Cleaning your house can be a daunting task. If you’re interested in keeping chemicals out of your home and your body, try these eco-friendly methods for cleaning around the house.
Use Eco-Strip Cleaners
One great way to cut down on the chemicals in your home is to buy non-toxic disinfectant strips that you can leave in areas where germs are common. Buying eco-friendly disinfectants will kill viruses, mold, and bacteria without releasing toxins into the air. To use them, place one in an area for a day or two (two to three days for the most challenging areas such as drains or fridges). You’ll need new ones every couple of months.
Vinegar for Disinfectant
Vinegar is an effective cleaner that you can use instead of bleach and other harmful chemicals. Though vinegar smells like salad dressing, it’s suitable for cleaning glass, chrome, and wood surfaces without leaving streaks or film on them. It’s also natural to fight odors, so if something stinky is lingering around your house (particularly in the bathroom), try wiping down your sink with white vinegar to kill off any bacteria. For particularly stubborn stains (like soap scum), soak a rag in water and vinegar, then hold it over the stain until the solution begins to bubble. Wipe the surface to remove the stain.
Vinegar is not suitable for stone or marble surfaces because it could etch into the porous material, causing permanent damage.
Also, don’t mix vinegar with bleach because the resulting chemical reaction can release dangerous vapors, which are toxic if inhaled.
Baking Soda as an Abrasive Cleaner
Baking soda is a very versatile product that you can find in your kitchen pantry or local grocery store. It’s excellent at scrubbing off tough dirt and stains because of its abrasive nature – so much so that dentists use it on their patients’ teeth! If there’s something stuck onto your floor or microwave, pour some baking soda onto a damp sponge, scrub the mess away, and then rinse with water.
Note that it’s also excellent at fighting odors – especially in stinky drains! Just pour some baking soda (about 1/2 cup) down your drain along with vinegar (about 2 cups). Pour some boiling water on top to help create a chemical reaction that will remove any gunk clogging up the drain. Leave it for an hour or two, then flush with hot water; don’t worry about the little bit of fizzing happening as this is normal. You can use this method every month or so.
Fabric Softener Sheets to Clean Glass
It can be challenging to clean glass surfaces without causing streaks. One cheap and natural solution is to use fabric softener sheets! Wipe your glass in circular motions with the sheet, moving from top to bottom to avoid streaking. You can also use them on TV screens or iPhone/iPad touch screens (don’t scrub too hard).
You should avoid using regular paper towels when cleaning glass because they can scratch – especially on phones. Many public places like restaurants offer these disposable wipes for free since they’re intended for people who eat lots of greasy food (when you go out, bring some eco-friendly fabric softener sheets with you in case they don’t have them).
Alcohol to Disinfect Cutting Boards
If you’re worried about bacteria living on your wooden cutting board, pour some rubbing alcohol onto it, then wipe with a clean cloth. Bacteria won’t stand a chance against the high ethanol concentration in the alcohol! Rinse with water afterward and dry thoroughly before using again.
Note that this is also good for disinfecting other surfaces, such as light switches or doorknobs, if they’ve come into contact with raw meat (don’t forget to wipe down handles, too!).
Mix Lemon with Water
Lemon juice is acidic, which means it’s excellent at breaking down tough dirt and grime. You can use it along with other cleaners to boost the strength of their degreasing properties without causing damage to your skin or eyes (it’s much more gentle than bleach). Cut half a lemon into slices, then put them into a spray bottle filled with water; leave for about an hour, then give the mix a good shake.
Use this mix the same way you would regularly liquid soap (spray onto surfaces, let sit, wipe off). However, remember that it’ll only last for about two days before smelling funky (the acidity will eventually eat away at the organic in lemon juice).
If the smell is too strong for you, add some vodka or rubbing alcohol into the mix since this will help to neutralize things.
Vinegar & Baking Soda to Strip Paint Off Walls
If you need to remove old paint from surfaces like walls, here’s an easy 2-step process:
- Put some baking soda onto a damp sponge; rub in small circles onto the paint in question. The baking soda will absorb dirt and grime while helping to strip away some of the top layers.
- Dampen another sponge with white vinegar then wipe down everything that was just cleaned – it’ll break down whatever’s left on your wall so that you can simply wipe it all off! This combination of cleaning agents is also great for removing grime around the house.
Pineapple to Clean a Grill
Pineapples contain bromelain enzymes that are effective at softening meat and breaking down tough dirt on surfaces like cooking grills or ovens. There are two primary choices to pick from. One choice is that you can rub freshly cut pineapple pieces onto your grill then leave them there for about 10-15 minutes before scrubbing off with a sponge. The other option is to mix some pineapple juice with equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle before spraying over the surface you want to clean.
The low pH of this mixture will help to break up any grease or debris stuck onto your grill without causing damage to its metal structure – it’s an eco-friendly way to remove gunk!
Salt & Lemon to Clean Your Microwave
Just cut a lemon, then sprinkle some salt onto it before microwaving high for 5-10 minutes. The high temperature will kill off the bacteria, while the acidity in the lemon juice will help dissolve any leftover food or grease inside your microwave.
Please don’t do this too often since you don’t want to make it easier for acidic substances to erode metal over time, but try to do it once every few months at least!
If you prefer not to use this method because of safety concerns, you can use vinegar instead (mix equal parts of water and vinegar into a bowl, then heat up in 20-second increments until steam starts coming out). You can also consider using a jar of water to make steam instead of the microwave – just put it in there for 5 minutes, then take it out.
Eco-Friendly Ways to Clean Your Home
With so many eco-friendly products to choose from, you’ll never need harsh chemicals again! Whether it’s lemon juice or white vinegar, rubbing alcohol or salt, there are plenty of natural alternatives that you can use around the house to clean surfaces and kill germs. Just keep in mind that some of them might not last as long as regular cleaning supplies, so they may have to be replaced more often. Whatever your preference, these eco-friendly solutions will help you get rid of dirt and grime without causing damage to yourself or your surroundings!