How to Clean with Ammonia

Ammonia is an active ingredient in many of the expensive cleaning supplies found on store shelves. Save yourself some money and grab a bottle of ammonia to clean your home with equal or better results than the average store-bought cleaning product.

Instructions

1. Open windows and doors when working with ammonia. Adequate ventilation keeps you safe from harmful, concentrated ammonia fumes.

2. Take grime off oven racks by filling a bucket with warm water and 1/2 cup of ammonia. Soak the racks for 20 minutes before rinsing and drying them thoroughly.

3. Shine crystal by mixing a few drops of ammonia with 2 cups of water. Use a soft cloth or soft-bristled brush to gently buff the crystal. Rinse with clean water and dry with another clean, soft cloth.

4. Remove soot from fireplace doors. Mix 1 tbs. ammonia with 1 qt. of water in a large spray bottle. Shake the mixture. Spray onto the soot, wait 1 minute and wipe away with a soft cloth or clean paper towels. Repeat until the doors have been wiped clean.

5. Scrub soap scum out of your bathtub with 1 tbs. of ammonia and 1 gallon of hot water. Reapply to areas with hard water and other stubborn stains. Rinse the tub out with hot water when done. Use a solution of 1/4 cup ammonia and 1 gallon of water to clean bathroom tiles.

6. Fight carpet stains by using a sponge to apply a mixture of 1 cup of ammonia and 1/2 gallon of water on the stains. Allow the area to dry before reapplying.

7. Clean windows by mixing 1 cup ammonia and 3 cups water in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle, spray the mixture onto the windows and use a sponge to wipe away streaks of dirt, grime, dust and other impurities.

8. Pour 1/2 cup of ammonia into drains and let water run through the drains for 5 minutes to remove grime, dirt and gnat infestations from the area.

9. Sanitize trash cans with an ammonia and water mixture in a spray bottle. After removing existing trash from the can, spray the mixture into the can and wipe down the interior. Cleaning an outdoor trash can with ammonia also keeps pests out of it.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't combine ammonia with chlorine or bleach.

• Rewash kitchen items to make sure that no ammonia remains on them.

• Keep ammonia away from flames.