With Spring just around the corner, I am eager to open up my windows and let the cleaning begin! May sound odd, but with months of being cooped up during the winter some fresh air, sunshine and a clean house sounds wonderful.
A few years ago, I decided to give some homemade cleaners a try. The main reason being, after I would scrub the bath tub with harsh cleaning chemicals I hated the thought of then placing one of the kiddos in the tub, assuming that some cleaning remnants remained.
After doing some research and experimenting I have found that there are oodles of cleaning you can do with just vinegar, baking soda and water. I was so surprised! The added bonus of both being non-toxic and very inexpensive.
I thought I might pass along a few ways I have used them.
Distilled White Vinegar:
Dishwasher rinse aid – for spotless clean dishes without the expense and chemicals of your typical rinse aid try adding vinegar instead.
Tile – Give your backsplash or floor a nice shine and disinfect with a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and water. Spray and wipe clean.
Tub/Shower – Get rid of the mold and mildew by spraying vinegar on the affected area. Let stand approximately 15 minutes, rinse and dry thoroughly.
Windows – Spray with equal parts vinegar and water, wipe clean with a cloth.
Wooden cutting boards – wipe with vinegar to disinfect and clean.
Baking Soda:
Toilet bowl cleaner – Sprinkle inside your toilet bowl like any other cleaner and scrub. Allow to soak for about and hour and then flush (for extra cleaning/disinfectant add 1/4 cup vinegar)
Scouring – Clean burned food off the bottom of a pan. Sprinkle baking soda and cover with hot water, Let set for an hour and the burnt on food should be easier to remove.
Soft Scrub Cleaner – Mix 3 parts baking soda to 1 part warm water to make a paste. Great for scrubbing stains in your kitchen and bath.
Carpet freshener/Odor remover – Sprinkle on your carpet allow to sit at least one hour (longer for stronger odors) and vacuum up.
Scuffed Walls of woodwork – For white walls or wood work use equal parts water and baking soda to remove those scuff marks (or crayon marks!)
Happy Cleaning!
