8 ways to use ammonia at home

This alkaline substance is present in the formula of some cleaning products, hair straighteners and fertilizers. It serves to leave the oven clean, without having to scrub, and even to remove stains from clothes! As it has a strong smell and releases toxic gases, it is necessary to use it taking certain precautions, such as airing the room and protecting the nose and mouth with a disposable mask.

1. Clean oven

Your oven is asking for help from so much grease stuck to the walls. Okay, just put ammonia in a shallow bowl and keep it overnight. The next day, wipe with a damp sponge or cloth and goodbye, dirt! The substance’s vapors easily penetrate the grease in the oven, dissolving it and making cleaning easier – you don’t even need to scrub.

2. No grease stains

Got sauce on your favorite dress? Solution: mix two parts of water with one part of ammonia and apply it to the stain (but test it first on a hidden part of the fabric to see if it supports the product, ok?). The alkalinity of the ammonia dissolves the fatty acids in the sauce, making the fat disappear in seconds! Then wash the piece normally.

3. Intact garbage bag

Have the neighborhood dogs been playing cat and shoe with your rubbish, tearing holes in the bags and spilling the contents on the sidewalk? Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of 1 liter of water and 1 teaspoon of ammonia and spray onto the garbage bags. The animals will smell the nitrogen present in the ammonia vapors and will not go near it!

4. Fluffy towels

Relatives are coming to spend a few days at your house and the guest towels are rough and worn. Whenever you want to leave them like new, put 1/2 cup (tea) of ammonia in the washing cycle of the machine and then dry as usual. The solvents contained in the ammonia dissolve the grease buildup on the towel and even neutralize any musty smell.

5. No smoke smell

There’s nothing better than enjoying the fireplace on a cold night, but the next day the smell of smoke takes over the house. Get rid of the odor like this: fill three shallow bowls halfway with ammonia and place them in the most smoky areas. It neutralizes the acid-base of the substances responsible for the smell, leaving a light perfume in the air.

6. Crystalline glasses

Are you going to use your crystal pieces for a special dinner? Remove marks that do not come off with water, mixing 1 teaspoon of ammonia in 2 cups (tea) of water; then wipe the parts using a soft cloth, rinse and let dry. The ammonia dissolves the oiliness that settles on the pieces and, thus, they shine!

7. Shiny floor

If wax buildup has made your kitchen floor yellow and sticky, ammonia in it! Mix 1/2 cup (tea) of the product in 2 liters of warm water and apply it on the floor. The ammonia solubilizes the grease in the wax residue and forms salts that you can easily remove by scrubbing with a clean wet brush. A piece of cake!

8. New Bronze!

The bronze candelabras are opaque and stained… It is easy to renew them: immerse the pieces in a solution of 2 tablespoons (soup) of ammonia and 1 cup (tea) of water for 10 minutes; then buff with a dry cloth, rinse with water and dry. Ammonia removes scale deposits from the surface without damaging the metal – however this only applies to solid bronze; do not use on plated objects! To preserve the shine, pass olive oil on the pieces at the end of the operation.