Believe it or not, but our choice of cleaning products can often be quite toxic and harmful to both our homes and ourselves. Making the right choices in what cleaning agents to use and how to use them can double the effectiveness of your spring cleaning efforts. We take a look at the top 5 spring cleaning hacks that will lead to your home and psyche being better off.
Non-toxic, biodegradable products that are petroleum free:
It should go without saying but avoid chemicals that display the words poison, danger, warning, or caution. Especially petroleum-based ones as they have the greatest implications on not only our environment but our personal health too. You can get great homemade varieties that do the job just as well and we highly recommend looking into a few proven recipes. For one, vinegar and baking soda is a great generic household cleaner. A little bit of hot water added to the mix and you’ll have a new all-purpose option that doesn’t come with those dubious “use at own risk” warnings.
Benefit from baking soda:
As you’ve just read, baking soda is a great ingredient for a homemade cleaner but it has many great benefits. Other than helping clean up surfaces of all sorts, this product is also great for removing unpleasant smells. Eliminate odour that clings to rooms, especially your mats, carpets and random rugs by spreading baking soda throughout the surface and vacuuming it afterwards. The powder is known for absorbing any lingering smells that are unwelcome.
Get fresh air indoors:
We’ve all been caught in that situation where we grab the nearest air freshener for an emergency fix to an unwelcome smell but, there are other alternatives. Grab a pot, turn on the stove and start boiling a mix of your favourite herbs to cook up a scent you’re personally fond of. It also saves you valuable time that you would have otherwise spent in the cleaning section testing a multitude of aerosols until you find one with a scent you vaguely like. Herbs like cinnamon, cloves, lavender and more provide satisfying aromas that won’t have you pulling your nose funnily in response. Another alternative is filling a space with plants. Sure, the greenery won’t particularly change the overall smell of an area, but what it does do is aid in being a natural interior air filter. Lilies have been known to be a popular choice but any plant with a wide leaf will do the same trick.
The wonders of simple water with the right tools:
We’ve been set in the ways of believing we need those harmful chemicals to remove and penetrate dirt and grime but, in truth, a simple combination of healthier options can be all it takes if you know which to use. For example, all you really need to get your windows or sliding doors so clean you walk into them is water and a microfibre cloth.
Carpet clean-up:
Carpets are notorious for collecting all kinds of dirt and germs and are often victim to spills and stains. We’re sure you’ve spent a good few minutes at some point trying to lift hair or other stubborn clinging dirt from the carpet with your vacuum. Instead of wasting time waiting for the vacuum to do the job, give it a good run through and end off by using tape on the stubborn areas, you heard right, simple tape. The adhesive side will latch onto those obstinate pet hairs and lift them from the surface ensuring your carpet is clean throughout. Perhaps you like doing a little DIY art on the side and accidentally spilt some paint on the carpet in the process, or is it your little one that’s the Picasso? Either way, with the simple combination of nail polish remover and a butter knife, those stains will lift right off and leave your carpet looking new once more. Now you can leave the artwork to the walls and we don’t mean those murals your little ones draw, those are for paper to be displayed on the fridge after all.
Stain removal and other homemade recipe hacks:
One of the most legendary stains of all time – the red wine stain. You might have heard of many tricks and tips to help remove it, some might have even sounded like it came from someone that had one too many glasses of wine themselves. One that we can swear by though is the combination of white wine and baking soda. Wait, more wine to remove the initial spill? Cannot be! It is true though. Pour the white wine over the red, sprinkle the baking soda and wait for it to form a paste. Once it has, you simple scrub and wipe the surface to reveal your once again stain-free surface.
Coffee, the greatest day-starter of all. This trick should be second knowledge for any java lover so take note: once you’ve spilled the beans the first thing you’ll want to do is dab the area with a microfibre cloth. This will soak up any excess moisture, after that what you’ll need is a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, 2 cups of cool water and a tablespoon of white vinegar, the combination of these three ingredients will help turn your stain from a stubborn one into a compliant one that you won’t have trouble getting rid of any longer.
Another great recipe for cleaning without feeling like you’ve just spent an hour at the gym, and this one is especially for your microwave, involves white vinegar and lemon juice. Simply combine these two ingredients in a microwave friendly bowl and nuke it for a couple of minutes. An effortless wipe with a damp cloth afterwards is all it will take to leave you with a sparkling microwave in a fresh lemony scent.
Now that you are armed and loaded with various hacks, tips and alternatives you can take on the challenge of spring cleaning your house with success. The best part of all is that other than being left with an overall increase in your own well-being, you also won’t have to deal with the headache of remembering cleaning detergents, especially if like us, you tend to always forget your shopping list on the counter at home.
Sources:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/clean-house-top-10-eco-friendly-ways.html
https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-cleaning.html
http://www.redbookmag.com/home/decor/features/g2707/cleaning-hacks/?slide=1
