need embarassingly simple ideas for a cleaner/degreaser
Posted by bittercritter on Sep 11, 2008 · Member since Jul 2006 · 4 posts
i need a cleaner/degreaser. Simple Green doesn't seem to work--neither does Oxy-Clean. I want to clean the crap off my cupboards (greasy fingerprints, etc.), and i'm always open for suggestions concerning pee-pee in carpets. How bout something involving vinegar or baking soda or something i already have in my cupboard that won't kill kittens or endanger bald eagles? Go ahead and dumb it down as far as you need to for me because i admit to being naive on this one. What does everyone swear by that i'm missing? do i need to invest in something like 'seventh generation'? i'm so terribly, terribly poor (*sniff*).
actually, I've found vinegar by itself to be a good cleaner. The combo of vinegar and baking soda can be a little abrasive, depending on the surface, but it works very well.
vinegar + spray bottle = degreaser
Use a scrubby sponge! As long as you don't go to town too much with the scrubbing, you won't scratch your surfaces but will get the gunk off. They even have "scratch-free" scrubby sponges. Also, Bar Keepers Friend and Bon Ami are two cleaners that are just salt-based, I think, and aren't tested on animals. They are abrasive cleaners like Comet, but don't have any scent and don't contain harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach--just white powder with scrubbing abilities.
Another cleaning product that works well, smells good, isn't tested on animals, and is harsh-chemical free is the new Clorox Green Works. I buy the concentrated stuff and make my own diluted cleaners. I think it's like $3 for a bottle and it lasts a long time. You can use it for floors, counters, bathrooms, cupboards, pretty much anywhere.
As far as carpet pee stains...enzyme cleaners are the best. Nature's Miracle is one that is commonly found at pet stores (though I'm unsure if it's cruelty-free), but there are other enzyme-based cleaners marketed for pet stains that are in health food stores.
Wow, I sound like a cleaning freak...anyway, hope it was helpful!
magic erasers!!!! they kick ass - even the store brand rip off ones! they get marks off walls, cupboards everything. and today i used it on an old box style fan that was just sitting in my kitchen for a long time as decoration and it got kinda caked on with grease and gunk and it cleaned it right off - no extra spray or anything. when i was moving out of my last place i used it to clean the greasiness all over the vent/hood thing over the stove and seriously those things are amazing. and there is no simpler thing than just running to walgreens and buying a box. go! now!!
*i am not a paid spokesperson for mr. clean*
this was my first post and i was overwhelmed w/the response. I especially dig de simple responses. i was afraid that the answer to my greasy query was the 'baking soda and wait' thing. i guess i'm the impatient-yet-openminded type. anyway, i'm actually familiar w/the standard answers for the 'how do i get snoopy's pee pee out o' my carpet' questions. we in the business say, 1. odor neutralizer 2. enzymatic cleaner. i guess i was just feeling around for some miracles other than the ones i already knew about. Crap. here i go to sittin, waitin & scrubbin.
I get this little email tidbit every day with ideas on how to green your life simply, and there was recently a tip on cleaning with vinegar.
Veni Vidi Vinegar
vinegar + spray bottle = degreaser
Ditto! Tht's the only thing I use in my kitchen! You gotta work a little harder with some good ol' fashion elbow grease, but it works great!!
AND, for the really tough stuff, baking soda + vinegar. It's like a little science experiment! It is the ONLY thing that can get my stove and kitchen sink clean.
ETA: I missed carrot_wench's comment on this. I do use it on really tough things though.
Magic erasers are indeed awesome, especially for spring-cleaning type tasks like cleaning scuffs off of baseboards.
(I think baking soda and vinegar is the way to go, but FWIW I find that Target has very reasonably priced 7th generation cleaners. I get my dish soap there, and I find their cleanser to be quite effective on grease.)
Use a scrubby sponge! As long as you don't go to town too much with the scrubbing, you won't scratch your surfaces but will get the gunk off. They even have "scratch-free" scrubby sponges. Also, Bar Keepers Friend and Bon Ami are two cleaners that are just salt-based, I think, and aren't tested on animals. They are abrasive cleaners like Comet, but don't have any scent and don't contain harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach--just white powder with scrubbing abilities.
Another cleaning product that works well, smells good, isn't tested on animals, and is harsh-chemical free is the new Clorox Green Works. I buy the concentrated stuff and make my own diluted cleaners. I think it's like $3 for a bottle and it lasts a long time. You can use it for floors, counters, bathrooms, cupboards, pretty much anywhere.
As far as carpet pee stains...enzyme cleaners are the best. Nature's Miracle is one that is commonly found at pet stores (though I'm unsure if it's cruelty-free), but there are other enzyme-based cleaners marketed for pet stains that are in health food stores.
Wow, I sound like a cleaning freak...anyway, hope it was helpful!
oh, gawsh, i forgot that anyone might still care. i gave up on this conundrum eeeeons ago, but have just tonight been poking around my vegweb profile. i always assumed i was being told to slither off and crump by you distant-and-unavailable-vegweb-folks. i take back everything i ever said about you.
I second magic erasers! the best thing ever. I even recommend them to my spray tan clients if they get a streak. It will buff right off with the magic eraser
If you don't mind stinking up your place for a bit:
Steep/infuse some parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and lemon peel in some vinegar.
I tend to put the mixture in the microwave to heat.
It works really well.
you guys...you shouldn't have. i blush and blush. i have access to a magic eraser but i can't touch it for fear of horrible ramifications. i will simply shake something in a shake-bottle and just spray. let the stupid cats scatter. they'll be back: lorrrd, how they'll be back. this is where i feed them, after all. *schprittttz*
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=18120.0
There is a whole category of household cleaners of different types here on VW. This one is an effective de-gunker.
I <3 Baking soda for everything!