We have gotten so used to having every cleaning product available to us at our fingertips that when we run out we simply panic. What many of us do not realize is that with the convenience of all those great products we are loading our house with dangerous fumes and toxins. One word of caution though many of the tips here would be considered old wives tales (that worked!). from many years, back. Much of the furniture, carpets, and appliances of today are made with very different materials then "way back when". So ideally, you should spot test before you try any of the homemade quick fixes. Windows For those of us who are old enough to look back at the "good old days" we can remember our grandparents windows would just sparkle. You almost had to touch them (if you dared) to be sure that there was actually glass there. They certainly did not have all the fancy glass and window cleaners that we have today. So what did they use? They would use for the most part vinegar and water. Just as plain and simple as that. There was a trick though to getting that extra sparkle that they would use. After they wiped (not sprayed) the windows well with the vinegar water solution, they would dry the window with crumpled newspaper. This would make them glisten. If you are going to try this, be careful with the type of newspaper that you use. Much of our paper today is recycled and does not hold the print as well. This could mean getting printers ink all over your windows so test first. Stretching the Budget: Money was scare so it had to be made go as far as possible. Nothing went to waste including an ordinary bar of soap. Years ago, soap bars were as hard as rocks. As manufacturers started to add more ingredients to them, they became softer however; they would break down in water faster. To get that soft bar hard and last a little longer just take it out of its wrapper and leave it in a dry place for 3 or 4 weeks. All of the moisture will evaporate from it. Its still a great bar of soap just lasts a lot longer that is all. Another budget stretcher was the preservation of the lard for deep frying foods. It would have been a luxury if the lard could be thrown out after a few uses but that was definitely forbidden. In order to remove all the after tastes that are left in fat for deep frying one just has to fry a single potato slice in it and that will clarify the fat. No more nasty left over tastes from the last frying. Quick Fixes: Some daily household items are interchangeable in a pinch. For example if you run out of dish soap then just use a small amount of shampoo. Incidentally, if you pick up a cheap bottle of shampoo from the dollar store it makes great hand wash.
If you run out of laundry detergent then just use some of your dish soap. If you run out of liquid fabric softener, just add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse water when washing your clothes. These are just a few of the old time hints when a budget is tight. About the Author: Thoreau Chuong enjoys writing about home improvement, home & garden, and other home related articles. If you live in Texas, request a free quote on our website home remodeling Dallas TX or home remodeling Fort Worth TX.