29 Natural Cleaning Solutions for an Eco-friendly Home ...

Lemon has a seemingly endless number of uses as natural cleaning solutions. One is that it is great for removing stains on cutting boards and this applies to wooden as well as plastic ones. All you need to do is rub a cut lemon across the board and leave it for 20 minutes. Rub off the lemon juice and the stain goes with it. .

Even when it has been vacuumed, furniture can still not be back to its best. Pet smells and smoke can linger, and air fresheners can be expensive, so eco-friendly cleaning products can be used instead. Baking soda can be used when vacuuming to get rid of the smell. Just sprinkle the powder over the furniture, leave for a while and then vacuum up the powder along with the smell.

Not everyone wants to use a dishwasher for washing their finest glasses, and there is always the risk that water that is to hot will break them. To get them clean and shiny, just add vinegar to the water that is at a temperature you are happy with, and watch the shine come back

Rattan and cane furniture can look outstanding in a conservatory, but there is always the risk that it will not last as long as it should do if it is not properly cared for. It is prone to cracking and this can be prevented by gently rubbing the pieces with cooking oil. To get the best effect, the oil should be gently heated as it will make it a lot easier to use and be more easily absorbed by the rattan/cane.

Brushes and combs need cleaning from time to time and an ideal way to do this is with the use of essential oils as they are great as chemical-free cleaning solutions. Lavender or tea-tree oils are the ones to use and they just need to be added to a small amount of water and white vinegar. After soaking in the solution for 20 minutes, the brushes and combs can be rinsed and left to dry.

As long as you buy 100% organic versions, most floors can be cleaned with Castile soap. All it takes is ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and plenty of warm water. If you have greasy patches to tackle, add a bit of white vinegar to the solution.

Wearing dirty leather shoes is never a good look. All it takes to make them look bright and shiny is a little bit of vegetable oil and a cloth. This will take away the scuffs and it will just take a quick buff to make them look as good as new. No need for messy chemical polishes and cleaners.

There are natural cleaning solutions to keep your toilet fresh and sparkling. To make sure that yours is spotless, put Borax into it and leave it there overnight. Once it is in, agitate the water a little to make sure the powdery water covers the bowl, and then don’t flush until the next day.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many natural cleaning solutions that will deal with a blocked drain. Not having clean drains can be a major problem, as a blockage can cause both a build-up of water and an awful smell. You can prevent clogging by keeping your drains free-flowing. Tip a bottle of vinegar down your main sink and leave for at least 30 minutes before running any water

Mugs and cups can look awful when they are stained inside and this is a particular problem when you drink black tea or coffee. A little baking soda in a mug full of hot water will be much better than using bleach as there will be less of an odor and taste left behind. Even so, make sure that the mugs are well rinsed out before they are used.

Toothpaste is one of the wonderful eco-friendly cleaning solutions. If lino has become scuffed, it can be brightened up by using toothpaste. Take a dry cloth and rub the toothpaste into the marked area, and keep rubbing until there is no sign of the mark or the toothpaste.

Vinegar can do a lot to clear out the shower head when it has a build-up of minerals. Put the shower rose in a plastic bag and pour in the vinegar, then secure with an elastic band. Leave it to soak overnight and then the next day rinse the shower head with warm water to have it looking as good as new.

Salt has many uses, but not many people realize that it can absorb the grease that is left behind in pans. You just need to pour salt over the greasy areas and let the grease be absorbed. All that is needed then is for you to wash the pans as normal. Please don’t use salt on your non-stick pans though as salt will scratch the surface which eventually leads to cracks.

Before long, tile grout is going to look dull and dirty. In order to get the grout back to normal, you’ll find chemical-free cleaning solutions such as lemon juice and cream of tartar will work. Mix the juice and cream of tartar until it becomes a thick paste. Use a thin brush to apply it to the grout and then gently remove it, and rinse.

Mineral deposits can build up in your iron and it is really easy to find marks on the clothes you are ironing. Add some white vinegar to your iron’s water tank (with water too) and let it heat up for about 15 minutes. Leave it to stand for a while on the sink drainer, but tip it up occasionally as if you’re going to iron. You should see the deposits coming out of the steam holes. When it is cool turn it flat and leave it for a good half hour or longer. Then remove the deposits with a cloth and rinse out the tank a few times.

