We are bombarded with messages about cleaning our homes all the time, on TV, in magazines, in the supermarket. There are different products for cleaning the shower, the bench tops, the oven, the toilet, the floors, and the windows. How many different products do you have to clean your home?
There are products that are anti grease, anti mould and antibacterial. There are products for shine, and products that make things “smell clean” such as air fresheners. What would you say if I said you could get rid of all of these products and just clean your home with 4 different things?
Vinegar
Vinegar gets rid of mould in the bathroom and bacteria off the bench. Gives floors a shiny finish and windows that crystal clear look you are after. Dilute it 50:50 water to vinegar.
Bicarb soda – for those stubborn jobs
Combine it with vinegar and make a fizzy paste to clean your oven. It can unblock drains when combined with vinegar and hot water. Put a cup of bicarb down the drain, add a cup of vinegar (sometimes I add more) watch it fizz up, then follow it with boiling water from the kettle until the drain runs clear.
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is great for wiping over benches, tiles and floors. It is antibacterial (in a natural non chemical way), and smells “clean” like its imitators. It is also great for getting rid of sticky residue from labels or glue.
Hot water
I use hot water to clean my floors. I have baby who is scooting around and I certainly don’t want him on a dirty floor, but I also don’t want him touching a chemical laden floor either. Hot water is perfectly sufficient for mopping the floors. His clothes stand the grime test – no black marks on his knees.
Apart from the environmental benefits from these cleaning products, the other benefit is they are so much cheaper: a couple of dollars for a bottle of white vinegar and a box of bicarb. And with eucalyptus oil – you only need a couple of drops at a time so the bottle lasts for months and months.
I am all for eco friendly cleaning materials. I like it a lot. I’ve got pets so this is really important to me. Thanks for this article.
I have been “green cleaning” my apartment for a couple of years now. I must admit that I really look forward to mixing up natural, homemade concoctions and cleaning my apartment. Never, ever did I think I’d feel that way about cleaning. I like going green so much that I even go to my two daughters houses and clean for them.
There are so many pros to cleaning with homemade cleansers. I save lots of money. I don’t have to walk down the cleaning aisle of a store nor pay the high prices they charge for cleaning prices. But what I also love is that ever since going green, I don’t have a problem with pesky bugs and insects. I use essential oils that repel or kill those critters. I live in a housing complex and bugs are treacherous around here, but not in my apartment. So far, I’ve seen very little bug/insect activity.
What should I use for floating floorboards??
I have floor boards in my home and I just use hot water and my steam mop. I am not sure of the difference between regular floor boards and floating ones, but hot water is a good option for just about anything