Safe, Affordable and Non-Toxic!
Standard commercial cleaning products are full of chemicals and substances that are not exactly good for your health. Homemade cleaning products, on the other hand, provide a healthier, more natural and inexpensive way for you to keep control of your home’s cleanliness.
So without further ado, here are a few suggestions that can be easily whipped up with some surprisingly common household materials:
Air Fresheners
Of all the homemade cleaning products, it is perhaps the air fresheners that are most sought after. Ammonia, vinegar, baking soda and lemon are the standard ingredients of the odor-fighting arsenal, and each has its own area of specialization.
Lemons are a natural scent-savior in any home, so keep a few in storage at all times, and not just for your salads and dressings. Tossing a slice in the grinder nullifies the smells while keeping a dried one in your clothes cabinets keeps the moths away.
Vinegar is known for its tough spot-and-stain removing qualities, but it can also help absorb and nullify scents by being placed in a platter and letting stand in a room for a few hours. Placing lemon or baking soda with vinegar on a plate adds to the effect, but don’t mix all three together to avoid overdoing it.
Ammonia, on the other hand, has a less acidic and more basic approach to deodorizing. Half a cup of ammonia generously spread around a toilet bowl works wonders for the bathroom, while simply letting that half-cup stand in your oven is enough to absorb the smells while loosening clingy dirt in the process.
Baking soda, aside from its exfoliating properties, takes a more scent-absorbing role than its air freshening peers. Take a box, cut it open, and stick it in confined spaces to absorb nasty smells. Ideal locations include the freezer, cooler and waste disposal bins. Or you could just mix it with vinegar for double the room-clearing power.
Pot and Pan Cleaner
While your typical liquid soap is enough to clean regular dishes, pots and pans have a tendency to collect a lot of hard-to-remove sediments. This is especially so when you manage to burn the food you are cooking.
The solution here would be to mix about one to three tablespoons of baking soda in a quart of water, then let it sit in the pot for ten to thirty minutes. The total soaking time and mixture density depends on the severity of the leftover sediments. Use less soda and fewer minutes for light buildup, and use full-strength if you really managed to do a number on your pots and pans.
Carpet Deodorizer
Of all the homemade cleaning products, carpet deodorizers are perhaps the simplest to create.
Simply spreading baking soda over a carpet before vacuuming is a great way to handle the smells. If you want a more fragrant carpet, however, you can mix in a dash of talcum powder and cornstarch along with the baking soda. Just make sure to let the powders sit for around two to three hours before vacuuming in order to allow the scents to actually sink into the carpet.
Surface Sanitizer
Sanitation is a major issue in every home. This is especially so when you have surfaces require meticulous sanitation, like telephone receivers and chopping boards.
A piece of cotton with a little rubbing alcohol dabbed on is the choice for plastics and other sensitive materials that will not be used to process food. If you want to sanitize a surface where foods or liquids will be ingested, then a few drops of lemon juice is the preferred choice over rubbing alcohol.
Drain De-clogger
Drains tend to get clogged with oils and other solid objects, but do not necessarily require a full-strength acid to take care of the problem when it first pops up.
Hot, not boiling, water is the first choice to flush down the drain, and making it a daily habit helps prevent oils and greases from forming up. Add a touch of salt when you want a little more oomph in the de-clogging abilities of hot water.
If, however, you find yourself with a more severely clogged drain, you need to pour a mixture of one part baking soda and one part vinegar down the drain. Flush it with boiling water after fifteen minutes to clear the drain. Pour hot instead of boiling water if your pipes are made of plastic in order to prevent warps or cracks from forming in the pipes.
Stain Remover
Carpet and clothing stains are a major pain in the neck to clean, especially if they are from liquid sources that tend to get in textiles and never let go once they settle in.
Equal parts white vinegar and water are a potent mix when it comes to stains on tougher materials like carpets, while lemon is a good alternative for more sensitive materials like cloth. Just remember to be careful with acids, as they have a tendency to discolor stuff. Never use yellow vinegar for removing stains on colored articles of clothing, especially for prolonged periods of time.
Mold Killer
Molds are an irritating reality to any household, especially in the more humid and concealed portions of the home.
Hydrogen peroxide is a surprisingly effective solution to molds on wider surfaces. Mix a cup of peroxide with two cups of water, put the mixture in a sprayer, and spray at the problematic surfaces. Let the solution sit for an hour before rinsing. Just be careful where you spray the stuff and use only on surfaces that will not react negatively to the peroxide solution.
If on the other hand you have a small area or patch of molds, then white vinegar or lemon juice is an effective alternative to a hydrogen peroxide solution. Use them full strength, apply them with a sponge, and then wipe away with water. This should help you quickly and efficiently get rid of those irritating spots.
Final Notes
There is one thing you should always remember when it comes to using these solutions in your home. NEVER mix homemade cleaning products with commercial cleaning products. The resulting chemical reactions may produce toxic and dangerous fumes, so avoid the temptation to throw in a chemical cocktail down the drain if you do not want to get in trouble.
Stop up up the sink drainafter you have turned off the water. Use either the stopper on your sink for plugging the drain, or do it yourself with a rag. You dont want anything to go down the drain, more trouble.
Home painting projects still remain one of the least expensive decorating tasks that anyone can do on a budget! In today’s economy, it’s one of the best ways to spruce up a room or revamp your entire house quickly and effectively. With those of you trying to sell your homes today, painting is a great way to freshen things up and add new life to an outdated space. Though it’s an economical way to go, there are still some ways to cut costs…a few ‘Tricks of the Trade’ if you will. Listed below are a few of my favorites.