Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Natural Double Duty Cleaning to Be Nuts About!


Some people love to clean for reasons only they know.  A friend of mine is one of those people who cleans every window in her house once a week without fail whether all fourteen need them or not. 

However, I am not one of them.  I clean only because I must to preserve my sanity.  This means I do not enjoy spending time with bucket, mop, vacuum cleaner or an assortment of cleaning products, etc.  The time I put to cleaning is just a needless chore I know I must do out of necessity--never out of pleasure. 

With that thought, I always am on the lookout for ways to shorten my time on the cleaning front so I can do other more enjoyable things instead of cleaning toilets and the like!  This is why I am nuts about using cheap, environmentally friendly natural product combinations like white vinegar and baking soda that cut the work while still getting the job done.

I like to pour a cup of white vinegar in the toilet bowl.   Give it a swish with the toilet brush and watch the bowl start to shine!

Save an empty spray bottle and clean it thoroughly before filling it with white vinegar.  This is a great inexpensive spray cleaner for a bounty of surfaces from countertops to shower doors. 

Beside being a green cleaner, your lungs will also appreciate saving them from those powerful chemicals that often overwhelm you, especially when locked in closed quarters like the bathroom.  Use it straight or to lessen the vinegar smell I like to dilute the bottle with a little water (about one-fourth) to help the aroma. 

Baking soda is wonderful to sprinkle on your carpeting or rugs.  Leave it there while you go have a cup of coffee.  By the time you're finished, the soda will have done its magic to remove any odors, maybe from your dog or cat and you can vacuum it up. 

If your pets happen to have an accident on the carpeting, you should try dampening the area with equal parts white vinegar and water before blotting dry.

Baking soda is also super cheap to use in your wet tub as a nonabrasive cleaner that won't scratch.  It does a fine job of getting rid of soap scum and dirt--and costs pennies compared to the commercial alternative. 

Adding a cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle saves you battling a lint buildup on your clothes.

You can remove tea or coffee stains inside cups by wiping with a paste made of baking soda and water.  Another good stain remover for that problem is salt and white vinegar.

Perspiration stains can be difficult to remove.  However, you should try saturating the stain with white vinegar before you throw it in the washing machine. 

These are just a few simple tricks to save you some money and time while doing your part to help the environment so your day will be freed up for more pleasant things!