Homemade Cleaning Products! Advise for the Do-It-Yourself cleaner

By Chantal Gaasrud, Owner of Green Maid, Inc.

Contrary to what overproduced ads want you to believe, it is possible to clean your house without hoarding a roomful of specialized cleaning agents.

In fact, you can always prepare homemade cleaning solutions using products that you would usually find in your pantry.  Apart from being just as effective, these homemade cleaning agents are friendlier to the environment compared to their commercial counterparts.

Stock your shelves with the following homemade cleaners and rid your house of dirt and grime without using harsh chemicals and unhealthy fumes.

·         Baking soda cleans, deodorizes, and softens dirt and moulds.

·         Unscented soap (whether in liquid, powders or bar form) cleans just about anything. As much as possible, avoid using soaps that contain petroleum distillates as it is known to affect the nervous system and cause headache, dizziness, nausea, among others.

·         Lemon is among the strongest naturally occurring food-acids. As such, lemon is enough to kill most household bacteria.

·         Borax (sodium borate) cleans, deodorizes and disinfects. It also helps remove wallpaper and paint on walls.

·         White vinegar deodorizes and removes grease, mildew, stains, and wax build-up.

·     Washing soda (sodium carbonate decahydrate) removes grease and stains on walls, tiles, sinks and tubs. Use with caution, and do not use on aluminium surfaces.

·         Isopropyl alcohol disinfects against most bacteria in the house. It works most effectively on windows and other glass surfaces.

·         Cornstarch cleans windows and polishes furniture. It can also be prepared as a shampoo for carpets and rugs.

·      Citrus solvent generally removes oil, grease and stains. Use with caution as it is not unheard of for citrus solvent to cause skin lung or eye irritations, most especially for people with multiple chemical sensitivities.

Using the above materials, you can readily come up with homemade cleaning solutions that are much less harmful compared to commercial cleaning agents.

Here are some of the most popular formulas you can prepare.

All Purpose Cleaners 

Remove water deposit and soap stains on bathroom walls, bathroom fixtures, mirrors and etc.       Mix ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda (or 2 teaspoons of borax) into 2 litres of water. Spray mixture into a microfiber clot

Carpet Stain Remover

Prepare equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stained surfaces and let the solution sit for a couple of minutes. Clean with a brush or sponge. Rinse with warm water.

Heavy Duty Drain Cleaner

Take note that the following solution only works with metal plumbing.

• Pour in ½ cup baking soda down the drain, then pour ½ cup vinegar. The resulting solution breaks down fatty acids into soap and glycerine. After 15 minutes, pour boiling water to wash the clog down the drain and get rid of clear residue. 
• For a milder drain cleaner that works with non-metal plumbing:
• Prepare ½ cup salt in 4 litres of hot but not boiling water. Pour it down the drain. Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Repeat process one more time. Rinse with cold water.