Natural Cleaning Products
Top tips for natural cleaning products to use in your home.
The following suggestions are excellent alternatives to the toxic chemicals found in
many cleaning products. They are safe for you and your family to use and help the
environment. They are also cheaper than many branded products.
In your kitchen:
Microwave – Place a mixture of vinegar and water in a
bowl. Set the timer on full power for 5 minutes. This
will steam clean the inside of your microwave.
Kitchen surfaces – Soak a clean cloth in warm water
and rub in lemon juice or white/cider vinegar to clean surfaces. (This also works for
stainless steal)
Coffee/Tea pot – Pour some white vinegar into a coffee or tea pot, then pour it out
and rinse a few times to ensure vinegar is removed before use.
Kettles – Pour in one part vinegar to ten parts water leave to
stand overnight and rinse well before use.
Bottles – To clean hard to reach areas in glass/plastic bottles. Place some dry rice in
the bottle pour in some water and shake. The rice works as a light abrasive cleaner.
Plastic containers – To get rid of red stains from plastic containers put crumpled up
newspaper in the container and cover with lid, place in the freezer overnight the stain
will be gone the next day.
In your Bathroom
Bath – Use a one in five solution of white vinegar and water to
remove stubborn bath stains. (Vinegar is also a natural
deodoriser and bleach with anti bacterial qualities. Therefore
vinegar can be used in a variety of different ways to remove
household odour.)
- Try cleaning the bath with an old pair of tights
Grout – Use a mixture of baking powder and lemon juice on stained tile grout to
restore to original colour.
Hard Water Stains – To get hard water stains off the bottom of your bath use a paste
of vinegar and baking soda. (Baking soda can be used to remove various stains but -
Don’t use this on fibreglass as it could scratch but is ideal for porcelain and cast iron.
Damp areas – Burn a small piece of charcoal to absorb smell and remove dampness.
Drains and Disposals – Place the peel from a whole lemon or grapefruit and run it
through the disposal. This is an aromatherapy alternative to using baking soda or
vinegar.
Taps – To remove lime scale soak cotton buds in pure
vinegar and place in a plastic bag attach with a rubber band
and leave for one hour then wash with warm water and buff.
Shower – To remove mildew from the shower mix vinegar and water and spray onto
stained area.
In other rooms:
Heat stains on wood. – White heat stains can be removed by dabbing on marked
area.
Fireplace - To clean glass doors mix some ash mixed to a paste with water and rub on
glass with newspaper.
Room Odours – Soak some cotton buds in pure vanilla extract and place in a saucers
in the corners of the room.
Carpets – Sprinkle baking soda over your carpet and leave overnight in the morning
vacuum the carpet to leave it cleaner a fresher.
Windows and Mirrors – Combine equal quantities of alcohol and white vinegar in a
spray bottle, rub in with old newspaper for clean shiny windows
Other places:
Car Odour – Place a dryer sheet under the seats of the car to remove any smells.
(It’s not a natural treatment but better than using expensive air fresheners.)
Plants - Common indoor plants such as Spider Plants,
Dracaenas, Peace Lilies and Chrysanthemums provide a
valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air
pollution. These plants absorb potentially harmful gases and
clean the air inside buildings.
Dracaena Marginata