Chemicals are everywhere in the home, when it comes to cleaning it is so easy to go overboard and fill our cupboards with a different spray, gel or soap for every different problem We can become obsessed with disinfecting and sterilising everything. How healthy can this be for our children? Older generations survived without all the chemicals and cleaning products in fancy, over engineered, heavily packaged plastic bottles and so can we. Here are a few tips to help you eradicate the chemicals from your home and make for a clean, green and healthy environment for your children to grow and play in.
There are some great eco-products on the market and I will dedicate a blog to some of the best ones available in Dublin soon. First I want to go back to the basics and give you a few hints on cleaning the home without chemicals. Baking soda and Vinegar can clean most things and are essential in keeping your home sparkling, lemons can help remove odours and essentail oils can give your home a lovely aroma not sure where to start? Read on for a few handy tips:
To clean chopping boards
Use a cloth and vinegar to disinfect and clean wooden chopping boards
To clean floors
I love to use my H20 steam cleaner on our floors. I give them a quick sweep and then fire it up. It uses steam (no chemicals) to remove dirt and even sterilise my floors. (Ok this isn’t exactly basic but I couldn’t leave it out)
To clean chrome
Use undiluted vinegar to polish clean and shine.
To remove fridge odours
Place 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate soda in an open container and leave it in the fridge, I also find a few slice of lemon left in the fridge does the trick too.
To remove grease stains in your clothing
Forget expensive satin removers full of chemicals you’ve never even heard of. Either add baking soda to the wash load or pre-treat the stain with a baking soda paste.
To clean mirrors and glass
To clean counter tops and kitchen surfaces
Sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth, wipe and then rinse with clean water.
Use a couple of drops of lavender oil in water in a spray bottle as a last risnse on your bench tops for a pretty fragrance in your kitchen.
To clean mirrors and glass
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of vinegar with 1 & a half of water in a spray bottle, and wipe clean with paper or a dry cloth this works so well.
To clean aluminium
Use a solution of cream of tartar and water.
To clean silver
Use toothpaste instead of toxic sliver cleaner to clean silver it will come up really well. If you want to get a great polish on your silver try boiling water with a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of baking soda in a pan lined with aluminium.
To give your house a lovely smell
Trdae in the 'glade' and chemical infused home fragrances for some essential oils diluted in water I like tea-tree or lavander best. Fresh cut lavander looks stunning and also smells so much better than anythign you can buy in the cleaning isle in the store.
Great post Angi & Tara, I must try some of these out : )
ReplyDelete