Eco Living: 10 Ecofriendly Tips and Tricks for Cleaning Your Home
Are you wary of all the chemicals involved in cleaning your house? These simple products and tricks will keep your home spotless naturally
Chemical-based cleaning products can have many drawbacks: they’re expensive, they can cause or trigger health issues, and their manufacture, use and disposal can create significant environmental damage. So if you’re considering how best to approach a spring clean of your home this year, why not consider these all-natural alternatives that perform just as thoroughly as their chemical counterparts?
Embrace nature’s mineral winner
Baking soda, like lemon, is another one of nature’s natural cleaners. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, this mildly alkaline substance functions as a gentle abrasive, deodorant and much more.
Creating a thick paste out of baking soda and water can be useful in removing surface rust, and a more liquid mixture of baking soda and water also functions as an all-purpose light cleaner that’s particularly effective on grease.
Baking soda, like lemon, is another one of nature’s natural cleaners. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, this mildly alkaline substance functions as a gentle abrasive, deodorant and much more.
Creating a thick paste out of baking soda and water can be useful in removing surface rust, and a more liquid mixture of baking soda and water also functions as an all-purpose light cleaner that’s particularly effective on grease.
Clean your oven
A thick paste made out of baking soda and water can be applied to the bottom of the oven in order to clean it. Let it sit for a couple of hours or overnight before scraping it off and then wiping the surface.
A thick paste made out of baking soda and water can be applied to the bottom of the oven in order to clean it. Let it sit for a couple of hours or overnight before scraping it off and then wiping the surface.
Brighten up your bathroom
Baking soda is also a winner in the bathroom. Throw a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and let it sit for over an hour. Afterwards, add a cup of white vinegar, let the mixture sit for some more minutes, then flush.
Baking soda is also a winner in the bathroom. Throw a cup of baking soda into the toilet bowl and let it sit for over an hour. Afterwards, add a cup of white vinegar, let the mixture sit for some more minutes, then flush.
Safely clean your clothes
Baking soda is also a great addition to your utility room. When added to your washing machine, baking soda can soften your clothes and remove any unpleasant odours.
Also, fun fact, if your clothes happen to be contaminated with uranium, wash them in about 200g of baking soda to get rid of that pesky nuclear radiation. This sounds like a joke, but it’s not: apparently, scientists have discovered that sodium bicarbonate will bind with depleted uranium dust and remove it from clothes, which chemical detergents can’t manage. Talk about an all-purpose cleaner. Nonetheless, don’t go playing in uranium dust anytime soon, kids.
Discover how to maximise the usefulness of your utility space
Baking soda is also a great addition to your utility room. When added to your washing machine, baking soda can soften your clothes and remove any unpleasant odours.
Also, fun fact, if your clothes happen to be contaminated with uranium, wash them in about 200g of baking soda to get rid of that pesky nuclear radiation. This sounds like a joke, but it’s not: apparently, scientists have discovered that sodium bicarbonate will bind with depleted uranium dust and remove it from clothes, which chemical detergents can’t manage. Talk about an all-purpose cleaner. Nonetheless, don’t go playing in uranium dust anytime soon, kids.
Discover how to maximise the usefulness of your utility space
Discover the multi-tasking benefits of white vinegar
Mentioned a couple of times already, white vinegar is a weak acetic acid that can be used in almost all aspects of home cleaning, as it has high antibacterial properties.
Vinegar diluted in water is an effective stain remover for various textiles. It’s also a great natural deodoriser, and can be combined with various other natural products, such as lemon juice, to absorb odours. It can also prevent cooking odours if you simmer vinegar with water on the hob while cooking. Vinegar will also help remove strong scents left over from fish, onion and garlic.
Mentioned a couple of times already, white vinegar is a weak acetic acid that can be used in almost all aspects of home cleaning, as it has high antibacterial properties.
Vinegar diluted in water is an effective stain remover for various textiles. It’s also a great natural deodoriser, and can be combined with various other natural products, such as lemon juice, to absorb odours. It can also prevent cooking odours if you simmer vinegar with water on the hob while cooking. Vinegar will also help remove strong scents left over from fish, onion and garlic.
Refresh your dishwasher
If your dishwasher could use a thorough cleaning, ditch the expensive chemical tabs and instead fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with two cups of white vinegar and set it on the top rack. Let the otherwise empty dishwasher run one cycle and get rid of any odours and bacteria.
If your dishwasher could use a thorough cleaning, ditch the expensive chemical tabs and instead fill a dishwasher-safe bowl with two cups of white vinegar and set it on the top rack. Let the otherwise empty dishwasher run one cycle and get rid of any odours and bacteria.
Banish limescale from your kettle
Make sure you treat your kettle well, since it gets quite the workout in our nation of dedicated tea drinkers. Vinegar is your friend again here, although you can use lemon juice, too, if you have it to hand.
Pour a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water into your kettle, allow it to boil, then rinse the kettle out once it cools down a little, but is still warm.
Make sure you treat your kettle well, since it gets quite the workout in our nation of dedicated tea drinkers. Vinegar is your friend again here, although you can use lemon juice, too, if you have it to hand.
Pour a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water into your kettle, allow it to boil, then rinse the kettle out once it cools down a little, but is still warm.
Let your windows shine
Vinegar to the rescue again! Fill an empty spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water and use a microfibre cloth to wipe down your windows and avoid any streaking. This also works wonders for mirrors.
Learn about the best ways to dress your windows
Vinegar to the rescue again! Fill an empty spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water and use a microfibre cloth to wipe down your windows and avoid any streaking. This also works wonders for mirrors.
Learn about the best ways to dress your windows
Keep those tiles sparkly
The grout between tiles in the bathroom can quickly accumulate mould, which is both unsightly and unhealthy. The best way to remove it is to mix one part soda water with one part white vinegar and spray it on the mouldy areas.
If the grime still doesn’t scrub off, add two parts baking soda to the vinegar/soda water mix and make a thick paste. Let the mixture sit on the grout for at least 15 minutes before scrubbing it off.
TELL US…
What are your favourite tips for all-natural cleaning products? Please share them in the Comments below.
The grout between tiles in the bathroom can quickly accumulate mould, which is both unsightly and unhealthy. The best way to remove it is to mix one part soda water with one part white vinegar and spray it on the mouldy areas.
If the grime still doesn’t scrub off, add two parts baking soda to the vinegar/soda water mix and make a thick paste. Let the mixture sit on the grout for at least 15 minutes before scrubbing it off.
TELL US…
What are your favourite tips for all-natural cleaning products? Please share them in the Comments below.
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Lemons are nature’s cleaning wunderkind. They have powerful antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and are a natural deodoriser due to their high acidic content. Here are just some suggestions for how to use lemons in your home: