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dry.
    Aluminum pots and pans—cream of tartar mixture
    Mix together ¼ cup cream of tartar, ¼ cup baking soda, ¼ cup white vinegar, and 2tablespoons liquid soap. Store the mixture in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Label and keep out of reach of children. To use, rub a small amount of the cleaner on the aluminum pan and scour with fine steel wool.
    Ashes
    Use a spray bottle filled with water to very lightly dampen ashes before you start to sweep.
    Baking soda—all-purpose cleaner
    Baking soda is a nonabrasive cleanser. Use it without worry on fine china, porcelain appliances, the inside of the refrigerator, stainless steel, aluminum, and cast iron. You can use it either in its powdered form or mix it with water to make a paste. Baking soda is a wonderful cleaner for everything from countertops to rolling pins to gold-trimmed dishes. And if you want to remove an offensive odor, think baking soda.
    Baking soda—dispenser
    Keep baking soda handy by pouring some into a dispenser with a sprinkle top. An old salt- or pepper shaker or Parmesan cheese dispenser that is refillable works well. Use it for microwave oven cleanup and to rid the counter of coffee stains.
    Ballpoint pen ink on plastic
    Really cheap hair spray removes ballpoint pen ink from plastic because it has a high amount of acetone.
    Bathroom and kitchen cleaner—homemade
    Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart of warm water for a basic bathroom cleaner. Use dry baking soda on a damp sponge for tough areas. Baking soda will clean and deodorize all kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
    Bathtub—caulking
    Use rubbing alcohol to clean silicone caulking around bathtubs.
    Bathtub—clean with a mop
    Mops offer an easy-on-the-back-and-knees alternative for cleaning the bathtub. Sprinkle tub with cleanser and swish away grime.
    Bathtub—porcelain ring removal
    To remove that really gross bathtub ring, apply a paste of hydrogen peroxide mixed with cream of tartar to stained porcelain surfaces. Scrub lightly, let dry, then rinse with warm water. Repeat if necessary.
    Blender
    To clean a blender, fill it less than halfway with hot, soapy water, replace the lid, and turn the machine on at the lowest speed for a minute or two. Rinse the blender thoroughly, then towel-dry it before using again.
    Brass—lemon, baking soda
    Rub the surface of brass with a slice of fresh lemon sprinkled with baking soda. Rinse well and wipe dry.
    Brass—lemon, salt
    Polish outdoor brass with lemon and salt. Cut a lemon in half, dip the cut side into salt, and use as an applicator. Do not use this on brass that has a permanent protective coating.
    Candleholders
    Clean wax drips from candleholders by putting them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or an old towel in a warm oven set to 200ºF. The paper or towel will catch the wax as it drips.
    Candles
    Clean dusty, dingy candles by wiping them with rubbing alcohol.
    Can opener blade
    To clean that cruddy electric can opener blade, soak an old toothbrush in vinegar, holdit under the blade wheel, and turn on the can opener.
    Carpet—blot it out
    After you clean a spot on the carpet, don’t rub it dry. Instead, place a clean, white towel on top of the spot and weight it down with a book or heavy jar. Leave it overnight and it will act as a blotter to transfer all traces of the stain and whatever you used to treat the stain to the towel.
    Carpet—clean right before you leave town
    Plan your departure time wisely so you can shampoo your carpets right before you’re ready to walk out the door for a weekend trip or vacation. The carpet can dry without foot traffic for several days while you’re gone.
    Carpet—clean -spot protector
    Use a small, clean, plastic basket in which berries are sold to cover a place on the carpet you’ve just spot-shampooed. Upside down, the basket permits air to circulate, yet keeps family members and pets off the spot until it