All-purpose cleaner
Our brains live on a diet of superlatives. Popular media has made it so that we never buy products that aren’t the “best” or “most superior.” This extends to everything from the food we eat (mouthwatering food, loaded with processed sugars and fats) to the products we use (sinfully beautiful skin, using products that could cause cellular damage). So when we find a cleaning product and it’s labelled as having “industrial strength,” we naturally assume this is the product meant for us. Right? Wrong. Many products contain hazardous ingredients that are carcinogens, known endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxins.
You can kill germs just as effectively with an all-purpose vinegar solution. This is just nine-parts water and one-part vinegar. Mix these ingredients in a spray bottle and start cleaning! For dirtier cases, pour straight white vinegar onto the surface, then add with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Remember to do a spot test first to ensure no discoloration happens.
Tile cleaner
To make your own, place half a cup of baking soda in a bowl and then slowly pour in liquid soap until it looks like a frosting. You can choose to add around five to 10 drops of essential oil. Scoop this into a sponge, scrub, and rinse. You can also cut a lemon in half and use it as a scrubber.
Oven cleaner
Mix two cups hot water, one tablespoon of natural dish liquid, and one teaspoon borax together. Spray the mixture on the spill and let sit for 20 minutes. Wipe this with a clean cloth. Use crumpled newspapers to take out as much gunk as possible before using the mixture.
Window cleaner
Combine ¼-cup vinegar with ½-teaspoon natural liquid soap and two cups water in a spray bottle. Shake until they are fully blended. Spray onto the glass and wipe off with cloth or newspaper.
Lemon oil duster
Household dust is full of harmful toxins such as flame retardants and allergens. We need to keep our homes as clean as possible. Nevertheless, some dust cleaners contain air contaminants and hormone-disrupting chemicals. Make your own by pouring a mixture of 10 drops pure lemon oil, two tablespoons lemon juice, and a few drops of olive oil on a cotton cloth.
Air-freshener
Bring a pot of water to boil. Then, add several orange slices, two cinnamon sticks, and several cloves. Leave it to simmer for a while. This gets rid of the most stubborn kitchen odors.
Multi-surface cleaner
This has a little more punch than the all-purpose cleaner. For this, dissolve two teaspoons borax with one teaspoon washing soda (not baking soda) in two cups of water. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and funnel into a spray bottle. Add four tablespoons vinegar, ½-teaspoon natural liquid soap, and a few drops of essential oil. Shake to blend.
Laundry powder
Combine ½-cup soap flakes with ½-cup borax and ½-cup washing soda. Store this in a jar with an airtight lid. Use around ½ to one tablespoon per load.
As you can see, these DIY cleaning products are easy and inexpensive to make and contain no harmful ingredients at all. Now you can keep your home clean, without risking your health.
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