Homemade Cleaning Products

Apr

2015

You don’t need to stock up on cleaning powders, detergents and sprays to keep your house clean. Simply create your own cleaning products at home.

With the levels of pollution we live in, it is not surprising that our houses get dusty and grimy pretty quickly. Combined with our hectic lives, it becomes next to impossible to clean the house every day. Besides, we are constantly dashing to the supermarket because we run out of cleaning supplies.

Why spend a lot of money buying household cleaning products when you can simply create your own cleaning products at home at half the expense and with virtually no effort? Besides, since you would be using products found in your own home, you can be sure that there are no harmful chemicals involved that would pose a threat to your home or to yourself.

Here’s what you can use to create your own homemade cleaning products:

Lemons. Lemons are potent cleaning agents – they are strongly acidic and pungent, which makes them good alternatives to chemical-based cleaners. Cut a lemon into two halves and wipe across a greasy surface such as glass or plastic. Or simply use lemon juice over a greasy surface, wait for a few seconds for it to cut through the grime, and then wipe off with a clean cloth.

Vinegar. Vinegar is the strongest household cleaning ingredient you can find in your kitchen. Want to wipe down your greasy cooking hob or splattered counter? Simply spritz vinegar all over it and wipe off. This is an excellent substance to use on practically every surface except polished wood.

Steam. That’s right, we said ‘steam’. You can use steam to dislodge stubborn food particles off surfaces, or clean your glass window shutters. Simply use a vaporizer and waft the steam on the surface you wish to clean. Wipe immediately with a plain paper and follow up with a wipe down with a cloth.

Oil and lemon juice. Did you know that you can polish furniture using a solution of one part olive oil to three parts lemon juice? Combine the two ingredients – you may have to warm them over a flame to get them to mix – and then pat a few drops on your wooden furniture. Now take a clean dry cloth and give the surface a brisk wipe down. Your furniture will gleam like new.

Alcohol in soap. Make your own detergent to clean your tiles and floors. Combine one part cleaning alcohol (available at supermarkets), one part ordinary soap powder and half part water, and store the mixture in a bottle. Use to spritz on tiles, mirrors, floors and plastic surfaces but do not use on brass and wood. This mixture remains effective for up to a month after it is prepared.

Baking soda. Pour some water on the stained surface and slap some baking soda on it. Let it bubble briefly, then wipe down with a dry cloth.