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 Home Matters
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Home remedies for keeping the house clean and fresh

BY Jamie Skorheim  on December 7, 2012 @ 10:09 am (Updated: 9:53 am - 12/11/12 )

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Pete and Rob offers some alternative cleaning solutions on this week's Home Matters. (AP Photo/file)
People are becoming more wary about using harsh chemicals around the home. This week on Home Matters, Pete and Rob take a look at old-fashioned homemade cleaning solutions that you can put to use to keep your home looking sharp.

For spotless dishes:

To keep your dishes spot free without using conventional detergents, Pete recommends trying a little vinegar. This cleaning trick requires only 1 cup vinegar. Pete says you can fill the cleaning solution compartments in your dishwasher with 1 cup vinegar and wash as normal.

For stains on upholstery:

A solution using soap flakes and borax can help get stains off sofas and other upholstered items around your home, says Pete.

Mix up this recipe:
6 tablespoons of pure soap flakes
2 tablespoons of Borax
Boil in 1 pint of water

Instructions: Stir ingredients together. Let the mixture cool. Brush it onto the furniture. This should remove stains. Wipe the mixture off.

For a working septic system:

Pete has an old home remedy for keeping your septic system in top form.

Septic solution ingredients:
1 quart of water
1 pound of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of dried yeast

Instructions: Heat water to almost boiling, 105 degrees. Add 1 pound of brown sugar until it dissolves. Cool water. Add the yeast. Wait until foam begins to form. Take mixture to toilet. Flush it down.

For fresh smelling rooms:

Natural herbs and pine scents are a good option for fresh smelling rooms. Pete suggests placing lavender in clothes drawers. Rob says his grandmother used to soak a rag in vinegar, wring it out, then wave the rag around the room to clear the air. Fresh pine boughs around the holidays also add a great scent to the home.

Listen to the full episode for all the recipes mentioned on Home Matters.

Home Matters can be heard on KIRO Radio on Saturdays at 8 a.m., on Sundays at 6 a.m. Available anytime ON DEMAND at MyNorthwest.com.

Jamie Skorheim, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
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