Within Your Walls

With everyone one on a budget and dollars being stretched, have you ever looked to see how much you spend on household cleaners?  I know in my post “the monster under your kitchen cabinet” I talked about having 5 cleaners for your whole house, and that is true.  However, the average homeowner owns many more than that, and retail and media support this.  Recently, on a trip to my local grocery store I spotted a new cleaner I thought about giving a try.  Kaboom’s color changing foaming bathroom cleaner, after I saw the price I quickly changed my mind: $4.50 for a bathroom cleaner!  It wasn’t worth that much to me.   This made me think, I often clean with “organic” or “natural” cleaners.  Now it isn’t that I’m a “tree hugger” or an “eco-freak”, it’s just that it’s a lot cheaper and healthier to my family.  I don’t have to worry about my daughter’s curiosity getting the best of her, or my animals chewing through toxic bottles.  So here are some alternatives to retail household cleaners, and here’s the surprise…you already have most of them.

Heinz Distilled White Vinegar (yes, I’m partial), Baking soda, and Salt, items your probably already own, will clean most anything in your home, for about the same, as you would spend on one commercial cleaner.  The best part is your home won’t smell like chemicals, yes, even the vinegar won’t retain it’s pungent sent when used as a cleaner.  Now here is a list of my favorite uses.

Kitchen

1. Dog Slobber- if you own a dog you already know how difficult Fido’s distress writing is to remove from your windows, especially after it’s dried.  Just take a rag soaked in vinegar and wipe it away, easily.
2. Coffee Machine- To keep your machine running smooth and clean of lime deposits, run one full cycle of vinegar through the maker.  Then run 2 cycles of water through.  However please check your manual’s instructions about cleaning with vinegar.
3. The Coffee Pot- is your stained or did you forget to turn it off this morning?  Don’t worry, but please wait until it’s cooled down.  Put 4 tsp salt, 1 cup crushed ice, & 1 Tbsp water in the pot and swirl around until it’s clean, then rinse.
4. Garbage Disposal- Make some vinegar ice cubes (1 cup and enough water to fill tray) and grind them in the disposal.  Then flush with water to keep it clean and smelling fresh.
5. Dishwasher- there are 2 uses here.  1. To cut the cloud on your glasses, place a cup of vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher and run for 5 minuets, then run through a full cycle.  2.  A cup of vinegar run through a full cycle once a month will reduce soap buildup on the inner workings.
6. Clogged drains- to prevent grease buildup and clogs pour handful of baking soda down drain.  Add ½ cup of vinegar.  Cover drain tightly for a few minuets, the flush with water.
7. All-over Cleaner- Clean Appliances, counter tops, and your shiny chrome fixtures.  Wipe with a cloth soaked in vinegar and watch streaks and smears disappear.
8. Plastic Containers- Do your containers smell, lets just say…funny.  Sprinkle some baking soda on a sponge while cleaning them.  If the smell won’t go away soak them in a mix of 4 Tbsp. baking soda & 1 Qt. water.
9. Keep the Fridge Fresh- Place a box of baking soda (opened) in both the fridge and freezer to keep everything smelling like it’s suppose to.
10. The Baby’s Highchair- clean it with baking soda; sprinkle it on a sponge and wipe away everything junior spilled, and rinse with water, without the worry of chemicals.

Bathroom

1. Shower head- your showerhead sprinkles rather than sprays?  To remove the lime deposits on it simply soak it in a bucket of vinegar overnight and then replace it to its holder in the morning.
2. The toilet bowl- no one enjoys this task, but this one is easy.  Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the bowl.  It will remove the ring in about 5 minuets, and then flush it down.
3. Slimy shower curtains- there are 2 ways to clean these. 1. Use undiluted vinegar and wipe away soapy film, mildew, and buildup.  2.  Used baking soda on a damp sponge or brush, scrub then rinse clean.
4. Shiny, Sparkly fixtures- clean all fixtures, tiles, and tub with either a damp cloth with vinegar on it, or damp sponge with baking soda on it.  Scrub as normal and rinse with water.
5. Clean Floors- whether they are tile or laminate, or whether you prefer baking soda or vinegar you can clean both with either ½ cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water, and then rinse when done.  Or ½ cup vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water, and for tough stains use undiluted vinegar directly on stain.

Family Room

1. Carpeted Traffic Areas- to bring up the nap and color of carpeted areas, brush a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of water then blot dry.
2. Pet Stains- everyone hates them and everyone sees them.  Pour straight vinegar on the stain and wipe with strong strokes, and then blot with cold water.  Along with deodorizing, Fido and Fluffy will avoid the area.
3. Fans- cut the grease and dirt on fan blades and exhaust fans by wiping them with full strength vinegar.
4. Woodwork- all your beautiful woodwork can get cloudy with dust and cleaners, revive them by rubbing a cloth moistened in a solution of 1Tbsp. vinegar in 1Qt. warm water.  Then buff with a soft dry cloth until it shines.
5. White ring on tables- The white rings left behind from wet glasses will disappear when you rub the with a mixture of equal parts olive oil and vinegar.

Laundry Room

1. Wine stains- along with soda stains can be erased.  Apply undiluted vinegar directly on the stain, (within 24 hours) then wash and dry as directed.
2. Sticky Iron- starch buildup on your iron can make it stick to fabrics.  Simply wipe it clean with a moist cloth soaked in full strength vinegar.  To keep your iron clean, occasionally fill it with vinegar and steam a soft rag.  Repeat the process with water, and then rinse the inside of iron with water.
3. Recharge your towels- to make your stinky towels like new again follow this.  Add 1 cup of vinegar to hot water in your washing machine, then add towels.  Run a full cycle.  Then directly run another hot cycle with ½ cup baking soda. After both cycles are down dry towels without fabric sheets.

I hope this gives you some options to conventional retail cleaners.  All of these tips and hints will allow you to clean your home from top to bottom with just 3 household ingredients plus water.  I hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions or comments please let me know.

Trackback URL

All-Over-Cleaner, Baking Soda, carpeted traffic areas, clean floors, Cleaners, Clogged Drains, Coffee machine, Coffee pot, Dishwasher, Dog Slobber, fans, Garbage Disposal, Heinz White Vinegar, keep the fridge fresh, pet stains, Plastic containers, recharge your towels, Salt, shiny, shower head, Slimy shower curtains, sparkly fixtures, sticky iron, The baby's highchair, The toilet bowl, Vinegar, Water, white ring on tables, wine stains, woodwork