DIY Life

Question: What can make vintage clothing forget their musty past, and also make you forget just what exactly happened during that bachelorette party in Vegas?
Answer: One word - Vodka!

Turns out that vodka is a natural bacteria-killer, which, in turn, deodorizes last season's pea coat that's been hiding in storage for the past few months. Simply prepare a spray bottle with vodka (sans tonic with lime), spritz it a few feet away from the garment and let rest overnight. Your coat will smell fresh, clean and, surprisingly, not like you've bee partying all night with your 21-year-old nephew.

So, next time you spill your drink onto your favorite frenemy, don't fret -- you're saving her from an unnecessary dry cleaning bill!

For more secret tips on household cleaners, surprising hacks and quick fixes, check out Diane's Unusual Uses column... only at DIY Life!

Recently, it was my tenth anniversary. Ten years -- and ten pounds -- later, my diamond engagement ring needed to be resized.

Now, I am the first to admit that I completely abuse my ring: I rarely clean it, and I never take it off. So, it experiences soap scum, hair conditioner, dirty dishes, gardening, you name it. I describe my diamond as the frosted glass my husband gave me when he asked me to marry him.

When my husband picked my ring up from the jeweler's and opened the classy velvet pouch, he burst out laughing, asking the jeweler if he was sure that they gave him my ring. Well, it seems as though they cleaned it as well as sizing it. Honestly, I had forgotten what a beautiful ring I wore every day for the last ten years.

In my earnestness to keep my ring sparkly, I'll share with you the cleaning tips I gleaned from the Internet.

If I told you how many essential oils I have in my collection, you probably wouldn't believe me. Suffice it to say, I've got a bunch, and I couldn't live without any of them. Probably you don't need -- or want! -- as many as I have, but having a basic collection can be useful.

There are a few essential oils that every home should have, and one of these is sweet orange oil. I've written in the past about uses for peppermint essential oil; now you'll know what unique things you can do with your sweet orange oil as well.

Pest control
The d-limonene in sweet orange oil repels insects, so it is a good essential oil to spray on your plants to keep away mealybugs and white flies. Science backs this one up!

It sure comes in handy when the heartburn hits, but Alka-Seltzer is not just for tummies. If you've got a household problem, chances are that you can solve it with a little fizzing tablet.

Alka-Seltzer can clean things? You bet.

In the kitchen, you can use Alka-Seltzer to clean out your coffee maker, get the residue out of a vase, clean glass cookware, and unclog a drain.

Is your jewelry dulled? Put Alka-Seltzer to work -- that is, when it's not cleaning your toilets! Rely on the fizz to remove residue, buildup, and stuck-on goo.

Why does this work? Because Alka-Seltzer is baking soda (very alkaline) mixed with citric acid and aspirin (acidic), it creates a chemical reaction. That's why it fizzes, but why does it clean so well?

We know that baking soda is an effective all-purpose cleaner, but did you know that citric acid is the main ingredient in many household cleaners? It stands to reason that with these two powerhouse ingredients, Alka-Seltzer has rightfully earned its reputation as a cleaner... not just an antacid.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

I know what you are thinking: Why, oh why, would I want to own that smelly tea tree oil? I certainly can't make something aromatic with it, so what aromatherapeutic good is it to me?

It's true, tea tree oil doesn't smell as pretty as some of the essential oils (it sure doesn't stink like some oils -- neem, for example), but it can enhance some blends, especially mints. For all of the following reasons, you'll want to have some tea tree oil around:

I've been extolling the virtues of Spring the last few weeks with springtime bath and body products and my festive green bath salts and earrings. Yes, Spring is exciting and everything is new and fresh ... except my house.

Probably yours too, if you haven't tackled that Spring cleaning yet. Anna has posted about the many uses of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. These are two of my favorite cleaners as well. They are all-natural, good for the environment, won't kick up any allergies or sensitivities and are safe to keep in bottom cabinets if you have kids. Did I mention how effective they are? You really don't need chemicals.

Essential oils can be used in cleaning recipes with vinegar, baking soda and other natural cleaners to boost their effectiveness and leave a fresh clean scent around your newly sparkling house. Read on for recipes to brighten, degrease, deodorize and disinfect.

Bathroom Cleaner

What do you want out of a bathroom cleaner? I know I want to disinfect and deodorize, above all. Getting the hard water stains off the toilet bowl would be an excellent bonus, and soap scum removal off the tub wouldn't hurt either. This recipe will do all these and more. It is the only cleaner you will need for your bathroom -- although I guess you wouldn't want to use this one on your mirror!

• 1/3 c. baking soda
• 1/4 c. borax
• 2 TB to 1/4 c. grated soap (or soap powder)
• 10 drops pine essential oil
• 20 drops lavender essential oil
• 5 drops tea tree essential oil

Mix all ingredients and use this as you would a Comet-type cleanser. Simply sprinkle and scrub! Store in an airtight container.

Kitchen Cleaner

Disinfecting countertops is numero uno in my kitchen. Since we are crazy -- and messy -- cooks, I also need something to degrease the counters and stovetop.

• 1 TB baking soda
• 2 tsp. castille soap (such as Dr. Bronner's)
• 1 c. water or oregano hydrosol
• 3 drops oregano essential oil (only add this if you are using water, not hydrosol)
• 8 drops orange essential oil
• 8 drops lemon essential oil

Heat the water and baking soda until the soda dissolves. Remove from heat and gently add the castille and essential oils and pour into a spray bottle. Spray surfaces and wipe with a clean cloth or damp sponge.

Your vacuum works hard, picking up crushed fishy crackers from under the couch, sawdust shavings from your latest DIY endeavor, and everyday particles of dust and dirt that find their home in yours. With a little love, you can keep your vacuum working stronger and longer. It doesn't take much, just a bit of consistent maintenance.

This article about how to maintain your vacuum cleaner takes you through the steps of proper at home vacuum cleaner maintenance. Check it out for in-depth instructions and instructional pictures. Here is my summary of their main points and the most important things to keep on top of:

I have a confession to make. I hate spending money on things that make me physically ill. Take for example, household cleaning products. I hate them. They make me sick and give me terrible migraines. So, do I buy them? Yes, that is my confession. I am getting better though. I only buy them once a month now, and more often than not, they sit in my cabinet, lonely and unused. They are unused because I clean with lemon, vinegar and baking soda. Baking soda is used for everything in my house these days, and I would like to share with you some of my favorite things to clean.

I use baking soda to clean almost everything in my bathroom. For cleaning rust stains out of my toilet, I pour 1 cup vinegar in and then about 2/3 cup of baking soda. I let it sit for about 15 minutes, then scrub and flush, and like magic, the toilet is now clean.

I have a fetish for clean hands. Unfortunately since I am a mother to a preschooler, my need for clean hands is often overridden by my son's need to eat gooey, sticky foods. I know that washing hands with soap and warm water is the best and healthiest way to keep my paws clean, but when we are in the middle of a soccer game or on a long car ride a squirt of hand sanitizer is the best I can do. I used to use the grocery store brands, but after reading the list of harsh chemicals I decided to give my own recipe a try. I searched on the Internet and found that the following recipe is my favorite:

• 1/4 cup aloe Vera gel
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 10 drops fragrance oil -my favorite is lavender

Mix ingredients together and store in a pump bottle. The mixture keeps for quite awhile and is easily portable. I find the lavender to be my favorite smell because it mixes well with the alcohol smell and it is soothing. There are many variations on this recipe all over the Internet. This one just happens to be simple enough and use household ingredients that are easily attainable, both qualities I appreciate.