Home cleaning doesn't have to involve harmful chemicals or even expensive green cleaning products. There are plenty of products around your home that can also be used to cut through tough grease, deodorize your home, and polish your counters. Home cleaning remedies can come in all forms just make sure to test a small area of what you are cleaning to make sure the surface will not be harmed.
Home Cleaning Remedies
Lemons
Lemons are my all time favorite ingredient in home cleaning remedies. There are many ways to use lemons from sanitizing to removing stains.
Garbage disposal: Slice the lemons and put the whole slice into the disposal. The juice of the lemon will disinfect and clean the disposal while the rind will release a fresh fruit aroma. It is not harmful to your garbage disposal and will remove any odor causing bacteria.
Laundry: Lemon juice will help brighten whites and colors. Add the juice of one lemon to any load along with your normal detergent.
Counter Tops: A combination of lemon juice and baking soda will clean your counter tops, as well as a store, bought the cleaner. Slice apart the lemon in half and place the exposed part in baking soda. Rub the exposed half over your counter tops; the baking soda will be crude enough to eliminate any residue while the juice will clean and disinfect. Do not use this when cleaning precious gems or stainless steel. The baking soda could scratch or discolor the surface. Remember to always test a small area before applying the mixture to the whole counter.
Cooking Oils
Cooking oils serve as an excellent home cleaning remedy. Oils can be used to polish wood and stainless steel.
Furniture: Wood furniture can quickly take on a dull color when not properly cleaned. An excellent home cleaning remedy for wood is using two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice. Take a clean rag and buff the oil mixture into the wood lightly. Make sure you are not damaging the surface by testing a small area first. Once you apply the oil, you need to take a new clean cloth and wipe the excess oil off of the wood. It will leave your furniture well hydrated and shine like new. You can also utilize white distilled vinegar in place of the lemon juice. Lemon juice gets the dirt out of the furniture while the oil will polish it.
Stainless Steel: Stainless steel can be cleaned by using olive oil on a clean cloth and gently wiping the stainless steel. Make sure to go with the grain of the steel and not use circular motions. Stainless steel is easily scratched, so you want to be very careful when polishing it. Never used paper-based towels when cleaning stainless steels, such as paper towels or napkins. The best thing to use when cleaning stainless steel is a clean or even brand new microfiber cloth.
Vinegar
Vinegar is something even professional cleaners use as home cleaning remedies. It can be used to clean floors, bathrooms, and even drains.
Floors: Utilize vinegar to clean almost any type of floor. The acidity disinfects and slows the process of mold and bacteria growth keeping your floors cleaner, longer. To clean floors combine a ¼ cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water. Use a clean cloth and the vinegar mixture to wipe floors clean. We recommend not using vinegar on hard wood floors because of possible discoloration. When cleaning hard wood floors, it is best just to use warm water. Or clean hard wood floors using proper hard wood cleaners. Make sure to wipe dry any floor you are cleaning to prevent water spots.
Miscellaneous: Whenever you are out of your usual cleaning product vinegar is a good substitute. Use it to clean toilets, sinks, and counter tops. Always dilute the vinegar as talked about above and use with a clean cloth. If you have a surface that can be easily scratched or you are worried about discoloration always test a small area and research the best cleaning methods.
