It’s easy these days to run to the store and pick up any collection of a chemical concoction that you could want, specifically targeted for what you need to clean. However, what are some of the most basic – and cheap – ingredients that you can keep in your house and have been tried and true cleaning solutions for years?
Baking Soda for Cleaning & Deodorizing
Baking soda has been used as a cleaning agent since the mid-1800’s. Its gritty texture helps for lifting dirt and grime and it also has antibacterial properties, making it an incredibly cheap and long-lasting cleaning alternative.
Baking soda has many uses in your in home and in your kitchen, ranging from unclogging drains to removing carpet stains. Dilute baking soda with warm water to form a paste and scrub out any unsightly grime and even grout.
Baking soda has also long been used to neutralize smells in fridge, but can also be used in a room or on carpet to absorb funky odors and work to keep your home smelling fresh.
Making Use of Vinegar
Vinegar is a product often combined with baking soda in homemade cleaning solutions. There are a variety of uses for vinegar, from cleaning your windows, to unclogging your showerhead. Because of the acidity in vinegar, it is able to break down dirt and grime in a way that many store-bought cleaning products cannot. It doesn’t hurt that cleaning with vinegar is an all-natural, non-toxic alternative for cleaning in your home.
Lemon as a Natural Cleanser
The potency of lemons, along with their antibacterial properties, make for a great alternative to chemical cleansers. Lemons can be used a cleaner with mixed with water, or even a polish when mixed with oil.
Lemons have the power to deter bugs from an area, removes stains from clothing, and can also be used as a disinfectant. With the wide use of lemons in your home, it will only take determining the solutions necessary to make lemons work for you and rid your home of chemicals or just expensive, store-bought solutions.
The Power of Bleach
Bleach has been around for generations, long before the plethora of counter cleaners and mop products. Bleach diluted with water can be a great alternative, and an often more effective alternative, to your store-bought products. From the laundry room to the patio, bleach can be used to disinfect, as well as brighten, your space.
Take care not to use bleach on wood or granite, and don’t mix it with anything aside from water. Bleach is a powerful and effective product, but should be used with caution and applied knowledge.
