Blue Dawn/White Vinegar

I'm about the most undomestic stay-at-home mother who ever lived. Seriously. My own mother was a FANTASTIC role model, but as odd as it may seem, she never overtly taught me any of her secrets. She was a huge fan of "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Unfortunately, that means that when I became a grownup, I had no idea how to do a LOT of important things. Like...clean. Or...cook. Or...wash my clothes.

Some things came naturally. Some things I had seen my mother do so many times, I did it straight from memory, action for action. A good example of that is the Sunday sauce. I can make it just like she does, from the sizzling sauteed herbs to the end result. But other things...well. I'd like to say there's no excuse, but I just gave you one, so. Yeah.

ANYWAY.

I've come a long way from those early days of domestic disaster. And one of my FAVORITE discoveries is the Blue Dawn/White Vinegar magic. Again, NOT domestic. Also, NOT a fan of getting my hands dirty or...scrubbing. Enter Blue Dawn/White Vinegar.

I found it on Pinterest. It claimed that it could take away soap scum. Clean "ring around the collar" and armpit stains. You may find this hard to believe because we're so perfect, but people in my house DO get armpit stains.

Not only did the mixture work on the soap scum (spray it on, leave it for an hour, wipe away--yes, that easy), but it TOTALLY worked on all Joe's work shirt stains. I moved forward and used it to clean my kitchen sink (which was already clean) and was pleased with the lovely shine that resulted.

But here's the REAL test.

Event A: Red wine on khaki shorts, about an hour old. Spray on Dawn/Vin mix. Leave for 1 hour. Wash in WARM water (yes, warm, not cold, because I'm an idiot and forgot to switch it). Result: STAIN COMPLETELY REMOVED.

Event B: Prepare to be amazed. Cranberry juice on pale pink pants and white--WHITE--sweater. Lazy me, I left it on top of the washing machine for 48 hours UNTOUCHED. When I realized what I'd done , or didn't do, I was upset. Distraught, I spread them out on the tile floor and gazed sadly upon the deep pink stains in what was a brand new sweater and a favorite pair of pants. But I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, or donate them. I wanted them to be better! As a last resort, I sprayed them generously with the Dawn/Vin, left them for two hours (during which time Joe stumbled upon them and exclaimed, "My GOD! What happened to your clothes? Who spills that much??"). This time I remembered to set the washing machine on cold. I also set it to soak for thirty minutes before washing. End result? STAINS COMPLETELY REMOVED.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I GIVE YOU BLUE DAWN AND VINEGAR. Go forth and make the world clean.

Recipe:
1 durable spray bottle
2 parts white vinegar
1 part Blue Dawn

Shake, spray, enjoy!

*PS--Do you love my super technical measurements? That's something my mom taught me. :p