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A solution to expensive cleaners

Sanitizing spray for kitchen, bathroom uses tablespoon of bleach in water

DEAR READERS: With grocery and gas prices going up, we all need to try to save wherever we can. A great place to start? Making your own safe and cheap cleaning solutions. Some of the expensive commercial sanitizing sprays are basically just a little household bleach and water, so why spend money on packaging and advertising?

Mix up your own by adding 1 tablespoon of household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) to 1 quart of water and pour into a labeled spray bottle. This simple sanitizing spray can be safely used on most kitchen countertops, but not on natural marble.

It's also great for sanitizing most surfaces in the bathroom, too. Use it on shower tiles and doors, tubs, counters, shower curtains and sinks (not real marble or unsealed granite). Spraying a little on the grout in the tub/shower between cleanings (and opening a window or turning on the exhaust fan to let the moisture escape) can help prevent mold and mildew.

Most cleaning around the house can be tackled with a few cheap ingredients that you probably have sitting in your cabinet right now. For more low-cost formulas, I have a brand-new six-page Homemade Cleaning Solutions pamphlet, which you can have by sending $5 and a long, self-addressed, stamped (58 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Cleaners, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001. You'll find money-saving ways to clean windows, stainless steel, woodwork — even your cleaning tools, such as mops, sponges and rags. For an all- purpose cleaner that costs less than 10 cents to make and works great on grease and grime, mix 1/2 cup of sudsing ammonia (it has a little detergent in it) with enough water to make 1 gallon of cleaner. — Heloise.

Travel hint

DEAR HELOISE: If you are flying with your spouse, pack half of your items in each suitcase, sharing them. That way, if a bag gets lost, you still will have some clothes. — James, via e-mail.

Dear James: Good point. It's called ''split the risk and hope they both show up!'' — Heloise.

Decorative tray

DEAR HELOISE: While looking for a nice, decorative tray to display perfume bottles on my bathroom counter, I found everything in the stores to be too big for the five to six small bottles in my collection. Then I discovered that I had a beautiful glass picture frame from which the cardboard stand had broken off the back — it made a great substitute. Depending on how many bottles you have, a 5-by-7-inch or even an 8-by-12-inch frame is the perfect size. Simply leave the glass in the frame and remove the backing, and it looks beautiful. — Laurie Simon, Tuscola, Texas.

Clay-pot pieces

DEAR HELOISE: One use for small shards of broken clay pots: Place a piece over the drain hole in the bottom of an unbroken clay pot before putting in a plant. This keeps most of the dirt from draining out of the pot, while still allowing excess water to drain. — Kathy, via e-mail.


If you have a question or a tip you'd like to share, fax it to 210-HELOISE or e-mail heloise@compuserve.com, or write to Heloise, Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000.

DEAR READERS: With grocery and gas prices going up, we all need to try to save wherever we can. A great place to start? Making your own safe and cheap cleaning solutions. Some of the expensive commercial sanitizing sprays are basically just a little household bleach and water, so why spend money on packaging and advertising?

Get the full article here.


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