My fabulous, cheap and hard-working recipe for cleanliness in your home

25 Apr 2011 1 Comment

by ecoheartmama in Uncategorized

There are so many products on the market today that claim to clean your home but truthfully they off-gas far more than they actually clean, they are expensive and quite frankly your health should be more important than that fabulous fresh scent. The trick to home cleaning lies in simplicity! My recipe for cleaning up after 5 stinky, dirty, germ laden people (and I am not talking about me here, this is all boys baby) is VINEGAR!

Vinegar can be used in your wash to remove stains, deodorize, fabric soften and remove pet stains/odours that most cleaning products won’t do for a whole lot less. If you have a stubborn stain or odour like cat pee you can pour the vinegar directly on the area first before putting it in the wash and then add 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of vinegar to the wash load. You can clean counter tops, sinks, bath tubs, showers and toilets and not worry about harsh fumes or wearing gloves, unless of course you have a papercut and then y’ouch! You can clean your oven with vinegar. There is nothing this magic little acidic wonder can’t do!

Most people complain that they dislike the smell of vinegar and quite frankly so do I BUT I have come up with solution to that small problem, essential oils. I mix 1/4 to 1/3 vinegar with the remaining water and about 15-30 drops of essential oils in a spray bottle and you have a delicious all-purpose spray cleaner. My essential oil preferences are lemon and lime oil but I usually add a drop or two of tea tree as well. Just about any essential oil will do but some are more beneficial to cleaning than others. Also, some essential oils like jasmine, frankincense and rose are far too pricey to put in a spray bottle as a household cleaner.

For cleaning that requires scrubbing like baked on food, frying pans with stuck on food or bathtubs with soap scum I rely on baking soda and castile soap with just a hint of water and a scrub brush. You can get out anything with a little elbow grease and this paste.

Your wallet will thank you for choosing these cheap alternatives and so will your air and the planet!