Nearly every household in America has a bottle or two of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol in the medicine cabinet or pantry. It is most commonly used as an antiseptic and for disinfecting medical equipment such as thermometers. Were you aware of all the other potential uses for rubbing alcohol such as inexpensively cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing your home? That’s right. Rubbing alcohol can help with your spring cleaning tasks and also help keep spring colds at bay!

Rubbing alcohol can be made into a germ-killing, streak-free glass cleaning spray for mirrors, windows and chrome bathroom fixtures. It’s been known to take hairspray residue off mirrors and vinyl or tile floors with ease and keep windows sparkling. Either mix 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol, 1 cup water and 1 tbs. white vinegar in a spray bottle or pour the rubbing alcohol straight from the bottle onto a wet, absorbent cloth. You don’t even have to rinse since the alcohol simply evaporates. How easy is that!

Dirty, dusty home electronics can also benefit from rubbing alcohol. TV screens, computer monitor screens, keyboards and stereo equipment can be lightly sprayed with a home-made solution of one part vinegar and two parts rubbing alcohol and then wiped with a soft cloth, cotton ball and/or Q-tip. It is sometimes recommended that you spray the liquid onto a cloth first, rather than directly onto electronics themselves. Rubbing alcohol is also perfect for wiping down grimy, germy cell phones and dissolving the kids’ permanent marker artwork from countertops.

Keep in mind, rubbing alcohol is extremely flammable and should also be used in a well-ventilated area. Turn on fans and open up the windows while you go about your cleaning. It is also highly poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children.

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Professional ballroom dancer Tony Dovolani, 34, and wife Trendalina, 26, are expecting their 2^nd and 3^rd babies in late September. Yet another set of twins amidst the celebrity baby boom! The twins will join their big sister Luana (2 ½). Tony, who has been on Dancing With the Stars on ABC from the second through the sixth season, is presently paired with Broadway actress Marissa Jaret Winokur. Tony and Marissa are still in the competition as of last night‘s elimination. Past celebrity dance partners include Stacey Keibler, Sara Evans, Leeza Gibbons as well as Jane Seymour. Jennifer Lopez, who recently gave birth to her own set of twins, spent time being coached by Tony for the movie Shall We Dance.

Tony’s current partner Marissa’s bout with cervical and uterine cancer several years ago lead to the removal of her uterus and part of her cervix, but even though she once thought motherhood would not be in her future, she is also an expectant parent now. Marissa, 35, (who won a Tony Award in 2003 for her performance in Hairspray) and her husband, King of the Hill writer Judah Miller’s first baby, a boy, is due to arrive this summer. A surrogate is carrying the couple’s biological baby-on-the-way and is nearly 6 months along. The surrogate was implanted with Marissa’s own fertilized egg. Marissa and Judah have chosen the name Zev for their baby boy.

What wonderful news Tony, Trendalina, Marissa and Judah! A big congrats to all the expectant Dancing With the Stars contestants!

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