Author: Maria Alfano
Cleaning is the dirty “C” word but we need to talk about it and give you some simple cleaning tips and hacks. Not everyone is blessed with a cleaning lady. And, even if you are you should really have them pay attention to how they clean your home. Using more natural products is not only good for the air you breathe within your home. It also reduces your carbon footprint. Help save the environment with one small action at a time. These 27 simple cleaning tips & hacks that will save you time & money may just change your mind about cleaning!
If you are looking for good, simple, and effective, mostly chemical-free tips and hacks for cleaning you have come to the right blog!. This blog will explore everyday household items that you likely already have in your home that you can easily transform into highly effective cleaning products for peanuts. They will not only save you money but also will help save the environment from all those harsh chemicals.
27 Simple Cleaning Tips and Hacks That Will Save You Time & Money
Lemon
Lemons are good for you, and they are the perfect cleaning agent for so many areas of the home.
Air Freshener – nothing cleans the air like the fresh scent of citrus. Boil lemons in water and let them cool. Pour the lemon-infused water into a spray bottle and use it as needed when that room needs a little spritz of freshness.
Shiny and New – rub a freshly cut lemon on any chrome surface. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth and watch that awesome sparkling shine come back.
Woodn’t It Be Great – you don’t need to pledge your commitment to chemicals anymore! Give your wood surfaces a much-needed polish with lemon oil and vinegar. You can simply mix the two in a spray bottle. Spray a microfiber cloth with the solution and wipe away dust instantly.
Natural Disinfectant – the acid in lemons is highly effective in cleaning germs. You could always cover your surfaces with aluminum foil and replace them every day to remove germs. Or, you can use the same air freshener solution to disinfect your surfaces daily. Use a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter to wipe it off.
Nuke It – place a bowl of water with lemons in the microwave and let it boil for 3-5 minutes. The oils in the lemon will soften the gunk and you can easily wipe it clean.
More Lemons
The Itsy Bitsy Ant? – don’t you hate when they raid your privacy? Ants hate lemon. Lemon acts as a natural repellant. Place lemon juice at the entry point or stuff lemon peel in cracks where the little monsters make their way into your home and that will deter them from entering uninvited.
Frozen Blend – cut your lemon into 8 to 10 pieces and freeze it. Toss the frozen chunks into your blender or coffee bean grinder to clean the blades. This will protect you from harm and will refresh the small appliances.
Grunge – and I don’t mean the music genre. I mean that stuck on, hard to get off, baked in food that just won’t come clean no matter how hard you scrub. Pour some kosher or coarse salt into the pot. Rub a fresh-cut lemon onto the ‘grunge’ and wait a few minutes. Wipe it clean with a sponge. You may need to repeat the process depending on how caked-on the mess is.
Soda and Lemon Anyone – a mixture of club soda and lemon juice with a clean microfiber cloth is the perfect remedy for cleaning glass and mirrors.
You can buy these and other similar microfiber cloths on Amazon, Walmart, Target, or your local department store. I love that they are earth-friendly and leave no lint when cleaning up. Save money and the environment with these reusable cloths
Baking Soda Cleaning Hacks
Baking soda has been used for many years and every house has at least one box in the refrigerator. Don’t just throw away that old box. It still has a lot of life left in it.
Yuk, What a Mess – cleaning the stovetop is probably my least favorite thing to do. It never comes quite as clean as I like it…until now. Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the stovetop. Spray with water. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes. Wipe it clean.
These Two Hands – a clean dishwasher is a key to sparkling clean dishes. Run your dishwasher with baking soda and a cup of vinegar. It will clear the stuck-on particles and make it smell like new!
Down the Drain – pour a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar down the drain. It will bubble up and clean out any stuck-on ‘stuff’. Once it’s done bubbling pour a pot of hot water down the drain to wash it all away.
