Are you that type of grocer who separates the cleaning liquids from the rest of the food in the shopping cart? Don?t you happen to cringe when you realize that when using these chemicals at home, we and our kids are at a close proximity to it anyway?
Here are some natural solutions to keep home cleaning earth friendly and healthy.
First, the bathroom! I bet no one volunteers to clean the bathroom. It just happens to land on moms. I hate how it feels to clean the bathroom with the strong odors and chemicals right in front of my face because they couldn?t seem to escape anywhere else. Though I like those lemon scented cleaners.
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Scum and Rust Stains – Fortunately, the real lemon juice is good for cleaning. It helps remove stains and grime. Cut the lemon in half and scrub the scum and rust stains from the walls or on the tile.
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Shower Curtain ? Add ? cup of salt to a basin of water and soak the curtain in it for 20 minutes. Again, cut a lemon in half, rub the stains, then rinse.
We also spend some time in the living room. It?s the space for our crawling babies with windows full of tiny fingerprints.
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To clean windows, get 1 ? Tbsp. lemon juice, ? cup rubbing alcohol, 1/8 tsp. dishwasher and enough water to make it easy to spray. It may be used just like any window cleaner.
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You can also mop the floor with a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water. Just don?t use it on marble or any material that absorbs. It?s great for those smooth, shiny tiles. Of course you can extend this cleaning solution to the kitchen?
The kitchen is where all our food preparation takes place. Keep it clean and safe from harmful chemicals.
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For the stove top and kitchen counters, use the same water and vinegar solution to wipe them clean.
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If you have pots with burned food sticking to it, don?t waste your dishwashing liquid and hot water trying to loosen them. Get some baking soda and drop a bit of water to form a paste. Apply this paste on the burnt food and you will eventually get the dark, icky stuff out of your pots. Just DON?T apply this to non-stick or coated pans.
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Everything very clean except for the stench from the garbage dispenser? Get an entire lemon through the dispenser and you will get it cleaned and smelling fresh instantly.
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Or maybe you have just wiped the oven clean but feel disappointed that the smell of roasted chicken still lingers? Pour 2 Tbsps. of baking soda in a small bowl and leave the bowl inside the oven over night. You?re guaranteed to have a fresh smelling oven the next morning.
Inside the laundry room, try the following:
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Oh, this can cause quite a headache. If you have oil stains on your shirt from cooking, we all know that this doesn?t disappear after the usual wash cycle. Spread some baking soda on the fresh oil stain and leave it for one to two hours. Put some drops of water on the baking soda and scrub gently before rinsing. You can include it in the normal wash afterwards.
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During the rinse cycle of your washing machine, add a half cup of vinegar to your clothes instead of the softener. Don?t worry because in each application of the vinegar, the scent disappears once it has dried up. Your clothes will be soft without that the feel of residue on the clothes from fabric softener.
Hopefully these steps will help you begin a more earth friendly cleaning experience. It?s a habit that you?d want your kids to see and learn from.
