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So I have been doing research on ways to clean my house without harsh chemicals. I have many pets and I have sensitive skin so its important to me. Also says BUTT-LOADS of money. If you have these three items in your house, you will be able to clean and disinfect everything, naturally.
1.) Baking Soda : Most people know baking soda is great for getting rid of stinky smells but what is amazing about this is you can use it for TONs of stuff. You can...
mix it with peroxide to brush your teeth
add water to it to use as deodorant
use half a cup in your washer to clean your clothing (even removes stains!)
mix 50/50 (water to baking soda) and use it to clean any surface of the house (be careful on untreated woods and some tiles)
pour in empty garbage bag to cut garbage smells in half
keep your kitties box free of stink and bacteria
poor on carpet, let sit for 20 minutes, and vacuum it up to kill almost any smell.
keep in fridge and freezer to keep stinky smells out
2.) Lemons : Yes, the fruit! This is a great item to have on hand when you have babies and young children, even pets as well. Use it for...
keeping dogs/cats away from furniture (dilute lemon juice in water and spray area)
keep pets from fighting by spraying their collar in the same solution
use to dissolve soap scum build up
mix lemon juice with olive oil for furniture polish
mix 1 part lemon juice to two parts water for a disinfecting spray (think Lysol minus the chemicals) add in baking soda for deep cleaning
cut a lemon in half, sprinkle baking soda on it and use it to scrub tough stains out or simply wash the dishes.
3.) Vinegar : It smells like crap to me but once it dries the smell it gone. lol You can use it to...
disinfect and deodorize any surface
clean the tub, sink, toilet and floors
cleans most appliances very very well
use 1 cup on the rinse cycle for a natural fabric softener (no the scent don't stay!)
diluted with water, cleans glass very well with NO STREAKING!
(don't use on marble or title unless properly diluted)
You can also combined all three, plus water for a natural all around cleaner. Be careful with lemons mixed with baking soda as it creates natural bleach and can ruin some surfaces.
A few other great things to use are tea tree oil (diluted) to rid counter tops of bacteria, lavender oil (diluted) for same purpose but more mild with a nice scent, black (and other dark teas) at room temp for wood polish, regular 3% peroxide for mouth wash, drain cleaner and a natural disinfectant of most surfaces (don't use on carpet!), olive oil (diluted in warm water) for a floor polish. Lavender also keeps many insects out of your home! So do lemons!
Why did I make this thread? Well, I can't sleep. And I also know there are a few members that have kids and pets. Not only can that be expensive but the chemicals of regular house cleaning solutions can cause harsh damage to their bodies, even ours. You can get baking soda, vinegar and lemons for less then half the price (I would go as far to say a quarter of the price) you spend on laundry detergent, polish, glass cleaner, dish soap, tooth paste, drain cleaner, floor cleaner, degreaser and deodorizers. So if you want to save money, this is great. If you want to be more nature, this is also a great move. But for thoughs who simply don't care either way...
SHUT UP! I WASN'T ASKING YOU! :angry:
:woo1:
1.) Baking Soda : Most people know baking soda is great for getting rid of stinky smells but what is amazing about this is you can use it for TONs of stuff. You can...
mix it with peroxide to brush your teeth
add water to it to use as deodorant
use half a cup in your washer to clean your clothing (even removes stains!)
mix 50/50 (water to baking soda) and use it to clean any surface of the house (be careful on untreated woods and some tiles)
pour in empty garbage bag to cut garbage smells in half
keep your kitties box free of stink and bacteria
poor on carpet, let sit for 20 minutes, and vacuum it up to kill almost any smell.
keep in fridge and freezer to keep stinky smells out
2.) Lemons : Yes, the fruit! This is a great item to have on hand when you have babies and young children, even pets as well. Use it for...
keeping dogs/cats away from furniture (dilute lemon juice in water and spray area)
keep pets from fighting by spraying their collar in the same solution
use to dissolve soap scum build up
mix lemon juice with olive oil for furniture polish
mix 1 part lemon juice to two parts water for a disinfecting spray (think Lysol minus the chemicals) add in baking soda for deep cleaning
cut a lemon in half, sprinkle baking soda on it and use it to scrub tough stains out or simply wash the dishes.
3.) Vinegar : It smells like crap to me but once it dries the smell it gone. lol You can use it to...
disinfect and deodorize any surface
clean the tub, sink, toilet and floors
cleans most appliances very very well
use 1 cup on the rinse cycle for a natural fabric softener (no the scent don't stay!)
diluted with water, cleans glass very well with NO STREAKING!
(don't use on marble or title unless properly diluted)
You can also combined all three, plus water for a natural all around cleaner. Be careful with lemons mixed with baking soda as it creates natural bleach and can ruin some surfaces.
A few other great things to use are tea tree oil (diluted) to rid counter tops of bacteria, lavender oil (diluted) for same purpose but more mild with a nice scent, black (and other dark teas) at room temp for wood polish, regular 3% peroxide for mouth wash, drain cleaner and a natural disinfectant of most surfaces (don't use on carpet!), olive oil (diluted in warm water) for a floor polish. Lavender also keeps many insects out of your home! So do lemons!
Why did I make this thread? Well, I can't sleep. And I also know there are a few members that have kids and pets. Not only can that be expensive but the chemicals of regular house cleaning solutions can cause harsh damage to their bodies, even ours. You can get baking soda, vinegar and lemons for less then half the price (I would go as far to say a quarter of the price) you spend on laundry detergent, polish, glass cleaner, dish soap, tooth paste, drain cleaner, floor cleaner, degreaser and deodorizers. So if you want to save money, this is great. If you want to be more nature, this is also a great move. But for thoughs who simply don't care either way...
SHUT UP! I WASN'T ASKING YOU! :angry:
:woo1:
