Safe, affordable and non-toxic!
Standard commercial cleaning products are full of chemicals and substances that are not exactly good for you. Homemade cleaning products, on the other hand, provide a healthier, more natural, and cheaper way to stay in control of your home’s cleanliness.
So, without further ado, here are some suggestions that can be easily made with some surprisingly common household materials:
air fresheners
Of all the homemade cleaning products, air fresheners may be the most sought after. Ammonia, vinegar, baking soda, and lemon are the standard ingredients in the odor-fighting arsenal, and each has its own area of expertise.
Lemons are a natural scent savior in any home, so keep some in stock at all times, and not just for your salads and dressings. Tossing a slice in the grinder kills odors, while keeping one dry in your laundry closet keeps moths away.
Vinegar is known for its tough stain and stain removal qualities, but it can also help absorb and nullify odors if placed on a plate and allowed to sit in a room for a few hours. Placing lemon or baking soda with vinegar on a plate increases the effect, but don’t mix all three to avoid going overboard.
Ammonia, on the other hand, has a less acidic, more basic approach to deodorizing. Half a cup of ammonia sprinkled liberally around the toilet bowl does wonders for the bathroom, while simply letting that half cup sit in the oven is enough to absorb odors and loosen sticky gunk in the process.
Baking soda, in addition to its exfoliating properties, has a more absorbent role than its air freshener peers. Take a box, open it up, and stick it in tight spaces to absorb unpleasant odors. Ideal locations include the freezer, cooler, and waste disposal bins. Or you can just mix it with vinegar to double the room cleaning power.
Pot and pan cleaner
While your typical liquid soap is enough to clean regular dishes, pots and pans tend to accumulate a lot of hard-to-remove sediment. This is especially true when you manage to burn the food you are cooking.
The solution here would be to mix one to three tablespoons of baking soda into a quart of water, then let it sit in the pot for ten to thirty minutes. The total soak time and the density of the mix depend on the gravity of the leftover sludge. Use less soda and fewer minutes for light buildup, and go full strength if you really managed to do a number on your pots and pans.
carpet deodorizer
Of all the homemade cleaning products, carpet deodorizers are perhaps the simplest to create.
Simply spreading baking soda over a rug before vacuuming is a great way to manage odors. However, if you want a more fragrant rug, you can mix a pinch of talc and cornstarch together with the baking soda. Just be sure to let the powders sit for about two to three hours before vacuuming to allow the scents to soak into the carpet.
surface disinfectant
Sanitation is a major problem in every home. This is especially true when you have surfaces that require meticulous sanitation, like telephone handsets and cutting boards.
A cotton ball with a little rubbing alcohol is the choice for plastics and other sensitive materials that won’t be used for food processing. If you want to sanitize a surface where food or liquid will be ingested, a few drops of lemon juice is the preferred choice over alcohol.
drain plunger
Drains tend to clog with oils and other solid objects, but they don’t necessarily require strong acid to fix the problem when it first appears.
Hot, not boiling, water is the first choice to flush down the drain, and making it a daily habit helps prevent the formation of oils and grease. Add a touch of salt when you want a little more oomph in hot water unclogging abilities.
However, if you find yourself with a more clogged drain, you should pour a mixture of one part baking soda and one part vinegar down the drain. Rinse it with boiling water after fifteen minutes to clear the drain. Pour hot water instead of boiling water if your pipes are made of plastic to prevent warping or cracks from forming in the pipes.
Stain remover
Carpet and clothing stains are a huge headache to clean up, especially if they come from liquid sources that tend to soak into textiles and never loosen once they sit.
Equal parts white vinegar and water are a potent mix when it comes to staining tougher materials like carpet, while lemon is a good alternative for more sensitive materials like fabric. Just remember to be careful with acids, as they tend to discolor things. Never use yellow vinegar to remove stains from colored clothing, especially for long periods of time.
mold killer
Mold is an irritating reality for any home, especially in the most humid and hidden parts of the home.
Hydrogen peroxide is a surprisingly effective solution for mold on larger surfaces. Mix one cup of developer with two cups of water, pour the mixture into a spray bottle, and spray problem surfaces. Let the solution sit for an hour before rinsing. Just be careful where you spray the stuff, and only use it on surfaces that won’t react negatively to the peroxide solution.
If, on the other hand, you have a small area or patch of mold, then white vinegar or lemon juice is an effective alternative to a hydrogen peroxide solution. Use them at full strength, apply with a sponge, then clean up with water. This should help you quickly and efficiently get rid of those irritating spots.
final notes
There is one thing you should always remember when it comes to using these solutions in your home. NEVER mix household cleaning products with commercial cleaning products. The resulting chemical reactions can produce dangerous and toxic fumes, so avoid the temptation to pour a chemical cocktail down the drain if you don’t want to get into trouble.