It’s important to use healthy and natural alternatives in the home, especially when it comes to cleaning products. Sabine recently offered up her tips on healthy and natural cleaning solutions to Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine. Here are some options for you to try.. Let us know how these work for you in the comments below.
Get rid of germs without harsh chemicals with VINEGAR! Nothing worse than exposing yourself to harsh chemicals, use vinegar to combat odors from gym in your wash cycle (just drop it in like you would bleach) this also has an added benefit of ridding your machine of mold and mildew that may grow between cycles. Vinegar and water solutions are also great as disinfectants on your kitchen counters, bathrooms, and other surfaces. Have pets? A strong vinegar and water solution works great to get rid of pet odors and accident stains.
Pests and Spiders just HATE Vanilla. If you have problems with unwanted pests or are noticing spider webs around the home (inside and out) The Green Cleaning Coach offers a solution you can make that can easily be sprayed in problem areas, I’m using it now at my house to get rid of a few spider issues outside. The concentrate is 1 cup of vegetable oil, 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap, 1 tsp vanilla extract. In a spray bottle mix 1 tbsp concentrate with 1 cup water.
Clean with straight up water via the magic of Micro Fiber Cloths. When it comes to dusting, cleaning windows, and general surface cleaning, nothing beats the power of a damp micro fiber cloth. In fact, some manufacturers incorporate silver into the material which has an anti-microbial property.
Indoor Air-Quality is an increasing concern and changing your filters is an easy remedy. As we super-seal our homes, proper filtration is key to keeping allergens and pollutants out of our homes. Changer your HVAC filters seasonally to keep your home’s air fresh.
Renew baking sheets with Peroxide and Baking Soda. If you bake a lot, you can certainly relate to that brown, gooey film that starts to build up on your baking pans. Make a paste with baking soda and peroxide and generously coat the pan and let sit overnight. Lightly wipe up and rinse in the morning and you’ll be amazed at how new your pans look.
Embrace the power of steam for your hardwood floors. Chemical cleaners and even some natural cleaners like vinegar can eat away at your wood floor finish and reduce it’s luster over time. Steam mobs are great as the steam helps to kill germs, lift dirt and grime and typically won’t damage your wood floors.
Clean your stainless steal appliances with olive oil. We all love our stainless steal appliances, but they can be hard to clean and are a magnet for fingerprints. Using a very small amount of olive oil and a microfiber cloth, clean your stainless steal going with the grain. The olive oil will even help prevent fingerprints between cleanings.