Sparkling Pot – the bottom of the pot is always the hardest to clean because the heat from the stove or oven just bakes everything in place. A little baking soda and hydrogen peroxide will do the trick. Sprinkle, pour, and wipe clean.
White Linen – pour some baking soda into the washer to brighten your laundry. Use it on whites or darks. It is not bleach so it won’t hurt anything. The best part – you use less detergent because the baking soda acts as a water softening agent.
Mirrored Spoon – don’t you love it when you can see your reflection on the back of a spoon😊? Make a paste of water and baking soda, apply it to your cutlery. Let it sit till it is almost dry and wipe off. Voila! A mirror finish on the back of your spoon, fork, knife.
Polished Enamel – a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in a spray bottle will replace any harsh chemicals you currently use to clean your tub and toilet.
Vinegar Cleaning Hacks
Up the Water Spout – showerheads can quickly collect a lot of the lime scales and calcium particles from the water that slowly clog them up. The easiest way I have found to unclog the spout is to place a plastic bag with white vinegar tied tightly around it. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes. Once you run the hot water all the calcium and lime will magically wash away.
Ring Around the Chrome – water stains and calcium build-up around faucets are difficult to clean until now. Soak a cloth, an old t-shirt, old socks, anything you have lying around with vinegar. First, place the drenched rag around the bottom of your faucet. Second, let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Lastly, you can wipe it clean with a little effort.
News Paper – spray vinegar on your glass surfaces and your mirrors and use that day-old newspaper to wipe it clean. Of course and a clean microfiber cloth will do the same trick. Both leave no fibers behind and leave the mirror glimmering!
Floor-ishing – give your beautiful hardwood floors a makeover with some vinegar and vegetable oil. Mix the two in a bottle and spray on the floors. Be sure to wipe it off properly unless you want to be sliding around on the floor.
Keep vinegar away from stone surfaces like marble or granite. Vinegar contains acid and that acid will strip away the finish on the stone.
Other Stuff
Salad Dressing – olive oil is not just for your salad. Drizzle some on a clean cloth and use it to wipe fingerprints from your stainless steel appliances.
Potato Chipping – grate a raw potato to clean your cheese grater and watch it come clean.
Morning Java – use coffee filters (new ones of course) to dust with. They pick up the dust and leave no lint fibers behind. They are absorbent and leave a streak-free shine.
Opening Night – the can opener is the forgotten tool in your kitchen. Maybe it’s because it’s too hard to clean. Or, maybe it’s because you didn’t know you should clean it. Fold some wax paper a few times onto itself and use the can opener as normal. As the little bits of paper fall away so does the stuck-on food. This will clean and sharpen at the same time.
Broom-ing – use an old sweater, a t-shirt, or fluffy socks attached to the bottom of your broom to replace your Swiffer. Reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill. Sweaters aren’t biodegradable but you can give them a new life as your floor sweeper replacement pads. Wash and reuse over again.
No Bleach Allowed – use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach in your laundry. It will clean stains and brighten your clothes. For the ground-in dirt, apply some hydrogen peroxide and let it soak prior to washing. Hydrogen peroxide is safe on most fabrics and colors.
How To Clean Faster
- Stay on top of the mess and wipe it up as soon as it happens
- Declutter as much as possible – donate any unwanted or unused items
- The first thing you do when you get up in the morning is making the bed
- Wipe down the shower after every use
Where to Start Cleaning
- Start with those areas that require cleaners or a soaking fist. For example, put in that load of laundry so it can do its thing while you do yours.
- Clean any room starting from the ceiling and work your way down. It won’t make sense to sweep or vacuum before dusting. All those particles will fall onto your freshly cleaned floor. Sweep/vacuum at the very end.
- Put things away and tidy up before cleaning.
- Clean those wet areas first so they can dry up while you tackle the other rooms in the house.
In Summary
This post was all about using the stuff you have lying around the house as simple cleaning tips and hacks that will save you money and save the environment.
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