PSA: The power of Alcohol

Sep 17, 2007 at 8:16 AM
22 comments

No, not THAT kind of alcohol. Isopryl Alcohol.

Spanky just broke into my room and found one of the permanent markers I use for writing addresses on packages. She used it to color my desk, my dresser, the wall, and one of the living room cabinets. As soon as I caught her (I noticed the smell, she was being very quiet) I went into the bathroom, got a bottle of rubbing alcohol and went to work. I was able to completely clean the markings off of the desk, the cabinet and the wallpaper. The dresser was my last attempt and I gave up. The dresser is ugly and I want to re-paint it anyway, plus it's painted with a cheap white paint that simply wasn't being cooperative.

So, people who ever have kids: Remember the power of rubbing alcohol! It will clean ink off of anything, including cloth and leather, even electronics. I've used fingernail polish remover to clean our computer's monitor. (Yes, Spanky once tried to outline something on the monitor with a Sharpie. Very artistic, VERY annoying at times.) Always keep around either plain Isopryl alcohol or fingernail polish remover.

Other cleaning tips:
    Mr. Clean, baking soda and hot rinse cycle will get crayon marks out of clothes.
    Baking soda and vinegar will get crayon off of wallpaper, windows, and almost any hard surface.
    Vinegar will clean any number of sticky messes off glass and counters better than other cleaners.
    Hair spray (the plain stuff, not the fancy stuff) will get ink out of upholstery and clothes.

Shaklee Nature Bright laundry booster will get out almost any stain. I don't sell Shaklee, I'm just a HUGE fan. I hardly ever pre-treat laundry stains now.

Murphy's oil soap will help get oil stains out of clothes (if you've ever had a kid rub a greasy fish stick on your favorite shirt, you will understand the need to know these sorts of things)

Baking soda. Baking soda RULES. Baking soda will also help get out almost any clothing stain, it deodorizes, it helps get stubborn gunk off dishes, it scrubs and it just RULES.

Okay, that's all. Spanky is a little freaked out and worried I'm angry. (It's been an hour, but she has a hard time letting go.)

Keep clean! :)

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Tryphaena wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

I have to favourite this so I can come back and find it on the day my boy outlines a picture on the monitor!

I, too, am loving the wonder that is baking soda. I use it and vinegar together in our diaper pails (we use cloth). And to go along with that here's my tip:

Put your whites out in the sun, or even in the way of sunlight, to get them lovely white. I've been amazed at the disappearance of what seemed like firmly entrenched poop stains after a few hours on the line! If it works for diapers, think what it can do for that favourite white t-shirt.

shellakers wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

[this is good]

Well I need to favorite this too because I can't tell you how many kids have used crayon on my walls!!!!!! OTHER people's kids and of course my ever hyper Danielle.

Baking soda is also good when you add it with a little water enough to make a paste, and put it on bug bites or stings. It takes the itch out of mosquito bites and the sting out of bee stings. Just a little note:)

I-Luv-Eeyore wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

A dryer sheet will melt the soap scum off of your wet shower door. Just make sure to rinse the door afterwards.

Master's bitch wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

[this is good]

Baking Soda is my extremely secret skin ingredient.

Since I've been washing my face with baking soda 3x a week and using only goats milk, honey and oat organic soap, I have received numerous compliments about my skin. The BS balances the pH while also gently exfoliating the dead skin and blemishes. It's fabulous, I have to tell you. I even had a hair dresser tell me how nice she thought my skin is.

krizzz wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

Gee... I'm learning! I've used isopropyl alcohol, back in the are I made sandcores for an iron foundry (those cores were dipped in it, and incinerated) and I used lots and lots of baking soda in the time I made monocholoroacetic acid. If you make a miture of water and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) it neutralizes even the strongest acids (yes, ingesting a small amout of baking soda can ease gastritis)

Een wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

Oh, those are good tips.

Tired Working Mom wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

Good tip! I am sure this will come in very handy for me at some point :-)

Ginger_sister wrote:
Sep 17, 2007

[this is good]

I nannied some kids for a while and one day thought they had colored with marker on the walls, so after they were in bed I phoned my mom, who told me to use toothpaste. Sure enough...all gone. The mom came back in the morning, and the first thing she said was "how did you get the marker off the wall?" Apparently it hadn't happened on my watch, but it got be a lot of brownie points!