Five natural cleaning tips
We try to avoid using harsh chemicals for cleaning in our home. We’ve not used bleach for years now but it can be a minefield when looking to swap your cleaning products for more earth-friendly alternatives without wondering whether or not it’s just a really good marketing ploy or if they are genuinely better for the environment.
Here are some pocket and earth friendly options for cleaning your home with items that you probably already have kicking around in your cupboards.
- Baking soda and washing up liquid – for tough stains such as burn marks on in the inside and outside of pans. This works a treat. Make it into a paste on the item that needs cleaning. Leave for a few minutes and then scrub using a non-scratch cloth, rinse and stand back in sheer amazement at how effective it is. For really stubborn stains repeat the process.
- Washing up liquid and white vinegar – for cleaning almost anything this combination is a great trick. I have seen people use those reusable dishwands with the non-scratch attachment to clean shower screens, bath tubs, taps and sinks. Give it a try – it is an amazingly effective way of cleaning and leaving your bathroom sparkling clean and streak free.
- For blocked drains try popping half a cup of baking soda down the plug. Leave for 30 minutes, then boil your kettle and flush the hot water through. You’ll be amazed at how quickly it will shift the blockage.
- With a dog, a husband who spends most of his day in a workshop full of wood dust, a sporty teenage son and a nature loving toddler our washing machine is used on the regular. To keep it smelling fresh once a month I will add 500ml of white vinegar to the drum and run it on its hottest setting. I wash the drawer out weekly as the gunky stuff left behind makes me feel a bit eeewwww!
- One of the draws for the more conventional cleaning products is that they smell nice and no one, myself included, wants their home smelling like a fish and chip shop (there’s a time and a place for that). I tend to add essential oils to any of these home remedies. I usually use what I already have but tea tree, lemon, peppermint and basil are all really nice fresh essential oils that give that “clean” smell.