Back To Basics Cleaning #1 . . .

Sunday afternoon I was thumbing through the April edition of the magazine, Real Simple. I found an interesting article about all-natural solutions for making quick work of countless cleaning chores. Today I'm going to share the uses for 3 common kitchen items when it comes to cleaning.

LEMONS

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

and clean that grimy faucet or smelly garbage disposal

while you're at it.

USE THEM TO CLEAN YOUR . . .

COUNTERTOPS: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don't use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).

DISHES: To increase the grease cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

FAUCETS: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great.

PLASTIC FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual

TABLE SALT

Forget your doctor's warnings about excessive salt.

Go ahead: Sprinkle liberally in any room.

USE IT TO CLEAN . . .

ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.

GLASSWARE: Salt won't scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get our stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.

SPILLS IN THE OVEN: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it our of the oven, pout salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.

KETCHUP

Sure, it's a bottle of ketchup. But it's also a copper cleaner in disguise.

USE IT TO . . .

Remove tarnish from copper and crass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Come back next Monday for info on soda, toothpaste, & vinegar. . .

Have a great start to your week!