Fill the pot with enough water to cover all the burnt stuff. Add some baking soda (1/3 c baking soda per quart of water). Bring to a rapid boil for at least ten minutes. Let cool overnight. Wash with soap and something nonabrasive. Repeat as needed.
Option one: Use liquid soap and water and give it a good scrubbing
Option two: Wash with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide, letting it sit for 10 inutes before removing, and then follow the same procedure with white distilled vinegar.
Kitchen and bathroom sponges:
Zapping sponges in the microwave 1-2 minutes a week will help to slow down the progression of the nasties that can live on them. Washing them with your hot loads will also help. Replace them every month or two.
Purses and Wallets:
Try not to set your purse down on the floor in a public place, especially bathrooms. Use hooks to hang it wherever possible. Wallets can actually be even worse, as they are usually kept in pockets, all nice and toasty warm…. Try not to overload your wallet with paper, including paper money. Take it out of your pocket whenever possible to let it breathe. Clean both purses and wallets as you can, with respect to the materials they are made of.
Remote controls and video game controllers and keyboards and phones and mice and door handles… :
Regularly wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe or spray. Wash your hands regularly, possibly even making a habit of doing so before sitting down to play a game or watch tv. Keep a bottle of disinfecting hand gel near your entertainment devices.
Pillows and mattreses:
The average person sheds 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires 1 qt per day – and that’s while doing nothing. Add in fungal mold and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibers, dust mites, insect parts, and a host of other items… and a mattress doubles its weight every ten years. After five years, 10% of that weight of a pillow is dust mites. Cover your mattress and pillows with impervious outer covers, and don’t forget to do the same for your box spring. Wash your sheets in hot water weekly. I’ve actually considered steaming mattresses, running off the theory that you might be able to clean them similarly to floors, and many pillows can be washed. There are also non-chemical sprays that will break down all of that “extra” organic matter. (BioKleen and Ecover both have variants.)
Refillable soap dispensers:
Apparently these are just a really bad idea. Use bars, and clean the things you rest them in when you clean the rest of the area.
Desk drawers:
Don’t keep loose food in them. Even if you manage not to do that, clean them regularly.
Cars:
Clean the inside surfaces. MInimize eating in the car. If you do eat in your car, make vacuuming it out part of your regular regimen.
I have not tested all of these, but wanted to have the ideas as a reference to hand.
Use to remove crayon from walls.
Can remove stains from carpet.
Sometimes can assist with tough stains in clothing or shoes
Cleaning piano keys.
Cleaning chrome.
Cleaning your nails.
Defogger.
Name: Vinegar
Latin:
Other Common Names:
Family:
Parts Used:
Vitamins/Minerals:
Used for: Vinegar can lower cholesterol, improve skin tone, moderate high blood pressure, combat osteoporosis, and improve metabolism.
Use in tandem with:
Directions & Warnings:
Other Uses: To clean countertops and get rid of mildew, mix a 1 to 1 vinegar and water solution and use in a spray bottle for cleaning. To use as a fabric softener, add 1/2 c to the rinse cycle. Clean your toilet with straight vinegar to get rid of rings and other nastiness. For a window cleaner, mix a 1 to 4 vinegar to water solution, and stick in a spray bottle for cleaning.