VINEGAR
Vinegar is by far one of the most versatile cleaning agents. Use it to remove soap scum from the shower. Mix it with borax to get rid of hard-water rings in the toilet. Tape a bag of vinegar to your shower head and leave it overnight for an easy, sparkly clean; or add a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar to your dish soap to eliminate grease in the kitchen.
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE
You use your toothbrush to clean your teeth, but don’t forget about cleaning your toothbrush. Let it soak in hydrogen peroxide for a few minutes to get rid of any lingering germs. Hydrogen peroxide is also useful on many hard surfaces. Use it to scrub your toilet, trash cans, shower, mirrors and doorknob. You can even mix it with equal parts water for a safe and effective solution for mopping the bathroom and kitchen floors.
LEMONS
The acid in lemons makes them a great natural cleanser. The juice is great for disinfecting kitchen countertops and cutting boards. Cut a lemon in half and scrub your bath and shower to remove soap scum. And if your shaving cream has left a rusty ring in your bathtub, use your lemon half to scrub it away.
VODKA
Do you have a mold and mildew problem in the bathroom? Skip a trip to the store, and pull out some inexpensive vodka from the liquor cabinet. Spray it directly onto the mold and mildew, and wait 15 minutes. Then use a cloth or small scrubbing brush to wipe it clean. And don’t forget to save a little for an after-cleaning celebration!
TEA
More than a favorite beverage, brewed tea can be used to clean windows, mirrors and countertops. Spray on your bathroom surfaces just as you would any typical window or surface cleaner. Then, keep your bags to hide in the back of the fridge. They will actually work to deodorize it. And if you need to remove the scent of onion, garlic or fish from your hands, cut a bag open, and wash your hands with the leaves to remove the odor.
SALT
Remember that miracle lemon that cleaned the tub? If your dirt stains are particularly stubborn, add some salt to the lemon, and scrub the surface of your bathtub, sink or toilet. Once your salt solution has done the trick, just rinse off any pulp and leftover residue, leaving your bathroom perfectly clean with a lemon-fresh scent!
BAKING SODA
Perfect for cleaning counters, sinks, drains, the toilet bowl, soap scum, shower doors, shower heads, and well, pretty much anything in the kitchen and bathroom, baking soda is one cleaning agent you don’t want to be without. For most kitchen and bathroom surfaces, a simple paste made of baking soda and water will do the trick.
DRAIN CLEANER
Though it is not a natural cleaning solution, exactly, a drain snake is an eco-friendly way to clean out the main source of drain blockage: hair. And if you don’t have a drain snake, you can still avoid pouring harsh chemicals down the bathtub drain by unwinding a wire hanger, hooking the end, pushing it down the drain as far as it will go, and pulling up hair that is keeping the water from draining properly.
Clean clothes and clean environment
Yes we all love the feel and smell of clean laundry. The sensation of warmth and serenity that putting on pajamas straight out of the dryer gives. Not surprisingly the process of washing and drying your pajamas is very energy-intensive not to mention the gallons upon gallons of water that this involves. Here are some tips to get your “green on” in your laundry job.
Cold/Cold:
A large percentage of the energy used doing laundry is spent warming up water. Advances in Appliance and detergent technology have made to the point were washing with cold water is just as effective as hot water. Plus cold water prevents color bleed and is not as damaging to textile fabrics. So next time you start your washer, turn the temperature setting to cold.
No to the Dryer
Nothing beats the feel of fresh laundry out of the dryer. Unfortunately this comes to a huge cost to the air quality. The amount of energy spent in the drying of clothes can equate to 15% of your home’s energy consumption. Luckily for us, there is always the sun to take care of our clothes drying needs. A clothesline will do the trick, just remember to keep you clothes in the shade to avoid color and fabric decay. If this outside don’t look so sunny, you can always hang your clothes inside your home.
Use “Green” Products
There is different ways for detergent to be “green” or environmentally friendly. Like I mentioned above, detergent formulas are now designed to work well with cold water and the concentrated formulas require less product to perform a similar job. The chemical compounds found in regular detergents can be harmful to the environment. Look for products that do not include phosphate and dioxanes.
Recycling
This may not be as closely related to your laundry, but it is little things that make the difference. Be sure you are properly disposing of any containers. Some bottles and boxes can be recycled while others can’t. Read and follow the labels and things should all fall in place.
Energy Star Appliances
Energy Star appliances will almost always be more energy efficient than other option. It is their washers water economy that really makes the difference. Buying a newer more energy efficient model can reduce your water consumption by up to 50%. This of course is for the people who are already into buying new appliances. If you are going to make a purchase, make sure you are at least getting something more efficient than your old model.
