Good morning my dear Minette,
Home Cleaning Solutions
It is fascinating to see how well products from the kitchen can clean and make your home shine. So glad you asked about cleaning products. I am on a new venture. Mixing my non-toxic cleaners, finding new Home Cleaning Solutions and the use thereof.
Where to Use the Cleaners
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Light switches
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Smudges on the wall
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Doorknobs
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Corners around the door and walls
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Drawers and handles of cupboards
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Table lamps and bed lamps
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Shelves
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Ornaments
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Marks on your carpet and upholstery.
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Pet odour
What Products to Use
Essential oils have great antibacterial properties for normal household purposes. To sterilize use 70 % alcohol-based spray. Add essential oils to give it a great fragrance.
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Tea Tree oil – anti-mould properties
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Clove oil
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Lavender
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Oregano
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Rosemary
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Mentholyptus
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Mint
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Vanilla
Why Use Natural Home Cleaners
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Easy to mix
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Household products
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Eliminates odours
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Powerful cleaners
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Non-toxic and natural
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Fights mould
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Keeps the home fresh
Shopping list for mixes
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Vinegar
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Bicarbonate of soda or baking soda
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Methylated spirits
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Paraffin
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Self-raising flour.
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Salt
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1 bottle of Liquid soap
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Ammonia from the chemist if you can’t find it at the grocers
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Baby oil
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Disinfectant
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hydrogen peroxide
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Spray bottles
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70% Alcohol Sanitizer
Home Cleaning Solutions
Here are two easy ways to keep surfaces and hands sanitised.
Hand Cleaner Solution
1 cup of baby lotion
1 cup 70% alcohol from the chemist
Mix the two properly. Pour into a container and add a stack of dry wipes
Leave for a day and let the wipes absorb the solution and there you have your hand sanitiser wipes.
Surface Cleaner Solution
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3 cups of water
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1/2 cup vinegar can be replaced with 70 % alcohol hand sanitiser
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15 drops of Tea Tree oil to keep mould at bay
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10 drops of Lemon oil to add fragrance
In a spray bottle, mix and use to clean all countertops and surfaces.
It saves money and is the answer to your non-toxic home cleaning routine, especially with babies around. The ingredients are natural products you have in your kitchen, therefore, give it a try during your next cleaning routine, my dear!
Be creative and mix your own anti-toxic homemade cleaning solutions that smell good and fresh. Be safe and be careful what you mix my dear.
You can not mix anything with household ammonia or bleach. This can explode in your face and leave burn marks.
Cleaning products are some of the most expensive commodities you can buy in the shops. There are so many to choose from. Each shelf at the shop is stacked with a huge collection of solutions to choose from, all very toxic.
Normally you stand there, deciding which one to buy because the one makes more promises than the other.
Home Cleaning Solutions
Solutions and Ideas for Deep Cleaning
Using sturdy rubber hand gloves will protect your hands and nails. A few spray bottles, different washcloths, soft polishing cloths, and a microfiber dust cloth. Bucket and a mop, scouring sponges and pads.
Let’s get going and start in the kitchen
The Stars of the cleaning show are Vinegar and Baking soda or Bicarbonate of Soda.
Vinegar eliminates smells, and dilutes fatty residue, while bicarb, on the other hand, removes dirt and does the cleaning.
Be careful when mixing the two, keep the container in the basin, because, it fuzzes and boils over easily, making a clean mess!
To this mix, add disinfectant, essential oils for a fresh smell, little liquid soap, scrubs of ammonia and salt or lemon juice.
Scrubs of ammonia are a non-toxic substance, therefore, they can be used everywhere. Clean dishes, clothes, bathroom or kitchen.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Be careful when you mix Bicarbonate of soda with Vinegar it bubbles a lot, mix in a container over the basin.
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1 cup of water
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and a cup of white cheap vinegar
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1 t liquid dishwashing soap
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1/4 cup household ammonia OR
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3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide.
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2-3 T bicarbonate of soda or baking soda, make sure the baking soda mix is dissolved.
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Mix and pour into a spray bottle the night before for the bicarb to solve.
For stubborn dirt use a stronger mix by adding less water or no water.
You can add drops of essential orange oil, lemon or peppermint oil to have a fresh aroma around the rooms, but is optional.
You can add a disinfectant such as Dettol or Savlon, for instance, 2 bottle lids full per litre will be enough for a clinical fresh smell. In the bathroom, it works very well.
Name the bottle ‘Disinfectant All Purpose Cleaner’
Keep under the sink with a cloth.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions and the Use
Cleaning the Stove
== SWITCH OFF THE POWER TO THE STOVE ==
Find the switch that supplies the stove with power and make sure to switch it off.
Uses an all-purpose cleaner, scouring sponge and washcloth.
