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Household remedies make a handyman a hero

House Doctor | Gary Dymski

September 16, 2004

My mother-in-law scoffed at my suggestion. My wife raised her eyebrows. When they are together, I have no chance.

Over their protests, I assured them that toothpaste, indeed, would clean a tarnished silver charm bracelet. My mother- in-law had purchased the bracelet in question - one of a matching pair she gave my daughters several years ago that had turned dark and grimy.

Instead of making a special trip to buy an expensive tarnish remover, I headed upstairs for a mild toothpaste and an old toothbrush. A few dabs of white stuff and several mild brush strokes later, and the tarnish was gone.

"Why, Gary," my mother- in-law said, "I never realized you were so smart." I smiled. She's only been my mother- in-law for 24 years.

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Despite my mother-in-law's surprise, you don't have to be a whiz kid to know the toothpaste trick. Some folks might think the stuff is too abrasive for fine jewelry and some might prefer to use a little ammonia or dish-washing soap, but toothpaste has always worked for me.

In fact, trying out common household ingredients as cleaners or pest controls is something I get a kick out of doing. A few weeks before stunning my mother-in-law with my brilliance, I revived the shine on the porcelain tub in the guest bathroom. After three consecutive weeks of house guests - my mother-in-law among them - the tub was a little grungy.

My wife was out of powdered cleanser. "Try two parts baking soda and one part salt," I told her. Her eyebrows shot up. But after I mixed up a batch of cleaner and lightly scrubbed with a long-bristled nylon brush, the tub surface sparkled.

I'm not alone in my search for homemade solutions. Not a week goes by that I don't get an e-mail or letter from a reader about a household remedy they'd like to recommend. I thought it was time I shared some of my favorites. I can't take credit for all of them - most have been used for ages and published elsewhere, including in a guide to household cleaners and remedies by Annie Berthold-Bond titled, "Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living." It's a great book. Anyone who likes saving money by making cleaners and household concoctions should have a copy. Visit Berthold-Bond's Web site - www.betterbasics.com - and you might just find some of these tried-and-true household remedies:

Easy cleaners

Equal parts baking soda, salt and borax powder make an excellent scouring cleaner for stainless-steel sinks and porcelain sinks and tubs. Use a long-bristled nylon brush or an old terry-cloth rag to rub it in, then rinse with water.
Cream of tartar and lemon juice also can remove stains from stainless steel. Mix them to make a paste, then work it into the stain with a soft rag. On heavy-duty stains, let the paste set overnight. Wipe clean.
1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt and 1 1/2 cups vinegar cleans drains. Mix the baking soda and salt, then pour it into the drain. Make a little pocket in the middle of the white mound with your finger, then pour the vinegar slowly down the drain. Let it foam for several minutes. Rinse with boiling water.

Laundry boosters

1/2 cup baking soda along with your regular detergent will help brighten a full load of whites or colors. Some say it works only with liquid soap, but I haven't found that to be true. We use it with both powder and liquid.
Borax is a great laundry disinfectant. We use it to keep the kids' ice hockey and soccer apparel - jerseys, socks and undergarments - smelling fresh. Look for 20-Mule Team Borax - the same stuff from "Death Valley Days" - in the laundry detergent aisle of your supermarket.

Bathroom brighteners

White vinegar dissolves soap scum and hard-water stains. Spray undiluted white vinegar on mica countertops and porcelain sinks. But please don't use it on marble.
Try lighter fluid or WD-40 to remove water spots from chrome faucets and handles.

Glass glisteners

Ditch the liquid blue stuff for 1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tablespoons corn starch. Dissolve it all in a gallon of warm water and use an old cotton-blended sheet to clean windows and glass. Some people advise drying the clean glass with newspaper, but - and maybe it's a result of my occupation - I prefer to use inexpensive paper towels.

Bugs be gone

Diatomaceous earth keeps ants and other bugs out of the home and garden. This powder, made from the skeletons of prehistoric algae, is abrasive to the soft bodies of certain insects. You could say it rubs ants and other bugs the wrong way. Buy diatomaceous earth at nurseries; sprinkle it around the foundation of your house or around ant hills. Be sure to buy the kind of diatomaceous earth that is not used in pool filters.
Boric acid, which can be purchased at pharmacies, is an effective ant killer. Make ant traps using a couple of teaspoons of boric acid, 1/4 cup hot water and 1 cup corn syrup. After mixing the ingredients, pour the concoction into small jar lids or shallow plastic lids from yogurt and margarine containers. Let the ants chow down for several days. Keep the mixture soft by adding a few drops of water. Change the menu to a teaspoon each of peanut butter and brown sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon boric acid. The ants will keep eating, bringing the poison back to the colony.

Here's one more tip: After cleaning your porcelain tub or sink with the above-mentioned baking soda and salt mixture, polish it with an inexpensive automobile polish. That's right. The polish will help repel water and soap stains.

And keep some toothpaste handy. One of these days, you might want to impress your mother-in-law.