Spring has sprung, you can feel it in the air!  It's time for Spring Cleaning again!  Of course we all want a cleaner house, but we don’t want to spend money, and we especially don’t want to use chemicals.  Here are 35 ways to address those dirty issues with natural materials and household items you already own.

• Stinky or partly blocked kitchen drain?  Sprinkle ¼ cup baking soda down the drain and follow immediately with 1 cup vinegar.  Wait 15 minutes then flush with boiling water.
• Clean the blades of your garbage disposal by tossing in a few ice cubes, turning it on, and running cold water.  Add some orange, lemon or lime peels to ward off smells.
• Stuck drawers?  Stop swearing, pull out the drawer, rub the runners with a candle or a bar of soap and continue with your day unfettered.
• Dusty blinds?  Solution at the tip of your fingers!  Just slip on a pair of white cotton gloves, dip fingers into a solution of equal parts white vinegar and warm tap water, then run your fingers across both sides of each slat. Rinse gloves as necessary in a bowl of clean water.
• If your walls are painted white, use white toothpaste to fill in small wall holes.  It will blend right in; just don’t use colored toothpaste and you should be fine.
• Keep a tidy barbeque grill by sprinkling dry baking soda on a damp brush, scrubbing, then rinsing to a sweet shine.
• Tired of cleaning your stovetop every week to remove those spills and splatters?  Rub on a thin coating of car wax, then wipe it off.  The next spills will come up so much easier!
• While we’re on the kitchen, if you have white kitchen appliances like mixers, ranges or microwaves, use office supply correction fluid to paint out the chips and scratches.
• If you like the scent of coffee, use a bowl of grounds in your fridge like you would a box of baking soda.  Just remember to replace every couple of months.
• To clean the inside of your dishwasher, fill the detergent cups with one of these four items you may have on hand: ½ cup white vinegar, a few tablespoons of powdered laundry bleach, Tang, or lemon-flavored Kool-Aid.  Run the empty machine through one complete cycle then fill as usual.
• Still got pots and pans with stuck-on food?  Place a dryer sheet in a pot, fill with water and let it soak overnight, then sponge off the next morning.  Antistatic agent is what weakens the bond between the stuck food and the pan surface, while the fabric softener loosens the food.
• Copper cookware that tarnishes?  Fill a 16-oz spray bottle with white vinegar and 3 tablespoons of salt.  Spray on the copper, wait a few minutes, then rub clean.  Easy-peazy.
• Put a folded up newspaper at the bottom of your trash can to absorb leaks and odors.  Change monthly.
• If you’re out of floor cleaner (and you don’t have wood floors), add a capful of Listerine mouthwash to a gallon of water and mop vinyl or tile floors.  Same thing that kills bad-breath germs also kills germs underfoot.
• Declare war on bacteria by rinsing your household sponges at the end of each day, squeeze out, then place in the microwave for three minutes.  Allow to cool before removing.  You can do the same thing with your cutting boards if they are microwavable.  Another handy trick:  put your sponges in the dishwasher and they come out sanitized.
• Food stuck inside your microwave?  Cut a lemon in half, squeeze juice into a small bowl of water, add both lemon halves to bowl and place in microwave for five minutes.  Steam condensation loosens the splatters while the scent eliminates odors.  Wipe with a damp cloth to finish.
• Rub the inside of a banana peel to remove marks on leather shoes, silverware and furniture.  Test on a tiny area first to be sure, but this usually works wonders.  You can also use a slice of cucumber.  Remove scuffs on vinyl flooring by applying a little baking soda with a damp sponge.
• Another use for that same banana peel:  clean household plants by wiping their leaves with the inside of the peel.  They come out shiny and happy.
• Crustless white bread that is still soft will absorb and wipe away fingerprints and daily grime from wallpaper.
• Dropped a glass and don’t want shards getting in your feet?  Gently press a slice of bread or a piece of Play-Doh on the area.  Wrap it up carefully when you discard so no children or animals try to eat it.
• Hate that lime buildup on hard water faucets?  Mix 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt into a paste.  Apply to fixtures and rub with a soft cloth.  Voila!  Another method is to soak an old rag with vinegar, then wrap around the faucet and clip with a hair clip.  Wait an hour, then take off the rag and dry the faucet for a super shine.
• Here’s an old trick from Grandma: using a soft old toothbrush, scrub silver jewelry with a bit of toothpaste and baking soda.  Rinse with warm water and watch them sparkle again.  Then place a piece of white chalk in your jewelry chest to absorb moisture and prevent tarnish.
• Of course you have some WD-40 in your garage.  But did you know that you can spray it on stainless steel and rub with a cloth for an amazing shine?
• Thick dust on your ceiling fan will come right off if you slip an old pillowcase over each blade, then apply light pressure as you slide it back off.  The dust stays in the case and can be washed away in the laundry.
• Dirty washing machine making your clothes sad?  Fill the basin on the warm water setting, add 2 cups white vinegar, then run the cycle for a clean rinse.
• Stop!  Don’t add bleach to your laundry!  Hang your whites out to dry in the sun and they will be naturally whitened!
• Prefer a fog-free mirror after a shower?  Clean it with old-fashioned shaving cream beforehand and wipe with a soft cloth for a breezy clean finish.  Another method is to wipe your mirror down with a slice of cucumber.
• Spray undiluted vinegar around the sink and tub in the bathroom, then wipe with a damp cloth for a natural antibacterial.  Once or twice a month, wipe with baby oil or lemon oil.  This makes dirty water bead and roll down the drain faster.
• You already recycle those cardboard toilet paper tubes, right?  Save a couple and wind electrical cords into them for a tangle-free home.
• Don’t ever buy toilet cleaner again.  Drop two effervescent tables (denture or antacid) into the bowl, allow to soak for 20 minutes, then brush and flush.  You can also pour a can of soda and leave for an hour for the same results.  It’s the phosphoric acid that removes the rust and mineral deposits.  (Think what it’s doing to your stomach!)
• Mold and mildew in your bathroom:  a constant battle.  Combat them with a paste of equal parts lemon juice and baking powder.  Spread on the mixtures, wait two hours, then rinse away.  No chemicals in the water supply and no mold!
• Been painting with an oil-based paint?  Get it off your skin with some extra-virgin olive oil on a soft cloth and gentle rubbing.
• Use a dry paintbrush with bristles of at least 3 inches to dust both the surfaces and grooves of your collectibles.  Dust framed photos with a pastry brush, which is softer than a paintbrush and fits into those crevices better.
• For a vase worthy of a bouquet, fill 2/3rds with hot water, add a teaspoon of baking soda, cover and shake.  Let it stand overnight, then rinse and dry for a sparkling clean vase.
• Avoid the chemical weed-killer.  Spray vinegar on the cracks of your sidewalk instead!