• Stovetop
Use All-Purpose Cleaner
Spray the stovetop and oven, leave for a minute or two, scrub with your scouring sponge and wipe clean with a wet cloth.
Pay special attention and keep going around the rim of the four stove plates, rinse your cloth frequently, and wring dry before using it.
If you use too much water or spray at the rim of the electric plates, the water might penetrate. The electricity will trip when you try to use the plate. Leave an hour or so to dry properly, and then it will be good to go again. Your stove should never get that dirty though.
A greasy deposit can accumulate around the stovetop where the frame fits into the shelf. Use a blunt knife and scrape only the grease off lightly, wipe clean with your cleaner.
Have the shaker with Bicarb or baking soda powder handy to add more to stubborn greasy spots and spray the vinegar on the scouring sponge.
Clean the stove every night after cooking while still warm, it will make cleaning very easy.
Look at the switches or knobs that measure the temperature of the plates, and clean properly around them. You might have to take them off to clean.
Carefully lift them with a knife and make sure you see how it fits, keep the little metal plate in the fitting hole intact.
Clean grease marks off the stove and wipes the control switch in your hand. Clean it around the rim and put it carefully back the way it was making sure the measurement gauge fits correctly.
Press in to fit properly and never let it get this dirty again. Your stovetop should shine like new.
If the stove has not been cleaned for a while repeat a few times until clean and then keep it clean every time after using the stove. Remember to wipe the sides of the stove too. Get someone to help you move the stove once a month to clean the floor underneath it.
Oven
It is easier to clean the oven if it is just warm to the feel. Spray and then wipe thorough in all corners with your wet cloth, rinse your cloth frequently until all the dirt and grime are off.
Clean the oven by putting an oven-proof container in the oven with some vinegar in it. Heat the oven until hot, and finally, switch off and leave with the door closed overnight.
The vinegar will soften the dirt and grime and it will wipe off easily. Repeat the cleaning process with the spray bottle until it shines before the next use.
Pay special attention to the oven light inside, but be careful not to disturb the elements while wiping. The cleaning of the stainless steel racks will be easier in the sink. Use the same mixture and a scouring pad or steel wool and get rid of the grease baked into the metal.
Clean them one by one and in the corners too. Wipe with a dry cloth.
Keep the oven clean every time you use it and you won’t have to deep clean soon again. Remember to switch the stove after done.
Microwave
No soaps or strong cleaning detergents should be used inside the microwave.
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Wipe the microwave clean with a soft wet cloth soaked in a solution of bicarbonate of soda or baking soda and warm water. Take the rotating glass plate and clean it in the sink, dry and put it back.
If the microwave is spattered and dirty, fill a bowl halfway with warm water, Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice in the bowl and add the empty halves into the water too.
Turn the microwave on for a couple of minutes on high, in addition, leave overnight and wipe clean the next morning. It is wise to get one of those microwave lids to keep the spatter from the floor to dirty the oven.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions
Dishwasher
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Cleaning solution
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1 cup Baking soda
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1 cup Vinegar
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Cleaning a smelly dishwasher, sprinkle dry Bicarbonate of soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and leave overnight. Next morning add 1 cup of vinegar and run the machine on the hottest cycle.
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When packing dishes in the dishwasher, first of all, rinse all the extra dirt from your dishes and then pack to wash. Switch on and let it go through its washing cycle at night. While the kettle boils for your tea or coffee the next morning, unpack the dishwasher.
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Wipe the rubber seal of the door clean after every wash and give it once a week a rub with baby oil on a cloth to keep it soft and flexible.
Stand back and feel proud ‘Job Well Done!’
Home Cleaning Solutions
Kitchen Cupboards
Uses the All-Purpose cleaner, a washcloth and a bucket of clean water.
Start cleaning the outside and inside of the cupboard doors. Spraying with the cleaner, wipe clean, especially around the handles. Move to the inside and wipe clean too, most importantly, rinse your cloth frequently.
Time for the inside, unpack each section on top of the cupboard, spray and wipe clean.
Wipe and dust your pots, pans, plates etc and pack neatly back.
Fridge and Freezer
Never wash the inside of the fridge with soap or cleaning detergent. Like the Microwave use a paste of baking soda and water, NO vinegar. Wipe clean with a soft damp cloth.
On your morning of cleaning switch off the fridge and freezer when you wake up, open the doors and put an old towel or a dirty one on the floor in front of the fridge and freezer to catch all the water on the floor from defrosting.
Leave the food and milk inside to stay cool. Go on with your cleaning of the house and let it defrost.
Clean the fridge and freezer outside with an all-purpose cleaner and a washcloth. Don’t forget to clean the rubber folds of the seal in the door and wipe it down with a few drops of baby oil on a cloth to keep it flexible.
If the ice is hard to melt run a fan and blow it directly into the open fridge. When all the ice has melted unpack the food and milk on the cupboard shelf.
