Cleaning your home is simple if you use a few natural products that you likely already have in your store cupboard, such as baking soda, vinegar and lemons. With these 3 cheap and readily available items, believe it or not, you can clean your entire home.
Cleaning with vinegar:
White vinegar can destroy both Salmonella and E Coli bacteria’s, and can be used to clean various things in your home:
- CoffeemakerStart the machine as you would if making a coffee, using an equal part mixture of water and vinegar. When the cycle is halfway through, turn it off and let the solution sit for at least an hour before finishing the cycle.
- Unblocking a drainSimply pour a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of baking soda down the blocked drain and rinse with water
- MicrowaveHeat up a bowl containing a cup of vinegar and a cup of water on high for 10 minutes; this should leave stains and food residue more cleanable
- Cleaning glassesA cup of vinegar placed in the bottom of your dishwasher should help prevent cloudiness on glasses
- ShowerheadsPlace the showerhead into a sealed plastic bag containing vinegar and leave overnight, then rinse off the next morning
- Tackling mildewVinegar can be sprayed liberally over the walls of your shower and curtain to help prevent mildew; it can also be sprayed on any walls in your home to reduce mildew
- Carpet stainsDry the stain as best you can, then spray it with a solution of half vinegar and half water. Let it sit for a few minutes before blotting it with a towel
Cleaning with baking soda:
This product is just as cheap and readily available as vinegar and with its abrasive qualities, it’s great at removing tough stains:
- Coffee cup stainsFill the stained mugs/cups with one-part baking soda to two parts of water; leave it overnight and scrub clean the next morning
- Burnt foodLiberally sprinkle baking soda over the affected areas, pour on some hot water and leave it overnight before scrubbing clean the next morning
- Oven spillagesFor tough oven spillages, use a wire wool scrubber and baking soda to scrub them away
- Crayon marksMake a paste of equal parts baking soda and water, spread it onto the crayon marks, allow it to dry and then wipe it off
- Eliminating odoursSmelly furniture, rugs or carpets can easily be treated by sprinkling baking soda over, leaving it for an hour or so and then vacuuming
Cleaning with lemons:
Lemons are a natural disinfectant and stain remover due to their acidity levels, and they also have a great, fresh smelling aroma:
- Cutting/chopping boardsSimply squeeze lemon juice onto the board and rub the lemon directly onto the stains. Let it stay like that until the stain begins to disappear and rinse it clean
- MicrowavePlace a slice of lemon into a bowl of water and heat it up in the microwave for around 45 seconds. You’ll then find stains easier to wipe away and it should smell fresher, too
- RefrigeratorRefrigerators can quickly get smelly but putting half of a lemon on one of the shelves, should help to keep it smelling fresh
- FaucetsRub the faucets with lemon juice before you get to bed at night, and rinse them off in the morning to keep them sparkling
- GroutA paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar – a natural bleaching product – can be applied directly to the stained grouting with a toothbrush, and rinsed off with water once the stains have begun to disappear
Cleaning your home need not be costly or difficult, and using these 3, store cupboard essentials, you could have your entire home clean and smelling fresh in next to no time.