With the entire world becoming more ‘green-conscious’ and adopting an eco-friendly method of doing everything, your cleaning products need to take an active turn into the green lane too. Up until a few years ago, people did not really bother about the kind of cleaning products they were using and what consequences they have on the environment or even on their own family. With the awareness rising, people start to lean towards the natural stuff.
Of course, finding the best non-toxic solutions to all your cleaning problems might not be the easiest thing to do, so here are the best solutions that will help you clean your whole house without using any chemicals!
All-purpose cleaning solution
There will be times you will find that stray mark, stain, or weird looking gunk in some part of your home. For these problems, you can use an all-purpose cleaning solution that you can make out of all-natural ingredients.
Take a spray bottle and fill it up with equal parts of water and white vinegar. Add one lemon rind and some rosemary sprigs, or if you wish, you can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (tea tree oil, lemon oil, or lavender oil – works best). Let it sit and infuse for about a week. After this period your natural all-purpose cleaner is ready to use. You can use it to remove all kinds of marks, stains, and odors efficiently. The best part is – you get the sweet smell of rosemary and lemon spreading through your house!
Cleaning your floors
When it comes to cleaning your floors, be it tile, laminate, or wood, you need to make a cleaning solution that removes dirt, dust, germs, stains, and odors. An excellent cleaning solution for your floors would be a mixture of 2 cups of warm water, ½ cup of white vinegar, 1/4th cup of rubbing alcohol, a few drops of good dish soap, and finally, about 10 drops of your favorite essential oil (to make it smell amazing). Use these ingredients with a mop or a damp cloth and make your gorgeous floors shine!
Or you can always go for a great wet-dry vacuum cleaner. They are fantastic for cleaning hardwood floors without having to use harsh chemicals at all!
Windows and Mirrors
Your windows and glasses require regular cleaning. Otherwise, they end up looking foggy and dirty. A simple spray bottle cleaning solution can help you solve this problem.
Take a spray bottle and combine these ingredients- 2 cups water, ½ cup of cider vinegar or white vinegar, and 2 drops of orange essential oil.
One little tip: Don’t clean your windows and mirrors on a scorching, sunny day as the solution will dry up way too fast and leave streaks on the glass. Instead of spraying the solution directly on the glass, you can spray it in a damp towel and then wipe down your windows and glasses with it.
Bathtubs, sinks, and porcelain
Rust stains, limescale, mold, and many other unsightly stains on your porcelain, bathtubs, and sinks can be a real nightmare. Not only do they look absolutely horrendous, but they are so challenging to get rid of. But there is a trick! Take half a lemon, dip it in a bit of borax, and use this directly to get rid of those pesky stains. Keep in mind that this solution is dangerous for marble and granite.
For marble and granite cleaning, use just a bar of soap and warm water solution as these materials are just too delicate to tolerate vinegar, lemon, baking soda, and the likes.
Tip: Buff out the marble and granite with a soft cloth, a microfiber cloth, or a polishing cloth, but do not ever let it air dry, as it will leave behind nasty streaks on the beautiful material.
Cleaning grease off your kitchen
Grease can be tough to clean, however, you can create a solution of a gallon of water and half a cup of sudsy ammonia. Use this with a sponge to clean the grease off your oven, stoves, grill grates, etc. Wipe away the solution with warm water and a clean cloth, and you will find the grease stains disappearing like magic!
Microwave
Fill up a microwavable cup with vinegar and place this inside your microwave. Please turn it on and let it microwave for about 5 minutes till you find the inside to be wholly foggy and covered in vapor. Just like this, sit for about 3 minutes before you remove the cup of vinegar from inside. Now, take a clean paper towel and wipe down the entire inside surface of your microwave. This is the absolute best way to clean the inside of your microwave without any chemicals.
Toilet
This is by far the easiest cleaning solution that you can make; all you need is vinegar and water! Take a spray bottle (to make it easier for yourself to use the cleaner) and fill it up with equal parts of vinegar and water. Shake this well to create your cleaning solution, and you’re done! Spray this solution directly on your toilet and even in the shower on the tiles to remove mildew, mold, grout, bacteria, stains, odors, and marks. In case the smell of vinegar is too much for you to handle, you can add a few drops of lemon essential oil into the mixture to mask the smell.
Of course, the best solution would be to open up a window or turn on a fan to allow proper ventilation. Use a scrubbing brush to remove any stubborn marks and stains in your toilet. In case some stain is actually tough, pour some baking soda directly over it, allow it to sit for 15 minutes, and then scrub it again with your brush!
Disinfectant
When it comes to disinfecting your home without using any chemicals, the one thing that would win hands down is tea tree oil. This magical essential oil not only smells like heaven but also has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Of course, remember to dilute it with lots of water, and spray it just about anywhere you wish in your house!
If you want to learn more tips and tricks about cleaning and home improvement visit us at housecleaningadvice.com
