When your house calls for cleaning but your cleanser cabinet is bare, there’s no need to run out for more store-bought cleaning products. A search through your kitchen cupboards will turn up plenty of natural cleaning products to keep your house clean without damaging the environment.
For instance, banana peels are perfect for polishing shoes; salt can make mildew disappear, and vinegar does everything from making windows shine to clearing tough drains to softening old paint.
There are easy alternatives out there to toxic household cleaning chemicals. Here are few of our favorite natural cleaning products:
#1 Lemons to Clean Copper
Don’t reach for tarnish remover to polish up your copper-bottomed pans, make your own with this recipe: Cut a fresh lemon in half and sprinkle salt on it. Using the lemon, rub the salt into the copper and you’ll be amazed how fast the tarnish melts away.
#2 Vinegar to Clean Glass
Fill a spray bottle with 1 quart water and add 1 tablespoon white vinegar. For larger jobs, like floor and tiles, add 1/4 cup white vinegar to 1-gallon hot water.
#3 Baking Soda to Clean Bathrooms
Mix a paste of either baking soda or borax with water and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Borax or baking sodas are also good alone to replace abrasive cleaners. For toilets, drop either a few vitamin C capsules or denture cleaning tablets in the bowl and let sit overnight.
#4 Borax to Clean Surfaces
Mix 1/2-cup borax in 1 gallon of hot water for counters, floors, cabinets and tiles.
#5 Vinegar and Hot Water to Clean Drains
Pour 1/4-cup baking soda down the drain, and then follow with 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover. When fizzing slows, flush with hot water.
#6 Baking Soda and Water to Clean Ovens
#6 Baking Soda and Water to Clean OvensUse paste of baking soda and water. Scrub stains with steel wool.
#7 Vinegar and Lemon to Clean Microwaves
Mix teaspoon of vinegar and lemon in cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes.
#8 Lemon Juice to Polish Furniture Polish
Add 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1 cup of vegetable or olive oil.
#9 Vinegar and Salt to Eradicate Mildew
#9 Vinegar and Salt to Eradicate MildewUse equal parts white vinegar and salt. Or use strong Thyme tea.
#10 Flour, Salt, and Vinegar to Clean Brass
Mix equal parts flour and salt into a small amount of vinegar.
With these recipes for natural cleaning products, you can save money and enjoy a clean house without heading out to the store for commercial alternatives.
This morning on 9-28-24, I caught the end of your radio Moneypit program. The subject was about using a combination of baking soda, herb and something else to sprinkle on the carpet and then to vacuum. Would you please tell me the items to freshen up my carpet?
Sure, Here’s a quick guide to making and using a natural carpet deodorizer:
1. Gather Ingredients: You’ll need 2 cups of baking soda, ½ cup of salt, and ¼ to ½ cup of dried mint leaves or lavender buds.
2. Mix: Combine the baking soda and salt, then stir in the dried herbs for a fresh scent and extra deodorizing power.
3. Prep the Carpet: Vacuum to remove dirt.
4. Apply: Sprinkle the mixture evenly on your carpet, using a sifter for better distribution, especially in high-traffic or odor-prone areas.
5. Let it Sit: Allow the mix to absorb odors for 20-30 minutes.
6. Vacuum Again: Vacuum thoroughly to remove the mixture, leaving your carpet fresh and clean!
This is full of great ideas for natural cleaning of your home. I wonder if you can provide some simple solution for maintaining, timber flooring? I would like to be able to offer customers options other than chemically based products. Thanks and regards!
after removing soot and cleaning wood as well as possible, try pure vanilla oil for removing the smoke smell…by rubbing it into the wood….it works well to add pure vanilla oil to enamel oil based paints when painting a room that has had smoke damage.
I need to know how to clean up some wood dressers that have bad smoke and soot damage. oak, Pine wood
want it to look like before.
Penny Ridgecrest ca