When it comes to Cleaning, we've been there, done that, now serving 492 tips in 24 categories ranging from Answer User Questions to Window Cleaning.
Unfortunately, many of the store bought cleaning products under your sink contain chemicals and additives that have been proven to have negative effects on your health as well as the environment. Luckily, there are many safe, effective (and edible!) cleaning supplies already in your pantry. The following is a quick look at the best natural cleaning products.
Baking Soda
Baking soda has been known as an all-purpose cleaner for generations. It does a fantastic job on glassware, coffee pots, and even on the removal of red-wine spots from carpet. It also gets rid of stains from saucers, cups, and stainless steel, leaving them sparkling clean.
Coarse Salt
Use coarse salt to scrub copper pans and scour cookware. Simply sprinkle salt directly onto the cookware and wipe clean. For more stubborn stains, apply the salt, then squirt lemon or lime over the area. Wait several hours, and rinse clean.
Essential Oils
Mix essential oils like rose, lavendar or tea tree oil with water, and then spray the solution on bathroom and kitchen surfaces. Their anti-bacterial properties ensure your surfaces are clean and your family is healthy.
Olive Oil
Use olive oil to polish wood furniture or lubricate squeaky door hinges. You'll notice the results immidiately.
Boiling Water
Use hot water on a weekly basis to flush away dirt in your drains. This helps avoid clogs and build-ups that may end up being costly to fix.
Ideally, the kind of cleaning products that you use should be nontoxic, efficient, and effective. Natural cleaning products are therefore the healthiest tools in keeping your home immaculately clean and healthy.
Making your own silver polish is easy to do. All you need are some basic household materials to remove tarnish from your silver pieces.
Toothpaste
One way to make silver polish is to use toothpaste. Select plain toothpaste without any bleaching agents, as they can damage the silver. Apply the toothpaste directly to your silver and use a clean cloth to polish. For intricate pieces, use a soft bristled toothbrush to get into any crevices. Make sure to run the silver piece under warm water to remove the toothpaste, and then dry thoroughly with a clean cloth.
Water, Salt, and Baking Soda
Place your silver pieces along the bottom of an aluminum pot. Pour enough water into the pot to cover your pieces, and add one teaspoon baking soda and one teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; allow the water to boil for three minutes. Remove from heat. Once the water has cooled off, move the silver pieces to warm, soapy water. Polish the pieces by scrubbing them with a clean cloth, and then drying them with another fresh cloth. Alternately, you can line a glass pan with aluminum foil (dull-side down) and lay the silver pieces out on top of the foil; add one quart of boiling water on top of the silver and add two teaspoons of baking soda. Allow the silver to soak until the water is cool enough to touch; remove the silver and polish with a dry, clean cloth.
Making your own deodorant is friendly on your wallet, your skin, as well as the environment. Homemade deodorants are inexpensive, natural and have no side effects on the user. There are no harsh chemicals nor irritating fragrances. Follow the steps below to make your own deodorant out of items you may already have in your pantry.
Ingredients
Steps
Note: You can make different scents simply by varying the use of essential oils. Rather than tea tree oil, try rose, lavender, sandalwood or eucalyptus. These are ideal choices as they have the same anti-bacterial properties as tea tree oil. You can also opt for chamomile, which is a good skin soother. Start by adding just a few drops and continue progressively until you achieve your desired scent.
Making your own soap is a fantastic way to incorporate an all natural product into your daily routine. It's also a great way to save some money on your household budget. Considering how often you and your family use soap, ensuring it's made from healthy ingredients is a smart idea for everyone.
Follow these easy steps to make your own soap.
Ingredients
Procedure
Your skin will thank you!
Making your own laundry detergent is a simple process and an easy way to save money. There area various recipes for homemade laundry detergent, but they also use the same basic ingredients. You can buy everything you need to make your own laundry detergent for less than the cost of most brands of detergent, and have enough homemade detergent to last a year or more.
Homemade laundry detergent is made of three components, soap, washing soda and borax. You can use a specific laundry soap if you like, such as Fels Naptha, or a bar of body soap, like Ivory. Washing soda is found in the laundry section of your grocery store. It is sodium carbonate and is useful for removing smells from your laundry. Borax is the commercially available form of the natural mineral sodium borate, and whitens and deodorizes your laundry.
Dump one-third to one-half of your soap, chopped or grated, into a large saucepan. Add 6 cups of water and heat, stirring occasionally, until the soap melts. Stir in one-half of a cup each of the washing soda and borax, continuing to stir until the powders are dissolved.
Fill a two gallon bucket with about one-half gallon of hot water. Add the soap mixture and stir until blended. Fill the bucket the rest of the way with water, stirring to blend. Let the soap set for 24 hours before you use it. Use one-half cup per load.
Making sure you have a clean television set is essential in ensuring you have a pleasant viewing experience. Whether you have the latest and greatest TV mounted proudly on your wall or the same old set you've been carting around since college, a clean screen can make a huge difference in picture quality. Follow these tips below to clean your TV.
Any remaining moisture from the screen can be wiped out with a dry microfiber cloth. Make sure the television screen is completely dry before plugging it back in.
Remember safety is important when cleaning your television set. Take precautions to avoid being exposed to potential electrocution.
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