Cleaning the house shouldn’t be a difficult task since there are a lot of options available. For instance, ammonia is one of the most powerful cleaning products in your arsenal which often plays a second fiddle to bleach. No one should underestimate the power of this affordable, multipurpose household product that can easily be used to clean countertops, floors, windows…almost everything.
1. Clean Your Oven
When it comes to electric ovens turn the oven on, let it warm to 150°F, and then turn it off. Place a small bowl with ½ cup ammonia on the top shelf and a large pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf. Close the oven door, and let it sit overnight. The next morning, remove both bowls, and let the oven air out. Then wipe clean using the ammonia and a few drops of dish washing liquid diluted in a quart of warm water.
2. Clean Oven Racks
The cooked on grease can be easily removed from your over racks if you lay them on a towel in the bathtub. Fill the tub with warm water and add ½ cup ammonia. Let the racks soak for at least 15 minutes, then remove, rinse off, and wipe clean.
3. Make Your Crystalware Shine
Mix several drops of ammonia in 2 cups water to bring back the luster of your crystalware. Use a soft cloth to clean them. At the end, rinse them with clean water, then dry with a soft dry cloth.
4. Eliminate Paint Odors
Absorb fresh paint odors by placing small dishes of ammonia in each room that’s been painted. If the smell persists after several days, replenish the dishes.
5. Clean Fireplace Doors
Mix 1 tablespoon ammonia, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 quart warm water in a spray bottle. Spray on some of the solution; let it sit for several seconds, then wipe off with an absorbent cloth. Repeat if necessary.
6. Clean Gold And Silver Jewelry
Clean up gold and silver by soaking then for 10 minutes in a solution of ½ cup clean ammonia mixed in 1 cup warm water. Gently wipe clean with a soft cloth and let dry.
Important!!! Don’t soak jewelry containing pearls in the ammonia solution because they could get dull.
7. Remove Tarnish From Brass Or Silver
Gently scrub items with a soft brush dipped in a bit of ammonia. Wipe off any remaining liquid with a soft cloth – or preferably chamois.
8. Remove grease and soap scum
To get rid of ugly grease and soap-scum buildups in a porcelain enamel sink or tub, scrub it with a solution of 1 tablespoon ammonia in 1 gallon hot water. Rinse thoroughly when done.
9. Remove Stains From Clothing
- Rub out perspiration, blood, and urine stains on clothing by dabbing the area with a half-strength solution of ammonia and water before laundering.
- Remove most non-oily stains by making a mixture of equal parts ammonia, water, and dishwashing liquid. Put in an empty spray bottle, shake well, and apply directly to stain. Let it set for two or three minutes, and then rinse out.
- To erase pencil marks from clothing, use a few drops of undiluted ammonia and then rinse. If that doesn’t work, put a little laundry detergent on the stain and rinse again.
- Remove washed-in paint stains from clothes by saturating them several times with a half-ammonia, half-turpentine solution, and then tossing them in the wash.
10. Clean Carpets And Upholstery
Remove stains from carpets and upholstery by sponging them with 1 cup clear ammonia in ½ gallon warm water. Let dry thoroughly, and repeat if needed.
11. Window Cleaner
Just wipe dirty, grimy windows with a soft cloth dampened with a solution of 1 cup clear ammonia in 3 cups water.
12. Clean Bathroom Tiles
Kill mildew and bring back the sparkle of your tile by sponging them with ¼ cup ammonia in 1 gallon water.
13. Remove stains From Concrete
Get rid of discolorations on your concrete by scrubbing them with 1 cup ammonia diluted in 1 gallon water. Hose it down well when done.
14. Get Rid Of Mildew
Clean mildew off unfinished and painted wooden patio furniture and picnic tables with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia, ½ cup vinegar, ¼ cup baking soda, and 1 gallon water. Rinse off thoroughly and use an old terry cloth towel to absorb excess moisture.
15. Remove Sweat Stains
Easily remove sweat stains from clothing by dabbing the stain with ammonia before throwing it into the wash.
16. Get Rid Of Grease Stains On Clothing
If grease happens to splatter on your favorite shirt, not to worry. Dab the area with the grease stain with equal parts of your laundry detergent, a grease-fighting detergent and ammonia to lift the stain completely.
17. Clean The Microwave
Ammonia works great to loosen food particles in microwaves. The steam helps loosen the cooked on food to make it easier to wipe right off when cleaning.
18. Unclog The Drain
Ammonia can help loosen the clogs. To do this, heat a quart of water on high to reach a boil and then add a cup of ammonia into the boiling water. Dump the mixture slowly into the drain and let it sit for 30 minutes. Fill the sink with a few inches of lukewarm water and plunge the sink rapidly to force air through to break up the clog. Rinse afterwards with cold water to remove traces of the ammonia.
19. Clean The Slow Cooker
To clean the inside of your slow cooker, fill a small bowl with ammonia and set it on the bottom of your slow cooker. Make sure you don’t pour the ammonia inside or it will leak all over your counter-tops. Place the lid onto your crock pot and the fumes will do the work. You can let it sit for a few hours or for best results let it set overnight. The burnt on stains will wipe right off.
20. Repel Moths
Pesky kitchen moths seem to come out of nowhere! Send them back to wherever they came from by washing your cupboards, drawers, and pantry shelves, with ½-cup ammonia diluted in 1 quart (1 litre) water. Leave drawers and cabinet doors open to thoroughly air-dry.
