Though everyone wants a clean house, more and more people are wary of using harsh or dangerous chemicals to get their house clean. The good news is that safe and natural products can be used as household cleansers. Here are ten of them:
1. White Vinegar
Vinegar softens water by removing minerals, cuts through grease and can serve as a bleach in the laundry when added to the rinse cycle. When added to baking soda, it helps remove char from pots and loosens drain clogs.
2. Baking Soda
Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda is an excellent deodorizer. It’s also a natural fabric softener and removes the sizing from new fabrics when it’s added to the pre soak cycle. A paste of baking soda and water cuts through grease, and a foam of baking soda and vinegar is even more powerful.
3. Salt
A paste of salt and lemon juice is an excellent way to clean and deodorize cutting boards. Gently scrubbing wicker furniture with a solution of salt and warm water keeps it looking its best, and salt used to put out a fire in the fireplace produces less soot and makes it easier to clean up the ashes. Salt made into a paste with flour and vinegar is used as a polish for brass and copper utensils. Added to rubbing alcohol, salt cuts grease. A paste of salt and water removes watermarks from furniture.
4. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is an excellent whitener and is gentle enough to be used with fine table linens. Boil slices of lemon in a pot of water for a few minutes then taken off heat. Add linens, let them soak for about an hour, then wash as usual.
5. Borax
Borax is a mineral that kills germs, whitens and amplifies the cleaning power of detergents.
6. Soap
Natural soap is made from a hydroxide and plant or animal fat. It is a surfactant and emulsifies oily dirt. This allows it to be washed away more easily.
7. Digestive Enzyme Tablets
Digestive enzymes such as pepsin wash away tough protein stains such as blood. When they’re added to the wash, they enhance the power of the detergent. Enzymes that are added to the pre soak cycle of the washing machine not only have enzymes but surfactants and whiteners.
8. Vaseline
Vaseline, or petroleum jelly is used to take away candle wax. Place it around the edges of the wax, let the wax absorb it for a few seconds then wipe it away. It’s also used to reduce the look of water rings, stains and light scratches in wood furniture. Cover the damage with vaseline, let it sit for a day then rub it into the wood. Use a towel to wipe up the excess vaseline, then polish the wood. A line of vaseline around the edges of window glass, hinges, latches and door knobs make clean up easy after a paint job.
9. Cornstarch
Though people use cornstarch to thicken sauces, it’s also good for removing oil stains. Sprinkle some on the stain, let it sit for about an hour, then wipe up. Cornstarch is also used as a dry shampoo for carpets and rugs.
10. Water
At the end of the day, few things are better than plain water when it comes to cleaning. A steam carpet cleaner is a great tool to help eliminate stains from accidental spills. Soaking a blood or perspiration stained garment in cold water before washing helps loosen the stain. Boiling or hot water kills dust mites in bedclothes, and a splash of carbonated water on a red wine stain helps the stain bubble to the surface where it can be blotted up with a sponge.
