This post is sponsored by the maker of ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda
You know, our grandparents and many generations before them all managed to keep their houses pretty well and they didn’t have today’s modern conveniences nor did they have technology. BUT…you know what I’ve found? Most of the tricks I learned from my family and my husband’s family STILL WORK TODAY. There are a few things you will always find in my home that I use to clean, disinfect, deodorize and more… that haven’t changed their formula since ‘back in the day.’ Now listen, I love technology. I embrace it. But sometimes, doing things the old-fashioned way is just the right way for my family. This Grandma’s Cleaning Tips post is brought to you by our friends at ARM & HAMMER™ Hammer and CafeMom.
Grandma’s Cleaning Tips Still Work Today!
One favorite product we’ve had in our cleaning supplies for oh, let’s just say forever? ARM & HAMMER™ Super Washing Soda (available at Walmart) is a natural detergent booster and freshener and can be used all around the home – and it’s been that way since 1874! It’s 100 years older than I am and just as effective as ever, with no added extras.
For a long time, I made my own laundry detergent. Very few ingredients…. Super Washing Soda, Fels-Naptha bar soap and Borax. Originally launched in 1874, Super Washing Soda can be used for making natural/DIY laundry detergents as well as for cleaning exterior surfaces and furnishings. Super Washing Soda works as a laundry detergent booster and as a household cleaner, adding extra cleaning and freshening power to various tough household jobs. It increases your detergent’s cleaning power to get out ground-in dirt and stains and cuts through greasy soils. In addition to being an effective cleaner, it is also an all-natural product; 100% Fragrance & Phosphate Free. It helps neutralize and eliminate odors, not cover them up with perfumes.
While I may not make my own detergent anymore, I still use the 3 ingredients all the time for our laundry needs. Fels-Naptha bars make great stain ‘sticks’ and a little Borax and some Super Washing Soda tossed into my machine gets almost any stain, grease, grime or whatever out of our laundry. My husband works outside a lot, I have a son who I swear takes his shoes off and rubs dirt and mud on them before putting shoes back on…and then rolls IN that same mud with sticky stuff on him… the kids are active and play hard, and our laundry isn’t always a simple toss-it and forget-it process. There have been many occasions when I go to put something away in my son’s room and find soccer socks from a week prior tucked away in a corner… filthy, totally gross…and I’m not one to toss them and buy new ones. It’s just a challenge…and I’ll get them clean.
Even in places I don’t necessarily clean with the Washing Soda, I often use it to deodorize or give a little boost to the cleaner I’m using. I don’t know how things go in your house, but most of the people in this house have a very strong adversity to toilet flushing and I’m forever going around flushing toilets and sprinkling some Washing Soda into the bowl just to help keep things smelling a little more like roses and a lot less like… well, a toilet.
Outside furniture and toys get a nice, natural clean with Washing Soda, and I don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals on my yard or patio for our kids or pets to walk on, play on, etc. We are on a well here and don’t like to put any kind of chemical onto our lawn because we don’t want it going down into our drinking water. Gross. Why use something with lots of chemicals when the Washing Soda works just fine?
Super Washing Soda is also a de-greaser. Even in the garage. Got some oil drips? Visit CafeMom’s Trusted DIY Home Solutions to see just how you can use the Washing Soda to get that grease up. That also goes for kitchen grease.
A few tablespoons of it in a cup or 2 of water, heated for about 90 seconds will clean your microwave oven inside in no time- once the time is up, leave the door shut for 5 extra minutes, then wipe it down. That’s it. Nothing to it…and no chemical residue to ever touch our food! (Ours gets SO gross so fast and we hardly use it!).
I think that both sets of my Grandparents would be cheering me on for continuing to listen to their cleaning tips so many years after they learned them from their parents…although they’d probably just view it more as common sense. Why fix it if it’s not broken?
Head over to “Trusted DIY Home Solutions” on CafeMom for more great uses for Super Washing Soda! What are your best cleaning tips?
Krystal says
I haven’t used Arm and Hammer in a long time. I need to give it a try since it is a tried and true method.
Prairie Gal Cookin says
Such a great idea! Love it! Thanks for sharing this!!! 🙂
Shannon Gurnee says
I love Grandma’s Cleaning Tips you shared! These are definitely some great ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Mimi "MimiCuteLips" Green says
My son was playing soccer and I had to put extra work into getting his clothes clean.
Crystal Lopez says
You are so right with this! I use the same remedy in my homemade laundry detergent and it is a life saver!
Rebecca Swenor says
These are great tip ideas for cleaning. I use Arm & Hammer’s Household Cleaner instead of using other cleaners that would scratch up counter tops etc. It really does make for a great cleaning product.
Britni says
I love cleaning with Arm and Hammer! I always keep a big huge bag around just for that reason. I haven’t ever heard of their laundry boosters though. I am going to look into those asap!
Lynndee says
I’ve been using vinegar in cleaning the microwave oven. I will try using the Super Washing Soda next time. Thanks for the great tips!
Amanda || Growing Up Madison says
I haven’t used Arm & Hammer in quite some time but I’m never without the baking soda in my refrigerator. Its the one thing that I can never do without.
Jeanine says
I’ve never tried super washing soda before, I had no idea it was good for so many different things that I’ve been learning over the past few days. Cleaning is one I love using different, non chemical things for so I will for sure be trying!
Bites for Babies says
I love the idea of making my own laundry soap!! I just bought a huge tub of baking soda yesterday…I might try this!
michele d says
I love to try this way. Sounds so much easier than spending an hour scrubbing and still not seeing the results. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Ann Bacciaglia says
I have never tried to make my own laundry soap before. I will have to pick up some Super Washing Soda so i can try it.
tammileetips says
I love Arm & Hammer!! It’s crazy how much tips from Grandma still works but we try to find other ways to do it.
Terri Ramsey Beavers says
One will always find arm and hammer products in my home. It works best at keeping my white tub sparkling clean.
Ourfamilyworld says
These are great tips. I didn’t know about the microwave trick. I will definitely try it.
Rebecca B. says
I love these natural cleaning solutions for a sparkling clean home without chemicals!! I always worry about the chemicals in some cleaning products.
Alli says
Arm and Hammer has always been a staple in my home. I love their products and you’re right, grandma’s cleaning tips do still work today.
rika says
Sounds like a great advice! I can’t wait to try grandma’s tips and that soda product
Life as a Convert says
I used to make my own laundry detergent. I’m not really sure why I stopped. It definitely worked.
lisa says
I used to make my own laundry soap too. I love the Arm and Hammer super washing soda.
ricci says
This super washing soda sounds like a dream come true!! I need to try this out!!
Jaime Nicole says
Arm & Hammer is some definite good stuff! There are so many uses and yeah grandma is/was a pretty darn good cleaner and knew a thing or two for sure!
Liz Mays says
I need to try this out on the outdoor furniture. It could definitely use a touch-up before and after I store it away for the winter.
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
Soda is the best. You can use it for all kinds of things from laundry to cleaning grout.
Jeanette says
I totally forgot that you can use this for laundry detergent. I have always used it just for cooking, I need to use it to clean stuff.
Jerramac says
Super washing soda is not the same thing as baking soda. But both are good for different types of cleaning.
Jessica Harlow says
I noticed how badly our microwave needs to be cleaned this morning. I’m going to try it this way,it sounds so much easier than scrubbing and spraying chemicals all through it!