Natural Home Hacks for Safe, Easy Cleaning

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If you’re tired of using chemicals to clean your home, you’re not alone. Many people are realizing there are more natural ways to clean their home without spraying harsh, toxic chemicals throughout the home. Others find that the cleaning never ends and they need ideas to maintain the cleaning they’ve already done. Here are some natural ways to clean your home and help to keep it clean.

Throughout the Home

Vinegar, citrus and baking soda are the key ingredients used in natural cleaning products and the ones you can use to make your own products.

To clean windows, mix 2 teaspoons of white vinegar with 1 liter of warm water and use a crumpled black and white newspaper to wipe it clean. Avoid cleaning it when the sun is beating down or if the window is warm.

You can polish wooden furniture by adding a few drops of lemon oil into ½ cup of warm water and wipe with a slightly damp and soft cotton cloth.

For disinfecting around the home, you can mix 4 tbsp. of vinegar, 3 cups of hot water and 2 tsp of borax and then wipe with a damp cloth. If the thought of using borax gives you the creeps, you can even go simpler and clean with nothing but good old hydrogen peroxide.

Bathroom

If you rub wax paper on your faucet, the layer of wax will keep water spots and fingerprints off the faucet. Another bathroom hack to avoid scrubbing the toilet as often is to fill a mason jar with vinegar, punch small holes in the lid with a nail and drop it into the toilet water tank upside down. Every time you flush, the vinegar will seep out and keep your toilets clean.

Kitchen

One area many people struggle with is cleaning the oven. You can actually use baking soda and water to avoid using any harsh chemicals. Mix 2 tbsp. of baking soda in with water and spray the oven down really well. If you warm it up just slightly and then take a sponge and rag, you can easily wipe it out. Make sure you’ve turned the power off to the oven by flipping the breaker. Once you’re done, turn it on to the lowest temperature for 20 minutes so that it can dry out.

You can naturally clean your fridge by taking everything out and spraying two parts water and one part white vinegar (plus lemon oil for a great scent) and wipe it out. Finally, you can freshen your dishwasher by running a cycle with vinegar and another to rinse.

Carpets

If you have carpet stains, you can remove them with hydrogen peroxide. Take a damp cloth and hydrogen peroxide and you can clear away the set in stains without using harmful chemicals. If you have pet stains you can mix 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water and ½ cup of baking soda in a spray bottle. Just blot the pet stain with a dry towel, spray the spot with the mixture, blot and let dry. If a professional, thorough cleaning is needed to refresh the entire carpet and reduce health risks that come with dust mites, pollen and other toxins, valecarpetcleaning.co.uk recommends ensuring they’re licensed and insured with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification.

Make sure to clean all rooms starting at the top and working your way down to the floor. Open the windows to allow fresh air in and remove clutter that is collecting dust. These tricks will keep harsh chemicals out of your home and make future cleaning days a breeze.

Veronica Davis