How Do I Use Thee? Oh, Let Me Count the Ways!

These are a couple products I try not to be without:
CLOROX Disinfecting Wipes
MAGIC ERASER

I love them both for their multiple uses....some of which I will list here, I'm sure you all have some that I haven't even thought of! Please tell if you do, I'd love to know more ways to use them.

CLOROX Wipes:

• great to keep in the bathroom for quick wipe-ups when company's poppin' in within minutes (their intended use!)
• in the car for wipe downs after the car's been washed, all around the insides of the doors, floor mats, dash, ashtrays and litter containers
• in the laundry room for the tops of the washer and dryer and inside the doors of each
• to wipe down the insides of our dog kennels when I wash their blankets weekly
• these are handy for the tracks in the windows after washing the windows themselves. I just use a pencil (the eraser end) and sort of wrap the wipe around it and clean the dirt from those nasty tracks (how does that get in there, anyway!?)

MAGIC ERASER:

• bugs stuck to the grill, the bumper and the outside mirror fronts on the car when I'm hand-washing our vehicles, use gently, don't scrub too hard
• Brake dust on the alloy wheels when cleaning them instead of using a chemical. that black stuff comes right off!
• In the dishwater, they are great for stuck on foods or for things like removing the tea stains from your iced-tea pitcher and tea glasses, and also for stained-up saucepans, jelly-roll pans, etc.
• In the bathroom for water stains on the shower/tub from minerals or soap scum buildup
• In the kitchen: they're wonderful for the surfaces of appliances and things like refrigerator door handles and for inside the appliances for refrigerator shelves and stuck-on food and drips
• I've even use them on the insides and outsides of plastic wastebaskets and the inside of stained-up recycle bins

OTHER ODDS AND ENDS:

I AM FORCED TO ADMIT TO YOU that I am a
HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT DROP-OUT
I am a homemade laundry detergent dropout. I've tried the liquid, and the dry. Something is missing from those recipes that fights the minerals in our well-water. The first couple loads were fine....but as time went on, I noticed a degree of "gray" that was building up on my whites and it was especially noticeable in my towels and washcloths. I couldn't handle that and didn't want to have to bleach each load.

I have gone back to regular detergent for everything but jeans, throw rugs, and things like sheets and blankets or quilts that are usually not very dirty and don't get laundered as often. If you've had this experience, I'd like to know. I followed the recipes but wondered if it's our well water that is the problem. And, in addition to the less than satisfactory performance, my front loader STUNK to high heavens with the homemade detergent NO MATTER WHAT I DID...I tried all the remedies for it and nothing worked. Now that I'm back to regular detergent, I'm not having the problem to the degree it was, thank goodness.

ON the other hand, I've had NO PROBLEMS with the homemade fabric softener and am continuing to use it.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR TIPS & TRICKS WITH THESE CLEANING PRODUCTS

(AND YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH THE HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT!)