 
21 Vacuum cleaners use water to filter the air and hold the dirt instead of bags. It's cheaper, and you can dump the water in your garden when you are done! Some vacuums employ this technology now, but not nearly enough. E-mail
 
22 For washing your car: a water hose that has a soap dispenser and a brush attached to it. The hose has a button so you can shut off the soap when you want to spray water only. E-mail
 
23 For cleaning gold: Take a cup of warm water. Mix a spoon of detergent & half a teaspoon of turmeric powder. Keep the gold ornaments in this solution for 15-20 mins. Then clean with a soft brush. E-mail
 
24 Place sticky (honey, syrup, molasses and oil) containers on plastic lids in the cupboard or fridge to avoid sticky messes. E-mail
 
25 To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, push a handful of sodium bicarbonate down the drain, then stand back and carefully pour in a few deciliters vinegar. It will create gas to help push out the clog. Then add a liter of water. E-mail
 
26 Any food stain on clothes can be removed by rubbing with boric acid powder and washing with water. E-mail
 
27 Use the leftover slivers of soap to cut expenses! Cut a small pocket in a sponge and place small slivers of leftover soap into it for a sudsy washing sponge. E-mail
 
28 Use a toothbrush to scrub hard to reach surfaces such as behind and on faucets. E-mail
 
29 Use mats and boot racks to keep outdoor dirt outdoors. E-mail
 
30 To unclog a drain, charge an empty whipped cream can with 3CO2 cartriges. Put the can tip in the drain and hold a small wet towel around it to plug the drain. Discharge the can to force the clog down the pipe. Doesn't work if drain has a vent. E-mail
 
31 To make the bathroom a safer place, walk with your weight mostly on the front of your feet. You may also walk with your heel raised. This would reduce any chance of slipping. Practise this on dry floor to be fully in control of the way of walking. E-mail
 
32 To remove plaster stains from car roof (caused by water dripping from concrete ceiling in parking garage), spray glass cleaner or just water on the spots and leave for several minutes. Then rub with cloth towel. Repeat. E-mail
 
33 Toothpaste dispensers have been around in the past, but in my family we are continually cleaning up the past mess from around the sink and the lid from over squeezing the tube. I propose to have the tube placed downwards to prevent mess building up. E-mail
 
34 When a toothpaste tube gets to half full you have to squeeze it up from the bottom each time. Put a kitchen or office clip on the tube halfway up so it's like a full tube again! E-mail
 
35 To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt on the insides of your freezer. E-mail
 
36 For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. E-mail
 
37 Remove permanent ink from appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) using rubbing alcohol on paper towel by rubbing over it with a Dry Erase marker then immediately wiping it off. E-mail
 
38 Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers, and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. E-mail
 
39 To remove lingering smells from food storage containers, wash, dry, and stuff them with old newspaper. Close the lid. In a few days, the smell of onion or garlic will be gone. Or microwave them with a little water to boil out the odor. E-mail
 
40 Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. E-mail
 
41 Instead of throwing out biodegradable materials in the trash, put them in a separate container so that you can empty them onto a compost. E-mail
 
42 Recycled glass could be used in craft projects--similar to breaking up tiles for use on top of mosaic tables. E-mail
 
43 To save time on dinner dishes, before serving dinner, run a sink full of very hot soapy water. When everyone is finished eating dinner, tell them to wash and rinse their own plate. E-mail
 
44 Food should come in containers that dissolve if you soak in water. That would reduce household garbage. E-mail
 
45 Motorized trash can opener: Just push a button on the side of the can to open it. Inside and on the wall of the back of the garbage can is a motor attached to a rod that can either just push up or a rod that will unclip from the top of the garbage can. E-mail
 
46 Removable screen to put over a drain when washing one's hair. It will catch the hair while the water is free to go down the drain. E-mail
 
47 Negative ion generators may reduce indoor odors + particulates and may improve mood. E-mail
 
48 Use solar ovens and solar powered light bulbs instead of burning kerosene or candles indoors. E-mail
 
49 When you buy a product these days, you get a load of bumf written in so many different languages. Save storage space by cutting up the information leaflet or pamphlet leaving just the instructions in your language. Throw the rest away into recycle bins. E-mail
 
50 A newly painted room smells awful with the odor of the paint. Put vinegar in a bowl to absorb the odor. E-mail
 


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