Monday, August 13, 2007

I am in love and his name is Baking Soda!

I must say I LOVE the smell of clean!! But I have recently come to appreciate a few of the basics that our Mothers cleaned with, back in the day. It all started when we were packing up and getting ready for our recent move. We had boxes everywhere and were feeling like we were making major progress by packing up so early. One afternoon, my kids went downstairs to the play room to watch a movie. It was a quiet moment for Mom to relax and maybe get a few things done.

I tiptoed down the stairs to peer in on my precious ones and found this:

JB = My 2 year old guilty son. He found a loose Sha*rpie lying around!

Wall = OMgoodness
Futon = Yikes
And Buzz = the least of my concerns! Cue the exhale! :)

So I realized quickly that my spray bleach cleaners were of no help to me. I was in need of real help! I began googling to find a cleaning product, for removing Sha*rpie ink, and was amazed at some of the simple suggestions.

The first one was BAKING SODA!!! You know the stuff you can buy BIG boxes of for $.35?! There were other suggestions but I tried this one. I took a baby wipe and baking soda and began my doubting journey of exploration. Guess what - it worked! I know it says on the box - for cleaning but I never used it for a cleaner. The only problem was the wall was so beautifully decorated that I had too much to scrub. So we did paint the wall instead. But the baking soda took the Marker right off of the Futon with little effort.

With my new love for Baking Soda fresh on my mind, I decided to use it when cleaning my tub or to remove scuff marks. My newest discovery is my new love and, I must say, I have about 4 boxes of the stuff lying around now! I am going back to the basics! I used the Baking Soda to scrub my tub at our prior home and it never looked cleaner. I wanted to leave the tub with a sparkly clean, so I followed with a towel, dried off excess dampness and sprayed Windex. My tub actually went 'Ding' when I looked at it! haha No, but really it shined! I felt freed from the $2 and $3 a bottle cleaners.

At our new home we have the baking soda in the pantry, ready for a mess, and Ammonia! Ammonia gives the clean smell I like but, once again, it is cheaper than the other stuff. Ammonia is my disinfectant and baking soda is my stain remover! Counter-Top Disinfectant recipe = 2 Tbsp. ammonia, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/4 cup vinegar, and water. Put ammonia, alcohol and vinegar in a spray bottle and fill with water. **NEVER NEVER NEVER USE AMMONIA WITH BLEACH - THIS CAN TRULY BE DEADLY!!!!***

I mean really! Who can not love a product that is so economical and useful!!! And the ammonia is the same - economical and useful. Have you read the label on a bottle of Ammonia lately?? They boast of cleaning all areas of the kitchen and bathroom, as well as windows, washing machines AND dryers. You can use it on woodwork, painted walls. Put it in the oven overnight and spills should just wipe off with ease!! Not to mention both products are safe for using with laundry! I tell you I'm smitten!

As with any new relationship, Baking Soda and I are still learning things about each other. I tried my new love on our green hard surface luggage, to remove smudges, and it took a bit of work to get the white discoloration out of the grooves. After several attempts to wipe clean with water, I tried Windex and then we finally had luck with Armor All. So you may not want to use Baking Soda on dark colored surfaces, it isn't easy to wipe off without a touch of residue remaining.

As for my son's art work, both my son and the surfaces came clean with a little scrubbing and Buzz... well, we needed to keep him as is, for a souvenir!

28 comments:

weavermom said...

Oh my! That's truly all I can think to say!

That - and who knew the 35 cent thing would actually WORK! Good info to know!

Amber said...

Melodye this is GREAT!!! I fell in love while reading this. I never knew that baking soda was that great. Thanks!!!

I kinda wondered what happened with that whole situation with your ARTISTIC son-LOL!

God Bless,
Amber

Heidi Jo Comes said...

mr. clean magic erasers...two to a box, lasts long time....cleans stuff up like this without breaking a sweat!

Anonymous said...

Baking soda has been such a great cleaner for me. I also love the pumice sticks I get at walmart for like $1.39. They take care of tub grime wonderfully.

striving... said...

Funny, My daughter does this, just on herself, not the walls anymore. Will baking soda work on her? Hmmmm, I wonder

MorningSong said...

I love the pumice sticks too Summershine!! They are awesome!

I do put baking soda in the tub when the kids have a bad rash on their bottom but I haven't really tried scrubbing them with it! haha
It may do the trick. It is a mild cleaning agent! :)

Lori said...

Thanks for the great idea. I'm headed off to clean my sinks and tubs with baking soda.
I'm all about using whatever is inexpensive.

Anna said...

Holy Cow! That was a lot of Sharpie. Well done for staying so calm!

Anonymous said...

OK, you've inspired me! My bathroom is in major need of a cleaning, but nothing seems to work on my tile. So I'm going to get some baking soda tonight and go to town! I'll let you know the results!

Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls

Momma Roar said...

I've used baking soda in my kitchen sinks, but never used it in the bathroom. Good to know. I also appreciate the 'recipe' for disenfectant - I've always just used the regular cleaners, now I have something new to try. Got anything for mirrors? (other than glass cleaner?)

MorningSong said...

Ammonia claims to clean glass! We shall see if that works. I think that is what they use in Windex by the way!

Amber said...

Alcohol is also good for cleaning windows and mirrors.

0:) Amber

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

Thanks for the tip....I have a few things I want to try it on right now.

Heidi Jo Comes said...

amber, i thought alcohol was good for calming down after finding a scene like the one pictured???

Amber said...

Heidi Jo,

We Multi-Tasking Moms pick multi-tasking products for multi-tasking purposes!!!

Wendy said...

I knew I could get stains off my countertop with baking soda, but it never occured to me to use it as such a multi-purpose cleaner. I can't wait to try it out on my bathtub! Not to mention all the other things I'm sure to give it a go on. I'll have to keep the ammonia in mind, too. Thanks for the great tips!

Anonymous said...

Cool! I can't believe that Sharpie came off at all! (ANd I still can't believe how much he drew!!)

Sandy said...

Yay for baking soda!
Great post, fun to come over and take a peak at your blog :)
Sandy

we are reilly said...

GREAT info! It's nice to hear about real moms using real products and nothing that you have to buy on an info-mercial! :)

This Journey of Mine said...

The pictures are just too funny. I had to show my husband.

Sorry you had to find out that this tip works!

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness!!! Mine have done something similar to that and I went for the Mr. Clean Eraser. It worked!

Raquel said...

OH mY!!! looks like my boys, thanks for the tip I did not know that one

3boyz said...

WOW!! I love it. I will have to give ole Mr. Baking Soda a try. Not so sure about amonia as I am allergic to chemical smells.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE this Melodye! My favorite sentences is: My tub actually went 'Ding' when I looked at it! Ha!

Aurelia said...

WOW Your little one sure is artistic (smile). I am so happy that you got it cleaned up so well!!

http://www.reallifesolutions.net/blog

MrsNehemiah said...

a little white vinegar will get that baking soda residue right off.
Mrs Nehemiah

MorningSong said...

Good to know Mrs Nehmiah!! I love finding new things to try!! Especially when they are economical!

MetaMommy said...

This is a great tip. I'll have to keep it in mind for that day when my son eventually discovers sharpies. *sigh*
I love the versatility of vinegar. To clean glass and windows, I use vinegar with a microfiber cloth, and I don't miss the Windex at all! I posted a few other cleaning ideas here