We put a great deal of effort into healthy living. From organic foods to practising mindfulness, we are aware of the benefits of a holistic lifestyle informed by nature. It is a bit of a shame then that the majority of cleaning products we use around the house don’t reflect these principles. Whether it’s how to get rid of bed bugs fast, or the best ways to degrease glass, there are some great, natural solutions, after all.
While researching for this article, it dawned upon us that one of the reasons that toxic and pollutant products are still used around the house is that natural alternatives often seem to add that much effort to already daunting tasks. It is with this in mind that we have compiled our list of natural, easy to use cleaning tips.
Baking Soda
Starting strong, baking soda is one of the most versatile cleaning agents at your disposal. It is a great additive to just about any household chore. You can use it to deodorize furniture and materials. It makes for a great whitening agent for bathroom surfaces. It removes tough stains from fabric.
What makes it an absolute powerhouse is the fact that it can be used as a replacement for many of the most harmful cleaning products you may have thought were irreplaceable. Oven cleaner is a great example. Oven cleaning products are usually blatantly carcinogenic, not to mention that they are chemically abrasive solvents that could do serious harm upon contact with even just your skin.
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate to use its proper name, is an entirely harmless alternative. So harmless that it is commonly ingested orally as an ad-hoc cure for heartburn. Replacing most of the dangerous cleaning products you use with baking soda is an easy way to not only go all-natural but secure your peace of mind about the safety of your children and pets.
Lemon Juice
We should perhaps preface this one by saying that we are referring to pure 100% lemon juice. A lot of the cleaning chemicals we use around the house are focused on degreasing smooth surfaces like glass. It is not only our kitchen glassware that requires good degreasing from time to time.
Windows, glass surfaces and glossy surfaces like polished granite all need excellent degreasing now and again. It is incredibly strange then that we opt for these harmful chemical degreasing agents when lemon juice is the best degreasing agent money can buy.
Best used in its pure form or when mixed with a bit of vinegar and water, lemon juice will see all your glass and glossy surfaces spotless and degreased with next to no effort. The latter mixture can be used on a variety of surfaces for cleaning and disinfecting, supplanting any number of harmful chemicals you may otherwise have depended on.
Spirit Vinegar
Yet another fantastic household cleaning product straight from the kitchen cupboard, white spirit vinegar is a superb all-round, natural cleaning product. Mixed with a bit of baking soda vinegar will give your mirrors the best cleaning possible. This is true even of your vanity mirror, which perhaps, like ours, is subject to any number of styling products being used relatively near it.
Spirit vinegar combined with lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne also makes for an excellent household disinfectant. Perfect to use on pets toys, blankets and beds, this completely safe all-natural mixture disinfects while presenting no danger to your family and your four-legged furry friends.