Take out the shelves of the fridge and wash in the sink. The inside of the fridge, just like the microwave, should never get harsh cleaner or soap.
Wipe the inside of the fridge and freezer with a solution of warm water and bicarbonate of soda or baking soda. It cleans and. at the same time, takes away any smells.
When finished, put usable food back inside the fridge. Get rid of old food not used. Switch the fridge back on when done.
Bathroom
Use the All-Purpose cleaner for the bathroom, especially, with the disinfectant. An old toothbrush, a blunt knife and a different colour washcloth and scouring sponge. Use pink clothes for the bathroom and it stays in the bathroom. Hanging behind the toilet seat on the water pipe is ever so handy.
Cleaning the basin, bath and shower, above all, give special attention to detail. Look for lime deposits around the taps and on the tiles. Scrape off the alkaline or scale residue around the taps with a blunt knife. Spray and clean properly with your cleaner and scrubbing sponge.
In older houses, the tap inline of the water pipe leading to the water bowl of the toilet can be brass, make sure it shines. Make sure to clean the overflow grid of both the basin, shower and bath. as well as, around the fitting and rinse well.
Brush and flush your toilet every morning with a cleaner, keeping it spotless. On a Friday night, you can add a quarter of a cup of baking soda and half a cup of vinegar to the bowl and leave it to sit overnight. Saturday morning brush the bowl vigorously.
Spray the cleaner everywhere and scrub with the pink sponge, furthermore, wipe the water tank. Remember to lift the seat and clean thoroughly. Rinse well and wipe with a soft dry cloth. Wash the sponge and pink cloth before hanging it on the pipe.
When finished polishing all the taps use a few drops of baby oil on a cloth and polish the taps and the flushing handle of the toilet It will keep its shine and the water will roll off.
Wash the bathroom mats too, but keep them separate, your tops will get fluff when washed together.
Home Cleaning Solutions
Cleaning Brass Ornaments and handles of windows.
1. Brass and Copper cleaner
Equal parts of
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vinegar
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salt
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flour
Mix equal quantities of vinegar salt and flour, and certainly, keep the paste in a plastic container and name it ‘ Brass Cleaner’
Put the paste on the handle or lever. Leave a few minutes and use your scouring sponge to get the paste off. Rinse and dry. Use the baby oil and a cloth, add a few more drops and wipe-polish the ornament or handle, for instance, it will stay longer shiny and clean.
2. Clean brass, silver, and copper with a mix of:
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4 lt. of warm water
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1 teaspoon tartaric acid
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1 teaspoon of dish soap.
Stir till tartaric acid dissolves.
Use plastic gloves to protect your hands. Immerse items for 2-5 minutes.
Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
Tartaric acid can be found in the spice department of grocery stores or you may have some in your kitchen.
Copper or brass will stay bright and shiny longer if sprayed with a clear varnish after cleaning, and let to dry. It will keep good for much longer.
Cleaning windows and glass ornaments.
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Mix equal quantities of
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Methylated spirits or vinegar
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Water
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a drop or two of Paraffin especially near the coast.
Shake well and store in a spray bottle.
Spray on the glass, and polish off with an old newspaper when dry.
When living on the coast the paraffin keeps the windows sparkling, it keeps the salty spray of the sea at bay.
If you are a sceptic leave the paraffin and just mix the water and methylated spirits.
Mix in a spray bottle and name it ‘ Window Cleaner’.
Spray the windows, wipe with a squeegee and wipe dry with an old newspaper. Make sure to buy a newspaper every week, or ask a friend.
• You can also use a mixture of water and equal parts vinegar to clean the windows but always use a newspaper to wipe dry and clean.
Never use a cloth to clean windows it leaves smear marks. The printer’s ink of the newspaper does the trick to keep your windows bright and shiny.
Use a safe step ladder when washing windows.
• The windows on the outside can be washed with liquid soapy water and a hard sponge, use the hosepipe and rinse, what fun! Wipe dry with your newspaper.
Wipe with a soft dry microfibre cloth specifically allocated for your windows and nothing else. Use silicone spray carefully to polish the wooden frames.
Homemade Cleaning Solutions
Handy Hints
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Having the bicarbonate of soda or baking soda in a shaker makes it much easier to use. Shake where you need the bicarb and spray with vinegar on top of it and rub or scrub.
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Keep spray bottles with the all-purpose mix in the kitchen, bathroom and behind the curtain in the living area. Handy when you need it in a hurry.
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Mark all the bottles clearly and add another sticker at the back with the recipe.
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Do all the mixing in the basin. Spills may happen.
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Buy different colours of rags for different tasks, try not to have one cloth for all. Germs might be transmitted. For instance, pink for the bathroom, blue for dusting, Brown or grey for floors, yellow for the kitchen and keep it that way.
