Clean up with these 20 clever uses for ammonia

How can you put that sunny shine back in your varnished silver or lacquered brass? Gently scrub it with a soft brush dipped in a bit of ammonia. Wipe off any remaining liquid with a soft cloth – or preferably chamois.

Brighten up your dingy white shoes or tennis sneakers by rubbing them with a cloth dipped in half-strength ammonia – that is, a solution made of half ammonia and half water.

Ammonia is great for cleaning clothes. Here are some ways you can use it to remove a variety of stains. Be sure to dilute ammonia with at least 50 per cent water before applying it to silk, wool, or spandex.

Rub out perspiration, blood, and urine stains on clothing by dabbing the area with a half-strength solution of ammonia and water before laundering.

Remove most non-oily stains by making a mixture of equal parts ammonia, water, and dishwashing liquid. Put it in an empty spray bottle, shake well, and apply directly to the stain. Let it set for two or three minutes, and then rinse out.

To erase pencil marks from clothing, use a few drops of undiluted ammonia and then rinse. If that doesn’t work, put a little laundry detergent on the stain and rinse again.

You can even remove washed-in paint stains from clothes by saturating them several times with a half-ammonia, half-turpentine solution and then tossing them into the wash.

Lift out stains from carpeting and upholstery by sponging them with 1 cup clear ammonia in 2 litres warm water. Let dry thoroughly, and repeat if needed. Find out 14 cleaning hacks every cat or dog owner should know.

Dirty, grimy windows can make any house look dingy. But it’s easy to wipe away the dirt, fingerprints, soot and dust covering your windows. Just wipe them down with a soft cloth dampened with a solution of 1 cup clear ammonia in 3 cups water. Your windows will not only be crystal-clear, but streak-free to boot.

Wax build-up on resilient flooring causes it to yellow in time. Remove old wax layers and freshen up your floor by washing it with a mixture of 1 cup ammonia in 2 litres water. Let the solution sit for three to five minutes, then scrub with a nylon or plastic scouring pad to remove the old wax. Wipe away leftover residue with a clean cloth or sponge, then give the floor a thorough rinsing.

Give the alkaline-loving flowering plants and vegetables in your garden – such as clematis, lilac, hydrangea, and cucumbers – an occasional special treat with a shower of ¼-cup ammonia diluted in 3.7 litres water. They’ll especially appreciate the boost in nitrogen. Head here to find other surprising fertilisers for your garden.

If you forget to put on your insect repellent and mosquitoes make a meal of you, stop the itching instantly by applying a drop or two of ammonia directly to the bites. Don’t use ammonia on a bite you’ve already scratched open, though: the itch will be replaced by a nasty sting.

Few things can be quite as startling as an animal leaping out of your garbage bin just as you’re about to make your weekly rubbish deposit. Keep away strays by spraying the outside and lids of your garbage bins with half-strength ammonia or by spraying the bags inside.

Tired of those annoying discolourations on your concrete work? To get rid of them, scrub with 1 cup ammonia diluted in 3.7 litres water. Hose it down well when you’re done.