A clean home doesn’t have to reek of toxic chemicals; your toilet bowl and work surfaces can be hygienically clean without the use of products that are potentially harmful to you and your family. Here are a few ways that you can ‘go green when you clean.’
What chemical free products can I use to clean my home?
- White Vinegar: This cheap and non-toxic product will make light work of your grubby windows and mirrors, leaving them looking shiny and clean.
- Baking Soda: Can be used to clean many different surfaces and has a natural, deodorising effect. Great as an oven cleaner; make into a paste (with water) and spread over the affected areas, leave it for a few hours then wipe off with a damp cloth.
- Lemon: The acid content of these delightfully scented fruits will get rid of most household bacteria, while leaving you with a fresh and fruity aroma.
- Corn starch: Another cheap and readily available product that will effectively eliminate stains on carpets and rugs. It can also be used to clean windows and to polish furniture.
- Citrus Solvent: This will remove grease with ease and is great for cleaning paintbrushes.
How can I ‘green clean’ my dishwasher?
Dishwashers can become bunged up with all manner of leftover food items and grease, and they can get pretty stinky too! A quick, easy and environmentally friendly way of eliminating the dirt and odour is to fill a bowl or any other dishwasher safe vessel with 2 cups of vinegar, and simply place it on the top rack of the empty dishwasher, and then run a hot cycle.
Making the toilet bowl sparkle…and not a chemical in sight!
Toilet bowls can be a real breeding ground for germs and bacteria and can look unsightly if not cleaned properly, and often. By simply putting a cup of baking soda into the toilet to soak for an hour or so, then adding a cup of white vinegar and leaving it for 5 minutes before flushing, your toilet will look spotlessly clean. For tougher stains, a little additional scrubbing might be required!
An environmentally friendly way to clean shower heads
Limescale can build up quickly on shower heads, but there is a highly effective way of removing this without using anything that’s harmful to your health, or the environment. Fill a plastic bag with white vinegar and then carefully tie it around the shower head, ensuring the head is completely immersed in the vinegar. Leave the bag on overnight or for at least 12 hours, then simply remove and pour the grubby solution away. Your shower heads will be gleaming!
These are just a few of the many different ways in which you can ‘green clean’ your house, and once you’ve tried some of the techniques, make sure you pass them on to others and create a green cleaning revolution!