Homemade Solutions To Keep Your Place Sparkling

There are a lot of commercially-made cleaning products out there, and it likely hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that many of these products are toxic in one way or another. They can hamper breathing, cause contact dermatitis, or present other poisoning hazards.

It’s no surprise that there’s been an uptick in using eco-friendly products that won’t make you cough, choke or have any other unwanted reaction. But for some, even these products are a bit tough on the bank account. So what do you use?

Enter the truly eco-friendly, wallet-friendly options: homemade solutions that are made from natural items you already have in your kitchen. Two such ingredients that are commonly used are baking soda and vinegar. Here are some tips on how to use these.

For Glass & Windows

The solution for this is as ‘old-school’ as it gets: water and white vinegar. If you don’t fancy the smell of vinegar, you can add essential oils to the mixture, or open the windows to freshen the air a bit. Though it smells a bit foul to some, the vinegar isn’t nearly as harsh on your breathing as many commercial window wash cleaners.

So how do you use this solution, and what do you use to wipe with?

Measure out equal parts white vinegar and water. How much of each you measure will depend not on the cost of the vinegar. Vinegar is very inexpensive. Measurements will, instead, depend on how big or small a spray bottle you have or want to use, and that will be based on how often you clean, and how often you’re willing to remix the solution.

This said, there are spray bottles with vinegar already in them, so if that’s more convenient, by all means, use them. Just mix in your other ingredients and you’re all set.

As for what to wipe with, once the spray is on the desired surface? Some people swear by newspapers, and some use old t-shirts cut up into rag-size pieces. Either way, you’re doing double-duty for the planet by using both a homemade solution and recycled items.

For The Bathroom

Different items in the bathroom may require different solutions, depending on the type of counters you have, but your two most promising ingredients will still be baking soda and vinegar. Baking soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is a well-known deodoriser, and you can mix it with vinegar and water to make an all-purpose cleaning solution for just about all parts of your bathroom.

Another item you might have around the home, if you’re already eco-minded, is castile soap and borax, which you can mix with the vinegar and water to make different cleaning solutions for running clothes and dishes through their respective washers.

Some people also add essential oils to their cleaning mixtures, which is a great idea, since not only will you have the added touch of a pleasant fragrance, many essential oils are anti-bacterial and deodorising by nature, such as lemon, thyme and tea tree. Plus, you don’t need many drops of an essential oil, so those will last you a while, as well. Here are some commonly purchased essential oils for cleaning and deodorising:

• Lemon
• Orange
• Peppermint
• Tea Tree
• Lavender
• Thyme

These tips are just the beginning of what could be the best decision you ever made for the purpose of keeping your place sparkling clean while keeping your health and planet in mind.