10 Old-Fashioned Cleaning Tips That Are Still Spot On

Skip the commercial cleaning products and try these!
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Sometimes, doing things the old way just works better. We asked our Facebook fans for cleaning tips from their grandmas that they still use today. Here's some of what they said.

1. Scrape a bar of soap along a cranky zipper to get it moving again, said Peggy Scott of San Francisco.

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2. Cindy Lu of Los Angeles says mixing baking soda with hydrogen peroxide will get out blood, permanent marker and pretty much every other stain you can think of.

3. Got a persistent nasty odor? Set out some coffee grinds, says Jennifer Jo Anne Williams of Los Angeles. "They still use coffee grounds at check-ins at some hospital emergency rooms. They absorb smell like you would not believe!"

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4. Line high shelves with wax paper, then throw it away every six months and re-line it with fresh paper -- no dusting.

5. And put placemats in your refrigerator and wash them once a month. Then there is no need to clean out the refrigerator, says Becky Pfeiffer Raguso from Littleton, Colorado.

6. Carolyn Hawkinson-Pruett of Oklahoma uses vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or alcohol to clean just about anything in her house. "I use a combination of turmeric and coconut oil to brush and whiten my coffee-stained teeth," she says.

7. Peanut butter apparently will get gum out of hair.

But do plan on shampooing afterward.

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8. Coffee grounds and vegetable shortening remove heavy grime from your hands. Add some lemon juice or mint to make them smell nicer, suggests Gary Tanner.

9. Gaylain Fife uses a walnut to remove furniture scratches. Not the shell, just the walnut meat.

10. Use plain toothpaste to shine silver. Choose a plain, solid-colored toothpaste with no extras like baking soda, tartar control or whiteners. And don't use gel because it isn't abrasive enough to remove tarnish.

Have anything to add? Let us know in comments.

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