The Ingredients You Need to Keep a Naturally Clean Home
As you move into your new home, you want to keep it clean so it maintains its shine for many years to come. While commercial products have their place, you might not want to expose your family to all the harsh chemicals you typically find in cleaning supplies.
Surprisingly, there are plenty of natural cleaning supplies that do an excellent job of cleaning up even tough messes. With just a few ingredients on hand, you’ll be able to clean your home in no time at all.
Cleaning Supplies
To keep a naturally clean home, you need three major items: baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap. Baking soda breaks down some types of grime, but the texture also acts to scrub dirt away. Vinegar can be a disinfectant. Dish soap cleans while breaking up grease. By combining these ingredients, you’ll make some tough cleaners.
For instance, if your drains are running slowly, you might have a partial clog. You can get rid of it by putting about half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then pouring vinegar on top. It starts bubbling – you may remember doing this to make a “volcano” at school – and this helps break down clogs. Finish by pouring boiling water down the drain.
Making a paste from the baking soda and dish soap is a good way to clean off the grime on your stove, but if you’re looking for something that will clean off any soap scum in the bathtub or shower, mix the dish soap with vinegar. After letting this mixture sit on the tub for about 15 minutes, you won’t have to scrub at all. Vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle is a good cleaning solution for windows, mirrors, and more.
Slightly Stronger Materials
Sometimes you need a cleaner that’s a bit stronger. Hydrogen peroxide, for instance, is a good disinfectant that can kill mould without the chemical smell of bleach. It can still change the colour of walls and floors, though, so be sure to put some on a test area before you use it on a visible part of the home.
Borax is another good all-natural cleaner that’s strong. Use it to help your laundry get clean or put some out to help get rid of ants and other pests. However, remember that borax can be harmful to children if swallowed, so take care if you have young ones crawling on the floors.
Added Scents
Natural cleaners are good in theory, but you might not want a home that constantly smells like vinegar. Many people who choose to use natural products for cleaning add a bit of essential oil into the mixture. This covers up some of the strong smells with something a bit nicer. Keep a few different bottles of essential oils around. Lemon, lavender, and tea tree oil are always good choices.
Cloths and Scrubbers
Part of keeping your home clean is having the right tools for the job. Always pay attention to the manufacturer’s specifications when it comes to cleaning. Flooring, appliances, and other things around the home might become damaged if you use the wrong type of cleaner.
In general, though, you want to clean with soft towels that won’t scratch. Microfiber towels are an excellent solution. Scrub brushes with hard bristles are a good choice when you need something to break through grime.
General Tips
It’s hard to get through years of caked-on grime with all-natural cleaners, but if you clean your home on a regular basis, these simple tools will continue to work for you. With a brand new home, you have the perfect opportunity to start off on the right foot!
Dusting is one of your more important tasks because the dirt can pile up. Dust also negatively impacts the air quality in your home. Set aside time each week to dust each room and pay particular attention to high traffic areas in your home. When deeper cleaning, be sure to clean from the top down. If you vacuum first, then dust, you’ll have just put a layer of dust on your clean floor. Instead, start by dusting fans, door frames, and curtains or blinds, then wipe down tables or counters and clean the floor last.
And remember, stepping up your storage game can help reduce clutter, so your cleaning routine doesn't seem as daunting.
Cleaning naturally requires a commitment, but your family will be glad you made the choice. Of course, the use of stronger, chemically-based products can still be necessary from time to time. However, before you buy, look around for recipes online! There’s almost always an all-natural alternative out there that can help.