Tile flooring is easy to clean but definitely needs to be done daily. No one likes walking barefoot into a kitchen and feeling of the sticky or crumby tile beneath their feet, wishing they had put on socks. You have to stay on top of it! Here some basic cleaning suggestions, deep cleaning methods as well as a list of how to get rid of the build up in the grout to make your life easier.
Basic Care
-Vacuum or sweep daily
-Clean tile with a mild detergent and warm water, using a rag or chamois-type mop, rather than a sponge mop
-Exchange the water frequently throughout the process; this will increase the shine and glossy look of your floors
-For everyday simple clean up you may use a clean damp dust cloth
-Make sure to dry the floor with a dry mop whenever you use water wile cleaning; this will help prevent future dirt from building up
Deep Clean
-Mop the floor using a gallon of warm water and ½ cup of vinegar
-Rinse the floor with clean warm water afterwards
-Dry using a dry mop
Ways to get rid of Grout
-Use a #2 pencil eraser to remove dirt in small sections
-Use baking soda and water to make a paste, and then scrub with a toothbrush
-If either of these don’t do the trick, using bleach is always an option. Mix beach and water at a 1:3 ratio, then e a toothbrush or sponge to scrub
-After the stains are removed, wait until the grout is dry and then use a grout sealer to finish it off
Deep Cleaning Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the most important place to deep clean. You wash dishes and wipe down counters daily but the rest of it might get put on the back burner, literally. Here is how you can make sure not to miss a thing.
Daily Dos:
First, you have to take care of the daily jobs, and then you can get to the deep clean.
Wash the dishes in the sink, wipe off the counters off and unload the dishwasher.
Oven-on:
Now the fun begins! To start, turn on your self-cleaning oven. Make sure to check it when you are done and get rid of the excess ashes of food debris at the bottom. No one needs those.
Organize:
Take everything out of each cupboard. Place all items on the counter and wipe out each shelf. Now you can start to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Make piles of trash and donation, then place the rest of the items neatly back inside the cupboards.
Now lets hit the drawers. We all have those junk drawers we are procrastinating. Get rid of anything you are not using and de-clutter! Make sure to wipe them out before placing any items back into them.
Then, it is time to tackle the fridge and freezer. Throw away anything that is freezer burnt or questionable. Wipe down all surfaces and wash drawers in the sink that are removable. Dry all surfaces and place items back inside the fridge/freezer.
Tip: to get rid of sticky food left behind mix vinegar with dish soap and wipe clean
Under the Sink:
Make sure everything is labeled. Refill any products that are running low. Wipe out area and let it dry completely before placing products back. Run your garbage disposal with half a lemon and hot water. It will give your kitchen a fresh smell.
Almost done:
Turn off your oven and sweep up any mess you made with the ashes. Then mop! Makes sure to pay special attention to corner and baseboards. Also, pull out any appliances that can be moved in order to get underneath.
This sounds like a lengthy process and it is! Try listening to some music to pass the time, or just give us a call!
Spring Cleaning is right around the corner! Don’t know how to begin your attack on all the house cleaning?
Here is a check list to make sure you cover all your bases and don’t miss a thing!
Kitchen
• De-clutter your counters and get rid of unnecessary kitchen utensils and tools
• Wipe down top and front of cabinets
• Wipe down backsplash
• Clean inside of oven
• Clean microwave and toaster oven
• Clean refrigerator
• Vacuum under all appliaces
• Clean out pantry and get rid of unwanted food
• Sweep
• Mop
Living Room
• De-clutter anything you don’t need, want or use
• Dust all cobwebs
• Vacuum couches
• Sweep/vacuum/mop/shampoo floors
• Wash curtains and blinds
Bedrooms
• De-clutter clothing, shoes and anything unneeded
• Wash all bedding
• Flip mattress
• Vacuum/sweep/mop/shampoo floors
Kids and Pets
• De-clutter broken toys
• Disinfect toys
• Bathe pets
• Wash water/food bowls
Bathrooms
• De-clutter toiletries, cabinets and drawers
• Wash Shower curtain
• Clean tub and toilet
• Sweep/mop floors
Laundry Room
• De-clutter cleaning supplies you don’t need
• Clean washer and dryer inside and outside
• Sweep/mop floors
All around the House
• Clean all ceiling fans
• Wash windows and mirrors
• Change batteries to smoke detectors
• Wipe down walls and baseboards
• Clean air vents
If this still isn’t motivating you to get it all done- Let us take it off your hands!
