4 DIY Cleaning Solutions for Green Housekeeping

People today are getting more and more concerned about the impacts of their daily activities to the environment. Bicycles are given new life amidst the gas-guzzling cars, while consumers take to using their own reusable utensils when dining out or getting coffee. People are inclined to bring their business to eco-friendly brands too!

Just as we shift into an environmentally conscious lifestyle, our house can benefit from using eco-friendly cleaning products just as well as we do! Commercial cleaning products can be chock full of toxic chemicals, corrosive substances, and non-biodegradable ingredients that are slowly poisoning our planet.

Instead, reach for ingredients you already have at home, like baking soda, castile soap, or essential oils, to keep your home clean the green way. Plus, making your own cleaning solutions is inexpensive, but these products are just as effective as store-bought ones!

Tired from all the cleaning? Why not tap into your local businesses for a cleaning service that would both boost your local economy, and make household cleaning a hassle-free experience for you! Local house cleaning services can provide top-notch maintenance around your home - using your very own eco-friendly and homemade cleaning solutions!

1. Vinegar and Baking Soda Spray

Most people already know this, but vinegar and baking soda make a wonderful combination that can do pretty much anything from house cleaning, to giving cakes an extra boost in rising! The mixture is popular to use around households as an all-purpose cleaner as it can remove soap scum, hard water stains, and lift burnt bits from your pots and pans.

Both vinegar and baking soda are already in your pantry, and both ingredients are eco-friendly alternatives to chemical cleaners, which may not be biodegradable, and can leach harmful substances into the environment. Vinegar and baking soda are safe, biodegradable ingredients that are multi-purpose, and sustainable too!

Mix together equal parts vinegar and baking soda in a spray bottle. Give the bottle a good shake to incorporate the ingredients together, and let the mixture react. Use the spray all around the house: in the bathroom to remove soap scum, in the kitchen to break down grease stains, or on fabric furniture to deodorize them!

2. Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant

Bleach harms the environment as it leaches out toxic chemicals into the air and water. However, the disinfecting and whitening properties of bleach is unmatched, which makes the cleaning solution a popular choice among households.

However, hydrogen peroxide is just as effective as bleach in disinfecting, and provides a mild bleaching action that is safer on the skin and the environment. Hydrogen peroxide is a safe cleaning solution that is used to disinfect wounds, bleach clothes, and deodorize fabrics. As a cleaner, it can be used to disinfect your floors, countertops, and to remove discoloration.

3. Lemon Juice and Salt Scrub

Did you know that those tough, abrasive cleaners are made with plastic bristles that do not degrade over time? Plastic scrub brushes are usually short lived as they come in contact with corrosive cleaners that slowly break down the plastic bristles. Even wooden scrubbing brushes have plastic bristles meant to provide an abrasive surface to the scrubber.

Instead of using plastic scrub brushes, look to your garden for a readily-available, eco-friendly, and safe alternative to a plastic cleaner: lemon! Half a lemon, together with some rock salt or even baking soda, can be used in place of a scrubber to provide the same cleaning action without all the plastic. Plus, your home will smell like a citrus paradise!

4. Castile Soap Floor Cleaner

Castile soap is not as popular to use as liquid dish detergent or laundry detergent, but don’t underestimate the cleaning abilities of castile soap! Castile soap is made from 100% vegetable oils, which are biodegradable, sustainable, and overall eco-friendly! Castile soap is also the safe option when it comes to cleaning marble, granite, and other natural stones.

You’ll only need a tablespoon of pure, liquid castile soap for every quart of warm water to create an effective floor cleaner that removes soap scum, hard water stains, and general grime. Use the mixture to mop your floors, and you won’t need to rinse out the solution as castile soap leaves no residue unlike other detergents.