Alternative uses for household items?

@Maggie8K vinegar and baking powder can be used as a stain remover in the washing machine too - a cheap version of those fancy “oxy action” stain removing products that bubble!

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Hi @Maggie8K

Before I discovered white vinegar, I used apple cider vinegar with baking soda to clean a stovetop of a previous home that I was putting up for sale.

I sold a home a few years ago that was built in 1963. The home had an electric stovetop with burners with a separate oven–that I think both were also from 1963. :sweat_smile:

I would clean the stove, but it wasn’t as clean as I would have liked with the grease build up, particularly underneath the burners.

I did a google search on “ways to degrease a stove” and came across vinegar and baking soda. The article did not specify white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, so I used what I had–which was apple cider vinegar. I was amazed at the results and how fast the combination of apple cider vinegar and baking soda worked.

My stovetop was sparkling clean and I felt like I had discovered a “well hidden secret”. :shushing_face:

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A call-out for folks who use vinegar or lemons: Be careful with those around marble — they can etch permanently, because of acidity.

Basically, marble is an easily stained or damaged countertop, so beware if you encounter them on sits. Even cutting carrots, tomatoes and such, or spilling such juices onto marble can leave marks.

If marble is stained lightly, depending on what it is, you can make a stain remover with baking powder. Turn it into a paste with water, spread on the stain and put some cling film over it and let it sit overnight. It will either remove or lighten such stains. The cling film is aimed at keeping the paste from drying out.

Marble is supposed to be sealed in many countertops, but seals can wear down if not refreshed and you might encounter that on sits.

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I began a sit today and the HO said that the dog loves tomatoes and she has a marble kitchen countertop.

This is good to know. Thank you!

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I just did a sit with a white marble countertop and you could see all sorts of marks on it — like old water rings from cups, glasses, pots, pans or such. The house was new about a decade ago.

The edges of the counter also had various dings or chips, because marble is soft and easy to damage.

Personally, I wouldn’t install it as a countertop unless I didn’t care about such normal wear and tear, which is hard to avoid in a kitchen or bath.

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It was shared with me by someone who hired whiteboards out to businesses - I think her discovery was out of sheer desperation!

When I saw marble for the first time, I was in a store in Kuwait and I marveled at its beauty.

Perhaps when people choose marble, they do not foresee or think about the wear and tear, the upkeep, or the maintenance—but only the beauty.

Over time, most things will wear down and if not properly maintained, they will wear down sooner than one would hope.

Yup. It’s beautiful. Nowadays, you an install various human-made countertops that look like marble, but wear much, much better, with no upkeep.

I do love generations-old marble flooring that’s acquired character. Saw it last in an old school that had been converted into retail space.

I think this must be a trick! If you’re silly enough to get chewing gum in your hair maybe you’ll wear peanut butter too… :rofl: :rofl:

I use eucalyptus oil to remove sticky stuff.
I make my own apple cider vinegar and also use it with baking soda - it cleans things so well. Eucalyptus and baking soda gets off permanent marker.

@Gabba

I was wondering also of how someone could get chewing gum in his/her hair. Perhaps a bubble gum fiend who was not paying attention. :sweat_smile:

Or perhaps It could be kids–maybe one mischievous sibling put gum in another’s sibling’s hair. :thinking:

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Hand sanitiser also removes permanent marker from laminated worksheets. I suspect a lot of schools discovered this in 2020!

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@Gabba @sharondc : My thought was that someone fell asleep with gum in their mouth and then it ended up in their hair. I did not invest much time in my theory though.

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But NEVER balsamic because that is just too yummy to waste - especially the true, aged Italian version !

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Probably the most common reason someone ends up with gum in their hair is someone else put it there as a prank or out of spite.

I certainly hope that the most common reason isn’t common at all

I don’t think it happens much. Like consider how many people you know who’ve had that problem. But it’s also hard to get your hair stuck with gum randomly. Gum isn’t going to adhere even if you brush past it with long hair. It takes pressure to attach to hair so much that you’d need a peanut butter-type remedy. Which is why it would probably have to be intentional.

Technically with scissors I think the gum is still in the hair

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My apartment is next door to the porter’s closet where the bin for the cans is located. Getting the cans clean before dumping them in the bin is very important so that the closet doesn’t smell and we don’t get bugs. (The bin gets emptied daily, but still). Therefore I clean the cat food cans thoroughly before they go out to the bin. I’ve found the best way to get into the grooves of the can and avoid the super sharp can edge under the flip top is to use a toothbrush. I explain to housesitters that I am not a clean freak demanding they wash cans with a toothbrush. It’s just the best way to avoid cutting oneself and to get the cans clean.

A wipe with bio wash liquid (for washing clothes) is great for cooker tops / hobs because it contains enzymes which break down fats. This also makes it fabulous for cleaning cooker hoods (wipe it on, leave for a while, then wipe off - no agitation required so there’s no risk of scratching). Try soaking cooker hood grease filters overnight in a bucket of hot water with bio liquid then just watch the grease slide off when you rinse them!

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That sounds most satisfying :upside_down_face:

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