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Sometimes in a bid to keep the home clean we resort to buying and trying out all the detergents and miracle solutions that promise unbelievable results. Well, forget those and go green; thereare so many kitchen ingredients you can use for cleaning the home and more. We will look at five main ingredients you should make use of in every day cleaning of the home; Vinegar, Baking soda, Lemon, Hydrogen peroxide and Salt.
VINEGAR
Vinegar is a very common house ingredient which most people would not think to use for any other purpose than to season salad; here are some uses of vinegar you should try around the home.
Cleaning windows and mirrors– mix equal parts water and vinegar in a spray bottle, spray the surface and wipe with a soft cloth or newspaper for extra shine
Laundry cleaning– This is a surprising use for vinegar; you simply replace your commercial fabric softener with vinegar, this will get rid of odors and soften fabric too
General home cleaning– it helps especially in the cold season, to avoid spread of germs wipe surfaces touched often that could distribute bacteria; this would be places such as doorknobs, handles and taps. If you have young ones you could also use vinegar to clean the baby’s toys.
Clean kitchen appliances and machinery such as the microwave or even the fridge; mix vinegar and water then use a cloth to scrub the areas that need cleaning.
Clean faucets, toilet bowls and shower heads– spray the toilet bowl with vinegar and then brush as you would normally, you can take off shower heads and soak them in vinegar too.
BAKING SODA
Baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda, as it is also known) is a naturally occurring material, present in most organic life forms. As its name suggests, baking soda can be used for cooking .It is mostly used for medicinal purposes but in theme with our article we shall discuss how to use baking soda for cleaning the home.
Baking soda can be used to remove odors from various areas in the home- sprinkle the baking soda in the particular area and let it rest in order to start reducing the bad odor; this is for areas such as cupboards, bins. Also, if you have a laundry basket or hamper, add some baking soda every day to keep the hamper from smelling between emptying.
You can make use of baking soda to clean surfaces in the home– simply sprinkle the baking soda on the dirty surface and then rinse with clean water to have the place looking brand new
Baking soda has proven to be effective in cleaning silverware and many steel kitchen appliances; for silverware you would need to mix baking soda and water (3 parts baking soda to one part water) then rub the paste into the items, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. It is also sed to remove burnt food from the bottom of pots and pans sprinkle the baking soda on the bottom, add hot water and let it soak overnight; the food will be easily removable afterwards.
Baking soda is also usable for unclogging drains in the bathrooms or even kitchen; it’s as simple as sprinkling ¼ cup of baking soda down the drain weekly then rinse with hot water.
LEMON
This green cleaner and natural disinfectant has a wonderful smell, and best of all, its easily accessible and affordable too. High in citric acid, lemon juice one of the best natural cleaners due to its low pH and antibacterial properties. Lemons also have a nice scent and aren’t likely to cause damage to materials around what you are cleaning such as fabric or wood. A point to note however is to always rinse with warm soapy water and dry with a clean cloth afterwards. You must also never clean brass coated items with lemon as the juice will damage the items.
Diluted lemon juice not only cleans stains from cutting boards, but helps keep bacteria at bay as well. Rub the juice onto the board, you may leave it in overnight to rinse and dry in the morning
You can use lemon to remove stains and odor from storage containers such as the plastic containers used in the home for food storage; soak them in dilute lemon juice, add baking soda and scrub then rinse and dry.
Add a few drops of lemon juice to your dish soap to boost degreasing ability– this will help with cleaning pots and pans especially.
Lemon can be used to clean windows and mirrors around the home- put a few tablespoons of lemon and water into a spray bottle then use it to clean the surfaces in your home. This tip also works with a mixture of vinegar and lemon.
Keeping your toilet bowl fresh– Place a half cup of lemon juice in the bowl and swish with a toilet bowl brush.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
Hydrogen peroxide is a non-toxic cleaner for many areas of your home. Point to note is storage of your hydrogen peroxide, it must be kept in an opaque bottle as light will destroy the solutions and decrease effectiveness.
Cleaning your cutting board and countertops– Hydrogen peroxide bubbles away any nasty leftover grime and waste left after preparing meat or fish for dinner. Add hydrogen peroxide to an opaque spray bottle and spray on your surfaces. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean.
Clean your sponges– This is done by soaking them for 10 minutes in a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and warm water in a shallow dish. Rinse the sponges thoroughly afterward.
Cleaning the toilet bowl– Pour half a cup of hydrogen peroxide into the toilet bowl, let it stand for 20 minutes, then scrub clean.
Clean kids’ toys and play areas– Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaner to use around kids, or anyone with respiratory problems, because it’s not a lung irritant. Fill an opaque spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and spray the toys, toy boxes, doorknobs, and anything else your kids touch on a regular basis. You could also soak a rag in peroxide to make a wipe.
SALT
Besides making food delicious, it’s believed there are more than 14,000 uses for salt; A number of old time uses were for simple things around the home before the advent of modern chemicals and cleaners. Some of these are still in use today and you too can try them in order to clean the home with environment friendly ingredients
Cleaning kitchen appliances and utensils– This is especially for greasy pots and pans, just add some salt into the pan and wipe with paper to ensure ultimate cleanliness; this method also works for items such as stained cups with stains such as coffee or tea stains You can also use salt in cleaning your oven or refrigerator; Salt and cinnamon take the “burned food” odor away from ovens and stove burners, all you need to do is sprinkle spills while oven and burners are still hot; when dry, remove the salted spots with a stiff brush or cloth. When cleaning refrigerators use salt and soda water to clean the inside of your refrigerator
Cleaning sink drains – Pour a strong salt solution down the kitchen sink drain regularly to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.
Cleaning wicker items – To prevent yellowing, scrub wicker furniture with a stiff brush moistened with warm salt water and leave them to dry in the sun.You could also use this tip for extending the life of your new brooms; all you have to do is soak the broom in hot salted water before the first
Salt can be used for cleaning fabrics– to remove perspiration stains add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains disappear. you can also use salt to brighten yellowed cottons or linens, this is done by Boiling the yellowed items for one hour in a salt and baking soda solution. When removing blood stains – Soak the stained clothing or other cloth item in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Note- Use this tip only on cotton, linen or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)
