Do you find it hard to believe that you can clean your home effectively with just three common and affordable store cupboard items? More to the point, three items that are environmentally friendly and safe for even the smallest of hands? Well perhaps you should read the following tips and prepare to be converted to a believer! To begin, here are the three items that could change the way you think about cleaning:
- Lemons
Lemons and their juice can be used to clean most surfaces in the average home; their acidity is a natural germ eradicator and the smell is fresh and pleasing to the nose
- Distilled white vinegar
Dilute one part vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle, and you have an instant mirror and window cleaner.
- Baking soda
Ideal for shifting grease and grime, baking soda also makes a great deodoriser and will help eliminate nasty smells from any area of your home.
The combined power of these store cupboard essentials:
If you infuse a jar of white distilled vinegar with lemon rinds for a couple of weeks, you’ll have yourself a wonderful product called ‘lemon-infused vinegar’or ‘citrus vinegar’, and once strained and diluted to one part citrus vinegar, one part water, you’ll have a fantastic solution that you can add to a spray bottle and use to clean many surfaces in your home. Both lemons and vinegar are great at breaking down soap scum and cutting through grease and grime, and they’ll leave most surfaces sparkling clean and smelling fresh. The acidity levels of both products combined, is great at destroying germs and means that it can be used effectively in bathrooms and kitchens.
Cleaning with lemon infused vinegar:
Your kitchen can benefit in many ways from being cleaned with this solution, as can your bathroom, and it can be used on virtually every surface, including your counters, sink, stove, fridge and toilet seat. Simply spray it liberally, paying attention to dirty areas or stuck on food spillages, and then wipe it clean. For extra help with burnt food bits, a baking soda and water paste smeared on and left for 30 minutes, will help shift it and for a pongy fridge, you could leave an open box of baking soda inside, remembering to replace it every couple of months.
Keeping your kitchen and bathroom clean with the 3 store cupboard essentials:
Lemons alone can help clean and disinfect cutting boards, and adding vinegar to the rinse compartment of your dishwasher can help prevent a greasy build up on your dishes.
Keep your floors spotless by adding a splash of vinegar to hot water. Vinegar also works wonders for cleaning microwaves; heat up a small bowl filled with a cup of vinegar for around 4 minutes, then watch as the steam loosens the grease and grime.
Use a paste of baking soda and water to scrub your bathtub and shower stall, and watch as the mixture helps you get rid of soap scum and grease with very little effort. Baking soda alone can be sprinkled into the toilet and scrubbed with a brush, as mentioned earlier, the lemon infused vinegar spray can be used on the toilet seat, and simply wiped dry.
Sinks can be left shiny and spotless with the baking soda paste, and any chrome or stainless steel attachments can be sprayed with the lemon infused vinegar.
Vinegar and water (1:1) works wonders for cleaning mirrors, and simple lemon juice will clean the grouting and have a bleach effect on any stains.