Many modern households no longer bother with an annual spring clean, choosing instead to try and keep on top of their cleaning chores on a regular basis. This of course makes life easier in the long run (even if we do hate doing it and struggle to find the time!), and helps us to keep clean and healthy homes that no longer need to be blitzed from top to bottom with the long awaited arrival of spring.
Modern households are also turning to eco-friendly solutions for cleaning their homes these days, finding that not only are they helping to preserve the planet, but that their homes are smelling all the fresher for it, too. Here are a few simple, cost effective ways to keep your home spick and span:
- Make your oven sparkle like the day you purchased it, by making a simple paste of baking soda and water, smearing it on the bottom of the oven and leaving it for a few hours. Wipe it off and stand back to admire your shiny, chemical free cooker!
- Fill a container (a jar would be ideal) with lemon peels and then pour white vinegar over them; use as large a container as you wish, perhaps depending on how grubby your home is! Leave the container for up to two weeks (but a few days is fine) and then strain the vinegar to give yourself a natural and zesty smelling cleaner that works wonders on dirty windows and floors. With its anti-bacterial properties, it can also be used as a cost effective disinfectant for all of the surfaces in your home.
- Dirty dishwashers are the bane of many a modern household, but with this quick, easy and cheap solution, your dishwasher could be spotless and smelling fresh within a matter of minutes. Simply fill a suitable container with 2 cups of vinegar, leave it on the top shelf and run a hot cycle while the machine is empty.
- Vinegar is a great alternative to expensive chemical based cleaners, as you can see from the previous tips, and it can also be used to clean grimy shower heads. The best solution for this is to loosely place a plastic bag around the shower head while you fill it with white vinegar, then tie the bag tightly so that the head is fully immersed. Leave it like this for up to 12 hours, then remove the bag, pour the vinegar down the drain and prepare to be amazed as your showerhead dazzles you!
- A dull and unsanitary looking sink can make any kitchen look in need of a spring clean, but rub half of a grapefruit all over it, sprinkle some salt over and wash it off with a sponge and hot water, and your sink will look clean enough to eat your dinner off of!
These tips may well save you time, money and the planet, but many modern households are also turning to professional cleaning services to get their homes gleaming, and if you would rather be spending your precious spare time with your family or pets than squeezing lemons and pouring vinegar about the place, why not consider hiring a cleaning service to help you make the most of your leisure time?