Cheap Cleaners

Homemade window cleaner:

You think I am going to say "vinegar" don't you? While it is a cheap cleaner and if you really work at it, doesn't leave streaks, I am here to say that you do not need a subscription to the newspaper so that you can wad it up and wash windows.

Vinegar was my go to for a while. It is cheap, especially at Costco, and doesn't hurt my skin. Thing is, it smells. I noticed it when I went to another person's house who using vinegar for everything. They had cleaned in the morning and by the afternoon I could still smell it and it did not smell clean to me.  Yes, it still has plenty of uses, there is no denying that, but for windows and general cleaning I use this mix, which is also cheap:

Window/All-Purpose Cleaner

2 2/3c. water
2/3 c rubbing alcohol
1 tsp dish detergent (or a little less like I do)
1 tsp ammonia

Mix it all in a clean spray bottle clearly marked for this cleaner and go to town. I use it on everything I would normally use a cleaner on. I find that my mirrors and windows are very streak free with little effort. Don't wash windows in the direct sunlight though, that will streak no matter what you are using.

For copper pans (or copper bottomed like a couple of mine) are taken care of with a mix of vinegar and some salt and baking soda to make a paste. Keep it in a container near the sink for easy access.

Burnt on gunk on the bottom of your pan? Throw some baking soda in there and simmer for a while. Check in here and there to see if it has loosened. The gunk will not just float away, but it will be considerable easier to remove.

Okay, off to the dentist with the child.