Household Uses for Liquid Ammonia: Personal Experience
Liquid ammonia may not smell very good, but it is an effective and versatile cleaner to have around the house. Over the years, I have used liquid ammonia in my home on many occasions. Here’s a quick look at some of the ways I’ve used liquid ammonia:
Ammonia as a Sugar Ant Repellent
Based on my experience, liquid ammonia works wonders as an sugar ant repellent. My childhood home had a kitchen that opened up onto a back porch. In the summer, sugar ants would often try to enter the kitchen from that area. In response, my mother would wash the door threshold and mop the floor with an ammonia mixture. It was very effective at repelling the ants. As an adult, I ended up using that same technique in my home. It worked for me as well and it may work for you too. Just be sure that the floors and threshold are made from a material that can withstand exposure to ammonia. Ammonia is capable of stripping away waxy finishes, so keep that in mind.
Ammonia as a Flying Insect Repellent
Ammonia is also helpful when it comes to repelling moths and other bugs from around your porch lights. I tend to wipe the porch lights and exterior windows and doors with an ammonia and water solution during the summer months. In my opinion, it has cut down on the amount of bugs that head for our porch lights during the evening hours.
Ammonia as a Soap Scum and Mildew Remover
I know firsthand that ammonia works well when it comes to removing soap scum from shower doors. I moved into a house that had shower doors that looked like they hadn’t been cleaned properly in over a decade. There was mildew and soap scum build-up in the sliding door’s tracks as well. The soapy ammonia removed the mildew and soap scum quite easily. I just sprayed it on and let it sit a minute or two before wiping the affected areas down with a sponge. Once I had the built-up soap scum removed, I sprayed the areas again and wiped them down with a paper towel. I should also mention that not all shower doors are meant to be cleaned with liquid ammonia. My mother used liquid ammonia once to clean Plexiglas shower doors and it turned the Plexiglas a cloudy, grayish white color.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys the great outdoors with her family and has traveled extensively.
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