My mother will probably find it highly ironic that I'm writing about cleaning as if I know something about it, but oddly enough, I actually do. Gone are the days of bathing bi-monthly and cleaning the bathroom roughly three times a year. With adulthood comes the amazing realization that small gnomes armed with Clorox and 409 (AKA Mommy) don't just pop up and clean everything while you are asleep - and after that realization comes the nagging need to do what those suddenly lazy gnomes are not doing.
For me this process of realization has been growing alongside the increasing desire to do as much as possible in a "green" manner. For me this has meant replacing my shampoo with a natural brand, bringing my own reusable bags to the grocery store, and seeking natural household cleaners. While there are many natural cleansers available for sale, there are also a lot of things that you can make yourself, which is what I have opted to do in several instances. There is a buttload of more options out there, but here are a couple which I have come to swear by.
Favorite cleaning ingredients:
White Distilled Vinegar
Baking Soda
Essential Oil
Uses:
For a general, all-purpose cleaner for use in both the kitchen and bathroom I just fill a spray bottle with vinegar and add 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil. Lavender helps to cut the harsh vinegar smell and also has antibacterial properties.
To unclog a drain, I pour 1 cup of baking soda over the drain and follow it with roughly 3 cups of boiling water (or however much a tea kettle will hold). I have read articles that advise using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain, but I found it less effective than use baking soda alone.
As a toilet cleaner, I just pour about a half a cup of baking soda into the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. I sometimes add a few drops of essential oil, like grapefruit or lavender, for a fresh scent.
Last but not least, I find that baking soda does an excellent job of removing nasty scum from the bathtub. We have very hard water and it causes brown deposits to build up on the tiles. I was never able to remove it until I discovered that just putting some baking soda on a wet sponge and then scrubbing it onto the surface does the trick. I sometimes spray the tiles with vinegar first and let it sit for a few minutes before applying the baking soda.
These are just the popular cleaners used in my house, but there are many other natural cleaner recipes out there, and different combinations of these basic ingredients. http://vinegartips.com/Scripts/ has some really cool information about vinegar and all its uses and http://www.armhammer.com/ has lots of information on baking soda and its uses in its "Visit our neighborhood" section.
If you have any favorite natural cleaning solutions, please share them in a comment!
For me this process of realization has been growing alongside the increasing desire to do as much as possible in a "green" manner. For me this has meant replacing my shampoo with a natural brand, bringing my own reusable bags to the grocery store, and seeking natural household cleaners. While there are many natural cleansers available for sale, there are also a lot of things that you can make yourself, which is what I have opted to do in several instances. There is a buttload of more options out there, but here are a couple which I have come to swear by.
Favorite cleaning ingredients:
White Distilled Vinegar
Baking Soda
Essential Oil
Uses:
For a general, all-purpose cleaner for use in both the kitchen and bathroom I just fill a spray bottle with vinegar and add 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil. Lavender helps to cut the harsh vinegar smell and also has antibacterial properties.
To unclog a drain, I pour 1 cup of baking soda over the drain and follow it with roughly 3 cups of boiling water (or however much a tea kettle will hold). I have read articles that advise using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to unclog a drain, but I found it less effective than use baking soda alone.
As a toilet cleaner, I just pour about a half a cup of baking soda into the bowl and scrub with a toilet brush. I sometimes add a few drops of essential oil, like grapefruit or lavender, for a fresh scent.
Last but not least, I find that baking soda does an excellent job of removing nasty scum from the bathtub. We have very hard water and it causes brown deposits to build up on the tiles. I was never able to remove it until I discovered that just putting some baking soda on a wet sponge and then scrubbing it onto the surface does the trick. I sometimes spray the tiles with vinegar first and let it sit for a few minutes before applying the baking soda.
These are just the popular cleaners used in my house, but there are many other natural cleaner recipes out there, and different combinations of these basic ingredients. http://vinegartips.com/Scripts/ has some really cool information about vinegar and all its uses and http://www.armhammer.com/ has lots of information on baking soda and its uses in its "Visit our neighborhood" section.
If you have any favorite natural cleaning solutions, please share them in a comment!
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