Cleaning a home is not something that many people enjoy, but it is something that needs to be done. There are various cleaning chores that should be dealt with on a daily, weekly or monthly basis in order to keep your home sparkling and sanitary. And if you keep up with these chores, you will probably go through a lot of cleaning materials.
The trouble is, some cleaning products, especially the ones that use strong chemicals, can be dangerous to your health and damaging to the environment. Thankfully, there are alternative cleaners that you can make for yourself from common household ingredients that have proven just as effective as the top cleaning brands, but are safer to use.
Most natural cleaning solutions call for varying levels of a few different ingredients. Most often, you will see ones that use water, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and baking soda. Almost everything in your home can be fully cleaned using these safe, natural components.
Glass surfaces, like mirrors or windows, can be easily cleaned with a mix of 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and about a half gallon of water. If you hear someone recommend using old newspapers to wipe them down, promptly ignore that advice. It will just create a big mess. Use a soft cloth, like a sane person, instead.
Wooden furniture can lose some of its shine as it ages. Polish it up if you want to infuse some life back into it. A natural wood polish can be created with a mix of one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil. Store-bought wood polishes are often smelly and full of strong chemicals, but this recipe is aromatic and completely non-toxic. You could put it on a salad if you wanted.
Some furniture is made with vinyl pieces. If you find them covered in stains, a cloth doused in pure lemon juice is often enough to get it back to looking great.
To a greater degree than wood polishes, metal polishes are made with harsh chemicals. If you need to remove the tarnish from copper, brass or another metal surface, try using this recipe before going for the store-bought stuff. Create a paste by mixing together equal units of flour, salt and vinegar. Rub the metal surface down with a soft cloth dabbed in the paste. You should notice results fairly quickly.
If you have a fireplace that you regularly use, you may begin to notice a buildup of smoke and soot stains on the wall around it. To remove these, try making a paste out of cream of tartar and water. Smear the paste over the stains, let it dry, and then scrub it off to remove the dark streaks.
As a last little bonus, you can use vinegar to absorb the fumes from fresh paint. You can leave an open bowl or cup of it in a room that is being painted, or was just freshly-painted, help make the smell more tolerable. If you leave for a long period, be sure to replace it with a fresh container midway through.
The trouble is, some cleaning products, especially the ones that use strong chemicals, can be dangerous to your health and damaging to the environment. Thankfully, there are alternative cleaners that you can make for yourself from common household ingredients that have proven just as effective as the top cleaning brands, but are safer to use.
Most natural cleaning solutions call for varying levels of a few different ingredients. Most often, you will see ones that use water, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and baking soda. Almost everything in your home can be fully cleaned using these safe, natural components.
Glass surfaces, like mirrors or windows, can be easily cleaned with a mix of 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and about a half gallon of water. If you hear someone recommend using old newspapers to wipe them down, promptly ignore that advice. It will just create a big mess. Use a soft cloth, like a sane person, instead.
Wooden furniture can lose some of its shine as it ages. Polish it up if you want to infuse some life back into it. A natural wood polish can be created with a mix of one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil. Store-bought wood polishes are often smelly and full of strong chemicals, but this recipe is aromatic and completely non-toxic. You could put it on a salad if you wanted.
Some furniture is made with vinyl pieces. If you find them covered in stains, a cloth doused in pure lemon juice is often enough to get it back to looking great.
To a greater degree than wood polishes, metal polishes are made with harsh chemicals. If you need to remove the tarnish from copper, brass or another metal surface, try using this recipe before going for the store-bought stuff. Create a paste by mixing together equal units of flour, salt and vinegar. Rub the metal surface down with a soft cloth dabbed in the paste. You should notice results fairly quickly.
If you have a fireplace that you regularly use, you may begin to notice a buildup of smoke and soot stains on the wall around it. To remove these, try making a paste out of cream of tartar and water. Smear the paste over the stains, let it dry, and then scrub it off to remove the dark streaks.
As a last little bonus, you can use vinegar to absorb the fumes from fresh paint. You can leave an open bowl or cup of it in a room that is being painted, or was just freshly-painted, help make the smell more tolerable. If you leave for a long period, be sure to replace it with a fresh container midway through.
About the Author:
Living a clean home can make you feel great. Owning the home of your dreams is also a good motivation to keep it clean and in top notch condition. Garrette Custom Homes Puget Sound builds custom homes in Puget Sound, and is a great place to find the home of your dreams.
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