Keeping a clean home can just as easily be achieved by using natural products as by using store bought solutions, which are often harmful to the environment, smelly and costly, too. With the use of just three simple, easily accessible and affordable products, you can keep a clean home the natural way:
The benefits of using white vinegar to clean naturally:
Did you know that ordinary, white vinegar can clean and deodorize just as effectively as most all-purpose cleaners available on the market today? Mix it with equal parts water in a spray bottle and use it to clean most areas of your home. While it may smell acidic when you first spray it, that will quickly dissipate as it dries.
However, be sure to test each surface with a small amount of the solution first, to make sure that it won’t damage or discolor it. You should avoid using vinegar on marble surfaces.
In your bathroom
Spray your vinegar and water solution liberally over your bathtub, shower unit, toilet and sink and wipe it off for a shiny and clean effect. You can even add it to your mop water. For unsightly marks/rings in your toilet bowl, vinegar is effective too; simply pour/spray it around the inside of the rim before flushing and give it a light scrub.
In your kitchen
You can use the vinegar and water solution to clean your stove top, appliances and counters, and again, add it to your mop water to clean your kitchen floor.
In your laundry
Vinegar can be used as a natural fabric softener; simply add half a cupful to the rinse cycle instead of your usual, store bought softener. The vinegar helps to break down the detergent better, and can be used to clean your washing machine, too.
The benefits of using lemons to clean naturally:
Lemon juice is fantastic for dissolving soap scum and hard water deposits and can even shine brass and copper. Use lemon juice to treat stains as it has natural bleaching qualities, but as with vinegar, be sure to test it out on each surface before you use it to avoid any problems with discolouration or damage.
Making a cleaning paste
Simply combine lemon juice with baking soda to make a cleaning paste that you can use in your kitchen and bathroom.
Use the lemon itself
Sprinkle baking soda over one half of a lemon and use it directly on dirty dishes, surfaces and stains.
Furniture polish
Take half a cup of lemon juice and mix it with 1 cup of olive oil to make a great, natural polish for hardwood furniture.
In your garbage disposal
Take a whole lemon or orange peel and put it through your garbage disposal; this will help to freshen up the drain and your whole kitchen.
The benefit of using baking soda to clean naturally:
One of the most versatile natural cleaning products, baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces and works amazingly well as a deodorizer, too. Simply pop an open tub of baking soda into your refrigerator – or anywhere in which you might need to neutralise odors – and it will absorb the nasty smells.
Better for the environment, our health and our pockets, natural cleaning products can make a fantastic alternative to chemical based, store-bought solutions.
