Use these four ingredients from your pantry to make cheap and effective natural household cleaning products.
Vinegar
Thanks to its acidity, vinegar effectively eliminates grease, soap scum and grime while still being gentle – and very cheap! Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water to clean bathroom and kitchen surfaces, spray it around a room or in the car as a deodoriser, and add it to the wash to make a natural fabric softener and stain remover. You can also bring the sparkle back to your gold jewellery by soaking for 15 minutes water with a few drops of vinegar.
Baking soda
Along with vinegar, baking soda is a cheap natural alternative to the expensive and toxic household cleaners from the supermarket. It has proven virus-killing properties, and it effectively cleans, deodorises, brightens, and cuts through grease and grime. Mixed with water, baking soda can be used in the rinse cycle of your dishwasher and used as a mouthwash, add shine to scuffed stainless steel surfaces and clean the inside of your oven and microwave. Place a box in the fridge to absorb bad smells.
Lemon juice
Instead of using lemon-scented chemical cleaning products, why not go for the real thing? Lemon contains natural bleach properties, so the juice dissolves mildew and mould, cuts through grease, and shines brass and copper surfaces. Mix it with vinegar and baking soda for a natural cleaning paste to cut the grime on shower glass and kitchen benches. Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle baking soda on the segment and use it to scrub dishes, surfaces and tabletop stains. Try mixing one cup of olive oil with half a cup lemon juice and you have a polish for hardwood furniture.
Salt
Salt is your ultimate miracle cleaning product. Salt enhances other ingredients, such as vinegar, to boost cleaning and deodorising abilities. It can be used to clean stainless steel cookware, appliances, enamel and porcelain, and poured directly into pots to remove burnt food. Soak up a wine stain by sprinkling a thick layer of salt onto clothing or carpets, mix it with vegetable oil to create a paste and gently rub water marks out of wooden table surfaces, or mix it with cream of tartar sauce to create a rust and mildew removal paste. For a great drain degreaser, combine salt with hot water and pour down the sink
Find out more uses for natural cleaning products.
