Sunday, September 28, 2014

House Cleaning With Natural Ingredients

House Cleaning With Natural Ingredients

By Vivian Weldon


Not a whole lot of people genuinely enjoy cleaning their home. It can be a great feeling to know that your home is clean, but the path to getting there can be a hassle. And many things need to be done on a regular, sometimes even daily, basis. And all that cleaning is going to require that you go through a large amount of cleaning products.

The problem with cleaning products, however, is that many of them contain harsh chemicals that can have undesirable effects on both the environment and the human body. But there are some cleaners that can be made with common, natural ingredients that have proven to be just as effective as those made with chemicals. Especially if you have pets or children, you may want to give them a shot.

The ingredients that natural cleaning recipes call for the most are water, vinegar, baking soda, salt and lemon juice. Various combinations of these substances, along with some other minor ones, can allow you to effectively clean almost any surface of your home in a safe, inexpensive, green way.

To clean glass, try mixing four tablespoons of lemon juice with half a gallon of water. Some people suggest getting extra use out of old newspaper by wiping them down with it, but those people are wrong. This is more trouble than it is worth. A simple cloth or old garment is much better for the job.

Wooden furniture can lose some of its shine as it ages. Polish it up if you want to infuse some life back into it. A natural wood polish can be created with a mix of one part lemon juice and two parts olive oil. Store-bought wood polishes are often smelly and full of strong chemicals, but this recipe is aromatic and completely non-toxic. You could put it on a salad if you wanted.

If your furniture is made of vinyl, you can remove stains and get it shining using only a wash cloth dipped in lemon juice.

To an even greater extent than wood polishes, metal polishes are stinky substances full of chemicals you would not want on or in your body. If you have items of copper or brass that are showing tarnish, try using a natural blend before going for the industrial stuff. A paste can be made out of equal parts flour, vinegar and salt. Rub it onto the metal surface with a soft cloth, and you should be golden.

In the seasons where you use your fireplace often, you may notice a buildup of smoke stains on the wall surrounding the enclosure. Cream of tartar and water become your best friends in this case. Create a paste out of the two ingredients and smear it over the stains. After it dries, scrub it off and you will notice the stains are gone too.

Vinegar has a bonus use of being able to absorb the odor of paint fumes. Try leaving an open container of it in a room while you are painting. You can leave it there, while the paint dries, but remember to swap it out for a fresh vessel regularly.




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