It doesn’t matter how well decorated your house is, if the windows are not clean, the overall effect is not good. You can get windows that scream clean with natural cleaning solutions. One way is to put Castile liquid soap in a spray bottle. Spray a light mist over the window and then gently rub away with newspaper. Your inside windows should stay clear for week or longer and as this is Eco friendly cleaning you can do this guilt free.

As soon as summer comes along it is time to get the BBQ out. You don’t want to have your guests arriving and seeing a dirty, greasy grill and it is really easy to get it clean. Use an old toothbrush and washing soda and set to work on removing the stains. Wipe down afterwards and you will have a gleaming BBQ that will impress guests.

Even with the new improved washing powders, there are occasions when the whites are not as white as we would like and a natural cleaning solution will work best. In order to perk up dull clothes, add a little bit of lemon juice to the wash and watch as your clothes become as good as new.

When the iron is beginning to show signs of staining on the plate, use a small amount of toothpaste and rub it into the marked area. With another cloth wipe it away and the marks will vanish along with the toothpaste.

If you discover that chewing gum has found its way onto an item of clothing or household textiles, you will want to get rid of it as soon as possible. It can be removed by putting orange oil onto a piece of cotton wool and gently rubbing it away. It will not affect the fabric, but it will be best to wash the item as soon as possible. It works better if you freeze the gum first and remove as much as you can before attempting to clean it.

When the car needs to be cleaned, Castile soap is the ideal thing to use. Castile soap is fast becoming a major star among eco-friendly cleaning products (as long as you make sure you’re using the 100% organic versions). Use a sponge to cover the car in soap and hot water, and then use a hose to remove it all.

Moldy walls can not only look awful, but can be a breeding ground for germs and other problems. The best way to get rid of the mould is to cover the patch with vinegar. Apply the neat vinegar with a sponge (or a spray bottle is even better) and leave the vinegar in place for around a quarter of an hour and then rinse it all off. Remove the excess moisture with kitchen paper.

Shower tubs and tiles in the bathroom need cleaning regularly and using store bought products can be expensive, and certainly not good for the environment. Here it comes again – Castile soap really is one of the greatest natural cleaning solutions. Make a mixture of liquid soap and baking soda. Rub the mixture across the surface, and then wipe away. Rinse to clear the residue. You can also use lemon oil (as in essential oils) on your shower screen doors to cut through those water marks.

Floors can get scuffed by either shoes or children playing with toys on them and it can be difficult to keep them looking in good condition. Tea-tree oil can be used to wipe the marks away and then, a little bit of distilled vinegar can be used to make sure. As they are eco-friendly cleaning solutions, you are not damaging your house or the environment.

If children have been drawing on the walls, baking soda can be used to remove it. Add the soda to water until it forms a paste and apply it to the walls. It is best to do this to white walls, as if the wall is colored, the paint may fade (test a hidden patch if you want to try it). Once the mixture has dried, it can be wiped away with a clean cloth.

When the food that is being cooked in the oven splashes out of the container, there is no need to use a separate oven cleaner when there are environmentally friendly cleaning products available. Place simple table salt over the area of spilled food, and as soon as the cooker has cooled down you can wipe it away.

If silverware is beginning to look tarnished, then toothpaste can be used to brighten it up again. Put the toothpaste onto a cloth and gently rub on the tarnished patches. Use warm water to wipe it off and then dry the item with another soft, clean cloth.

Vinegar is one of our great natural cleaning solutions and among its many uses is keeping that precious coffee maker in tip top condition. Even if you use filtered water, deposits can build up in the coffee maker’s water chamber. To clean it, pour in equal amounts of vinegar and water and turn on the brew cycle. Just about halfway through, turn the machine off and leave it to sit for an hour. Turn it on and allow the cycle to complete. Re-run the cycle several times with clean water.

No need to buy spray polish, or those polish impregnated wipes. Instead, make your own polish to keep your wooden furniture looking its best by combining 2 cups of olive oil with the juice of 1 lemon. Work it into the wood gently with a soft cloth in circular motions.

There really are so many natural cleaning solutions and if you have vinegar, lemon, baking soda, toothpaste, borax and Castile soap in your home, you’ll never need to reach for those chemical chemicals. From piano keys to concrete floors, it’s amazing how many eco-friendly cleaning solutions you can turn to. Do you?