Sparkling clean sink and surrounding area – Photo Courtesy: Nathan Siemers
In order to get their homes sparkling and clean, most people resort to using harmful chemical-based cleaners that give off toxic fumes, leave unsafe residues behind, and are dangerous if ingested or absorbed through the skin. These conventional cleaning products are also typically not biodegradable and, therefore, damaging to the environment outside of your home as well. In addition, many individuals do not like to purchase these products because they are tested on animals yet are still harmful to humans and pets.
In our modern world, we are bombarded by pollutants in our air, water and soil. In most cases, there is nothing that we can do to avoid this harmful pollution which affects every system of our delicate bodies. But there are steps that you can take, and easy ones at that, which can minimize your impact on the environment and help keep your family and pets healthy while avoiding the use of harsh chemical cleaners. Get your home clean, disinfected and smelling great with these homemade cleaning products that are all-natural and completely safe.
An All-Around Cleaner
A great all-around cleaner is a mixture of white vinegar and water. Just mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 1 cup of water and put it into a spray bottle to shake it together. Then spray it on any surface to clean and deodorize it. You can spray this cleaner on bathroom and kitchen surfaces to get them sparkling clean and sanitized. And the vinegar scent disappears once the solution dries, so you don’t need to worry about your home smelling like vinegar for long.
You can also use white vinegar without diluting it with water to clean toilet bowls, shower heads, and any other areas of the bathroom that have mineral deposits, soap scum, or stains. Combine this solution with the scrubbing action of a pumice stone to get rid of harder stains. Faucets glisten after wiping them down with the diluted or undiluted white vinegar solutions.
Give white vinegar even more power by combining it with baking soda. The abrasiveness of the baking soda combined with the acidity of the white vinegar makes this a perfect combination for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens. I like to use it to remove soap scum from my tub and bathroom and kitchen sinks. Use a good scrubbing sponge to really get the baking soda to do its job.
An All-Natural Disinfectant
Worried about germs throughout your home but don’t want to spend the money on harsh disinfectant sprays that leave behind toxic fumes? The perfect solution to this problem is a very simple combination of 2 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of liquid soap and about 25 drops of tea tree oil. Mix this solution together and then spray it onto areas in your home where germs may thrive such as in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Just spray it on and wipe it away as you would any other disinfectant spray.
An All-Natural Glass Cleaning Solution
If you want to get your glass and mirrors clean without any streaks, an easy homemade solution consisting of 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, lemon juice or club soda in a gallon of water works great. Spray it onto the glass or mirror surface and then, instead of wiping it down with paper towels which can leave lint and streaks behind, use newspaper.
Right: A nice and clean dresser mirror – Photo by Amanda
An All-Natural Carpet Spot-Cleaner
Carpet cleaners are some of the worst offenders when it comes to ingredients that are derived from harsh chemicals. For spot cleaning your carpets try mixing ¼ cup liquid soap or detergent in a blender with 1/3 cup of water until the solution is foamy. Spray the solution on to the stain and then rinse it away with white vinegar.
You can also always attempt the tried-and-true club soda solution to get fresh stains out of your carpet before they settle in. Make sure to pour a lot of it onto the stain and then blot it away with a rag.
Left: Julie cleans her carpet – Photo Courtesy: Julie Vazquez
Whether you are combining natural ingredients to create disinfectants, tub and tile cleaners, or a multi surface cleaning spray that can be used throughout your home on a variety of surfaces, the option of making homemade cleaning products is available to everyone at a cost that is much less than purchasing products from a store.
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