Nowadays, housecleaning is made easy by the use of non toxic products. These are eco-friendly and do not cause health problems. Gone are the days of using harsh chemicals to clean the house; more people are now more aware how these harmful chemicals are affecting people and the environment as well.

Open your windows every morning for a few minutes to air the house. Keep essential oils such as lavender, peppermint and rose to have fresh and clean scents inside the house.

Check your furniture and if it needs replacement, go for more natural materials like wood and bamboo. If you decide to have more decors inside the house, make use of live indoor plants as these encourage good air circulation inside the house.

The natural products commonly used are basically also found inside the house. Check your cup board for the following products to be used for cleaning. To remove bad smells inside the house, place some baking soda on a plate and half a lemon on it. This would absorb all the smells around the house. Make use of 1 part of white vinegar and 1 part of water to clean all the surfaces like kitchen tops, kitchen sinks, bath tubs, toilets and metal surfaces. This vinegar mixture can get rid of mildew and grease easily. You can also use the vinegar mixed with water to clean floors and disinfect bathroom tiles. Clean your windowpanes and mirrors with a rag soaked in vinegar as these don’t leave stains. You can also use vinegar to clean your stove and other kitchen utensils. You can also use this to clean your washing machine and declog excess soap and detergent.

To clean and freshen your carpets or rugs make a mixture of 4 cups of baking soda and about 25 drops of each essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus and rosewood; mix well until the baking soda is dissolved and place the mixture inside a jar or bottle, close or seal tightly then shake well. Then you can sprinkle your carpets or rugs with it; let it be for about 15 minutes then vacuum off to finish cleaning. For carpet or rug stains, use baking soda or cornstarch and blot the stains. Let it dry then blot with some club soda and vacuum off to get rid of the stains. Make use of natural disinfectants such as clove oil. This has anti-bacterial properties. It can be used as an insect repellent to keep mosquitoes and other insects away. You can also use this as a deodorizer for shoes. Another natural disinfectant is the pure grain alcohol which you can use to clean your things.

You should also use tea tree oil because it is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. You can use this oil to wash your laundry. Use it to wipe clean almost everything to get rid of molds especially on wet surfaces.

To clean your silver, try using white tooth paste and warm water. Use an old toothbrush with soft bristles to clean your silver. To get rid of any tarnish, just soak your silver in a salt solution in an aluminum container, then clean and wipe away.

Make good use of lemon. It can be a deodorizer and disinfectant as well. Put some peeled lemon grind on your garbage bin to take away the smell.

Add essential oils to your dishwashing soap to increase its fragrance and add more antiseptics as well. Always keep a spray of mixed essential oils, lemon and water or a spray bottle of vinegar mixture handy for easy use.

Jonathan Pitts

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