OVEN CLEANERS

The first step is prevention. Put a sheet of aluminum foil on the floor of the oven, underneath but not touching the heating element. Although this may slightly affect the browning of the food, the foil can be easily disposed of when soiled. Clean up the spill as soon as it occurs.

Fill a small glass bowl with 1/2 cup full-strength ammonia, place in oven and close. Let stand overnight, then wipe loosened dirt with paper towels or newspapers. If necessary, rub surfaces with a suitable abrasive, such as fine steel wool, then wash with warm soapy water and rinse. Repeat process if necessary.

Salt While the oven is still warm, sprinkle salt on the spill. If the spill is completely dry, wet the spill lightly before sprinkling on salt. When the oven cools down, scrape away the spill and wash the area clean. Retard grease buildup in your oven by dampening your cleaning rag in vinegar and water before wiping out your oven. Baking Soda and Very Fine Steel Wool Sprinkle water followed by a layer of baking soda. Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots. Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or a sponge. Rinse well and wipe dry.

Don't want to spend a lot time on oven cleaning? Place ammonia (about 1 cup) in an aluminum pie pan and place it in the oven overnight. In the morning, simply remove the pan and wipe the oven clean with a damp sponge. If you do this often (about once a month) you won't have to spend money on harmful chemicals to do the job.

LAUNDRY

If you have stubborn grease stains on your work clothes: Add a bottle of Coke with detergent. It'll help loosen the grease.

Toss a few old bath towels in the washing machine when you wash your shower curtains The towels will rub back and forth against the curtain, which helps remove all traces of dirt and soap scum. Hang shower curtains back up right out of the washing machine. They will dry quickly and the wrinkles will fall right out. Most have at least some plastic on them that can melt in the dryer.

You can economically repair any tears on your ironing board cover by attaching iron-on patches. You don't even have to know how to sew!

To speed drying time of big bulky items and jeans, add a dry towel to the wet items you're placing in the dryer. The towel will help absorb some of the excess moisture.

White Vinegar. Eliminate soap residue by adding 1 cup of white vinegar to the washer's final rinse. Vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics but strong enough to dissolve alkalis in soaps and detergents. Vinegar also breaks down uric acid, so adding 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water is especially good for babies' clothes. To get wool and cotton blankets soft and fluffy as new, add 2 cups white vinegar to a full tub of rinse water. DO NOT USE VINEGAR IF YOU ADD CHLORINE BLEACH TO YOUR RINSE WATER. IT WILL PRODUCE HARMFUL VAPORS.

Baking Soda. 1/4 to 1/2 cup baking soda per wash load makes clothes feel soft and smell fresh.

Dry Bleach. Dry bleaches containing sodium perborate are of low toxicity (unless in strong solution, then they can be irritating to the skin). Use according to package directions.

To whiten yellowed silk or wool: Mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar in 1 pint of water. Sponge with this solution and rinse. Wash as usual.

Chocolate stains: Use club soda. Soak stain with club soda before washing.

Cola stains Use white vinegar. Apply undiluted vinegar directly to the stain within 24 hours. Wash as usual.

Perspiration stain: White Vinegar or Lemon Juice. Sponge stains with a weak solution of white vinegar or lemon juice. (Takes out the odors too. Sometimes takes a few times before it does so, but it really works! Even on those odors that have been washed and dried in several times!)

Grease on suede: Vinegar. Sponge spot with a cloth dipped in vinegar. Dry and restore nap by brushing with a suede brush.

Baking Soda. You can cut the amount of chlorine bleach used in your wash by half when you add 1/2 cup baking soda to top loading machines or 1/4 cup to front loaders.

Vinegar. To remove smoky odor from clothes, fill your bathtub with hot water. Add 1 cup white vinegar. Hang garments above the steaming bath water.

Cornstarch. For homemade laundry starch, dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 1 pint cold water. Place in a spray bottle. Shake before using. Clearly label the contents of the spray bottle.

To return discoloured socks to their original color: Boil them in a pot of water with a few slices of lemon. The fruit acts as a natural bleach.

Remove crayon from clothing: Wash & dry clothes and not know a crayon had been missed? Try this. 1. Wash all clothes again using pure soap (not detergent), a box of baking soda and the hottest water possible. 2. Repeat if necessary