Green cleaning products –easy DIY organic cleaning product recipes
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Green cleaning products are the way to go for many, many housewives and, if we have be honest, they are often just as effective as store-bought cleaners. Some of the most popular ingredients used in the DIY organic cleaning product recipes as ammonia, vinegar or technical alcohol are used in the commercial cleaners. Why would anyone spend money on something that will take minutes to prepare at home? It is true, that many people wrongly believe that homemade cleaning products are complex concoctions but the simple truth is that organic cleaners use simple ingredients which, most likely, you already have a home, and are made quickly and easily. In addition to the fact that homemade cleaning products are a better option for the occupants of the home, they are more environmentally friendly than the commercial alternatives.
Green cleaning products – cleaning with baking soda
When we talk about green cleaning products, baking soda is the superhero hidden somewhere in your pantry or kitchen cabinets. It can cleanse, neutralize odors, deodorize and you can use it as a replacement of most of the daily cleaning products stored under the sink. If you call baking soda “a miracle cleaner” it would be absolutely right. On the first place – it is non-toxic, multi-purpose and most important – it is really cheap. It is a product present in every household as it is used for baking and has its medicinally applications as well. Mixing baking soda with water, vinegar or lemon juice will give you the best green cleaning products with almost versatile application.
Cleaning with baking soda in the kitchen is as simple and effective as using the most expensive domestic cleaner, except that it will cost you virtually nothing. A solution of one teaspoon baking soda and one liter of warm water can be used to clean the refrigerator, or place an open box of baking soda to get rid of unpleasant odors. Baking soda is very useful for cleaning surfaces – just sprinkle it on a damp cloth, wipe the surface and rinse with clean water, easy, right? Cleaning silverware with a paste of cleaning soda is the best way to keep your tableware in a perfect condition.
Mix three parts baking soda with one part water, rub the paste onto the silverware, rinse with warm water and dry the silver with a soft cloth. To clean burnt food on the bottom of the pots you need to sprinkle baking soda, add hot water and let the pot sit overnight. It will be much easier to remove the burnt food from the pot afterwards. Cleaning the oven with baking soda is also very easy – sprinkle the bottom with baking soda, spray water and let it stay overnight. Use a soft cloth to wipe the oven the next day. A paste of three parts baking soda and one part water will help you clean the bathroom surfaces as well – soap stains, toothpaste stains – they go off immediately. Baking soda can be used for carpet cleaning all around the house as well as outdoors to remove grease spills, clean the grill or the patio furniture.
Cleaning with vinegar and fresh lemon juice
Besides baking soda, vinegar is another useful and powerful ingredient in many homemade green cleaning products. Vinegar is absolutely harmless to human health and its uses are endless. Cleaning with vinegar is easy and you can use it in the kitchen, in the bathroom or as an all-around-the-house-cleaner. However, you should be careful as vinegar should not be used to granite and marble countertops as the acid may etch natural stone.
Stickers that decorated the furniture of your children can be removed easily when moisten with vinegar. Vinegar is a main ingredient in various carpet cleaning solutions. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water to clean stains on the carpet, spray the stain, let it sit for 10 minutes and blot with a clean cloth. For persistent stains, mix one teaspoon vinegar, one teaspoon liquid dish soap, and one cup warm water. Spray and use a sponge to clean the stain. Blot with a clean towel or cloth.
One of the best green cleaning products for windows is a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Wipe clean with either newspapers or cloth.
A solution of one teaspoon salt in one cup vinegar can be used to clean silver, copper, pewter, brass. To make it a paste, add flower and apply to the metal. After fifteen minutes rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.
Vinegar is very helpful green cleaning product when you need to remove corrosion stains or shower heads. It successfully removes stains from the toilet bowl and is excellent when you want to clean the mirrors in your home. Faucets can be cleaned with a mixture of vinegar and salt (one part salt to four parts vinegar). Vinegar removes strong odors. You can wash your hands with vinegar to remove the smell of onions or garlic, rinse jars, or clean the refrigerator.
Lemon juice is one of the best natural cleaners as it has exceptionally good antibacterial properties and in addition – it smells great. Lemon juice does not damage fabrics or wood and can be used almost anywhere in the house. What you should keep in mind is that brass plated surfaces should not be cleaned with lemon juice as it damages them. When using lemon juice as organic cleaner, you should always rinse with warm water and soap and dry with a clean cloth. A paste of equal amounts of lemon and salt can be used to clean copper bottoms of pots and chrome faucets. Lemon juice works just as vinegar for window and mirror cleaning but smells much better. Diluted lemon juice can be used to clean stains from cutting boards, laminate counter tops, plastic food storage, microwave oven and will remove the odors in the refrigerator or the garbage basket.
Green cleaning products with salt
Salt can be used as a natural scrub when you mix baking soda, dish soap and salt. You can use the mixture to clean porcelain, enamel, etc. Salt is also a catalyst for other organic cleaners like vinegar.
Cast-iron skillets can be cleaned when you sprinkle salt and paper towels. Salt helps cleaning coffee stains on mugs and coffee pots, wine spills (immediately cover the wine spill with a pile of salt), it can remove water rings, etc.