Who says you can't save money on cleaning solutions while reducing the amount of toxic cleaning products in your home? With just lemons, bi-carb soda and vinegar, you can start practicing safe and effective cleaning that can leave you with some money left in your pocket and reduce chemical build up in your home.
VINEGAR
Vinegar is a mild acid that dissolves scum and grime and neutralises odours. It is an effective disinfectant, able to eliminate both salmonella and e-coli and kills just about all types of mould.
Kitchen
Benches, stoves and chopping boards - Store full strength vinegar in a spray bottle and apply on benches, stoves and chopping boards to kill bacteria and deodorise pungent odours.
Microwave - Mix equal parts water and vinegar in a bowl and place the bowl inside the microwave. Run it on high for about 2 minutes and wipe down grime and food splatters.
Drinking glasses - Vinegar can make glassware sparkle. Just pour a cup in the bottom of the dishwasher and run normally.
Bathroom
Showerhead - Wrap a plastic bag filled with vinegar around the shower head and leave it to soak overnight. By morning, you should be able to enjoy a gunk free shower.
Walls and shower curtains - Remove and prevent the growth of mould and mildew on the walls and shower curtain by spraying them with a solution of 1 part vinegar and 1 part water. Also perfect for removing water stains and soap scum.
Mirrors - Clear your bathroom mirror of debris by spraying it down with a mix of equal parts water and vinegar. Then wipe dry with a microfiber cloth.
Laundry
Clothes - Vinegar can address a variety of your laundry needs. Treat stains, use it as a fabric softener and is great at breaking down detergent residue from clothes to make the colours pop.
Washer - Use vinegar to clean and disinfect your washer by pouring a cup of vinegar into an empty washer and running it normally. Rinse with clean water and wipe down.
Around The Home
Glass - Treat cloudy glass windows with the same water and vinegar mix you used for the bathroom mirrors. Spray, let it sit and wipe.
Hardwood - Vinegar can help break down wax build up on hardwood floors. Just mix half a cup of white vinegar with a gallon of warm water. Do not use on floors with wax finish though.
Brass - Soak brass fixtures and candlesticks in vinegar to remove grime build up. For larger pieces, dip a cloth in vinegar and rub the fixtures.
Furniture - For shiny furniture, mix 1/4 cup of vinegar and a few drops of oil. Wipe the solution onto the furniture.
BI-CARB
Bi-carb soda is practically just another type of salt, which makes it a mild abrasive, perfect for cleaning tough grime. Bi-carb soda can also absorb odours and remove stains. It also has disinfecting properties that can keep bacterial growth at bay.
Kitchen
Mugs - Stubborn tea and coffee stained mugs can be cleaned by sprinkling one part bi-carb soda with two parts water. Let it sit overnight and wash the next day.
Pots and pans - Remove burnt food and make pots and pans shine like new by soaking them in hot water with a few drops of liquid dish detergent and a healthy dose of bi-carb soda. Leave it overnight and easily scrub them in the morning.
Oven - Create a paste consisting of liquid dish detergent, bi-carb soda and salt and coat the inside of your oven with a thick layer of paste. Let it dwell overnight and scrub away the grease and grime using a sponge dipped in warm water.
Bathroom
Hairbrush and combs - Hairbrushes, combs and toothbrushes can be cleaned and disinfected by soaking them overnight in a glass of warm water sprinkled with bi-carb soda then rinse the next day.
Laundry
Clothes - Like vinegar, bi-carb soda is an all-around good guy in the laundry. Use it to brighten both whites and colours, as a fabric softener, neutralise acids and deodorise stinky clothes.
Around The Home
Carpet and upholstery - Remove funky odours from carpets and upholstery with bi-carb soda. Add several drops of your choice essential oils in a box of bi-carb soda. Coat the entire carpet or upholstery and leave it to sit for several hours. Vacuum every last bit of bi-carb soda for fresh smelling carpets and upholstery. Use the same method to freshen up your mattress.
Tile floors - Bi-carb soda is a mild abrasive that can be used to safely scrub tile and grout without causing scratches. Pour half a cup of bi-carb soda in a bucket of water, mop the floor, rinse and dry.
Walls - Stains and marks left by children on the walls can be remedied with baking soda. Mix liquid dish soap, water and bi-carb soda to make a paste and coat the stains on the wall. Allow the paste to completely dry then wipe with a microfiber cloth. Not for coloured walls as this may cause discolouration.
LEMONS
Like vinegar, lemon is also a mild acid and is able to cut through grease and grime like a champ while also eliminating germs and bacteria. Some prefer lemons for removing odours as it does not leave any strong scent.
Chopping boards and kitchen sink - No need for a sponge. Just cut a lemon in two and dab one half into a bowl of salt for added scrubbing power. Use it to clean and disinfect cutting boards and the kitchen sink.
Microwave - Cut one lemon into thin slices then place in a bowl of water. Run the microwave on high for a couple of minutes to dissolve greasy food splatters and neutralise odours. Just wipe the microwave clean afterwards. Effective to use on regular ovens as well.
Refrigerator - Deodorise nasty smelling refrigerators by placing cotton balls soaked in lemon juice. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice to wipe down the inside of your ref during more intense cleaning.
Bathroom
Faucets - Remove water stains and soap scum from taps and faucets by rubbing them with lemon juice. Leave it overnight then rinse and wipe dry for sparkling tapware.
Grout lines - Release dirt, germs and bacteria from grout lines using a paste made from lemon juice mixed with a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Dip a toothbrush in the solution and scrub the grout to make them bright and neat.
Mirrors - Degunk your bathroom mirror with a solution of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice mixed with a litre of water. Spray, wipe down and dry.
Laundry
Clothes - The many talents of lemon also finds its way into the laundry as a powerful stain remover and clothes whitener.
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As a natural bleach alternative - Add a cup of lemon instead of bleach to your usual load to remove stains and make whites brighter. And unlike regular bleach, lemon is safe for both whites and coloured. Clothes will smell fresher too!
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Rust stains - Lemon juice works well in removing rust stains from fabrics. Apply a few drops of lemon juice to the stains and sprinkle with a bit of cream of tartar. Rub it gently onto the stain and leave it for several minutes then wash normally.
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Mould and mildew remover - Mould and mildew on fabric can be very hard to remove. Apply lemon juice directly on the affected area and sprinkle some salt. Leave under the sun to dry then launder as usual.
Around The Home
Glass windows - Just like how you do mirrors, simply spray the lemon solution to glass windows and allow it time to dissolve gunk then rinse and dry.
Wood furniture - Treat scratches on wood furniture by making a solution of equal parts lemon juice and salad oil. Use the same solution to also polish wooden furniture.
Trash bins - Now what can you do with all the lemon rinds and peels that's left behind? You can use them to deodorise the trash bin. Just toss them in and let them neutralise the pungent odours.
Read more on the awesome cleaning power of lemon from our previous article When Life Gives You Lemons, Clean With Them.
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