Eco cleaning
Did you think about using so-called grandma’s solutions? They are inexpensive, safe for you and your child and equally effective. You can buy products that will help you deal with everything: from clogged pipes to patina on metal objects. The problem is that they are chemicals, often highly condensed, and therefore not very friendly to the skin. An alternative is to reach out for measures tested by previous generations of housewives, who have been doing just fine without 3-in-1 products whatsoever.
A long time ago, when the miraculous 3-in-1 cleaning products were not known, women were doing fine with cleaning without the chemicals we know today. Home-made solutions are as effective as chemicals, gentle for the skin, environmentally friendly and... cheap. Most of them can be found in your pantry, cupboard or fridge.
During the spring cleaning great-grandma style you will need some baking soda (a couple of cents) and some spirit vinegar (less than a euro). The latter product has an intense scent, so if you are allergic to it, it is better for you not to use it.
Shiny bathroom and kitchen using vinegar and soda instead of 3-in-1 chemical products
Soda and vinegar are universal measures. They effectively fight unpleasant scents and have a bleaching effect. With their help, you will remove dirt and stains from almost everything: terracotta, wooden furniture, plastic trinkets and glass or porcelain dishes. Mixed together, they work twice as effectively.
Soda and vinegar paste (2:1) will help you remove scale and high-gloss polish metal objects, taps, a shower head and a coffee pot. It will make chrome-plated pieces of furniture shine. It can even cope with the greasy and heavily soiled oven. You can also clean the cutting board (wooden and plastic), dishes with traces of coffee and tea with it.
Do not use strong decongestants to unclog pipes – just pour half a glass of soda into the drain and then pour a glass of vinegar. After a few minutes, when the mixture stops foaming, rinse it with hot water. If it does not work the first time, apply the solution again, leave it overnight and rinse off in the morning
Soda and vinegar act as a freshener
If in a shoe cabinet, in the trunk of a car or in a damp bathroom, you put cotton wool soaked in vinegar or a bowl of baking soda, after a few hours the scent will not be so intense or will disappear completely. Some other food products have the same properties. A microwave can be refreshed by putting a dish with vanilla essence inside. An unpleasant smell from the fridge can be eliminated with cotton pads soaked in lemon juice. You can also leave a dish with coffee grounds for a few hours. Dampness of the bathroom can be absorbed by a home-made charcoal dryer. Put the briquettes put in a can, close it and make a few holes in the can cover. Replace the cartridge after a few weeks.
Storing clothes
If your drawers are full, above all adopt the principle of saying goodbye to the passing season of the year – put the clothes not fitting the current temperature in plastic bags (there are vacuum bags that take little space). This way you can protect them not only against clothes moths, but also against dust. If you want your clothes to have a nice smell after taking them out next winter, put a small piece of nice smelling soap between them. Instead of anti-moth products, use some cloves. Put a handful in a small bag and leave it in a drawer or hang in the closet. Boots and winter shoes should be filled in with newspapers before being placing them in the closet. Their uppers will keep their form and the paper will absorb unpleasant smells.
How to clean furniture, remove dust, fur, chewing gum and grease stains without chemicals?
Do you want to clean your furniture? You can vacuum and polish their wooden surface with a cloth soaked in baby oil, chilled tea essence or vinegar. The surface of leather furniture can be refreshed with a mixture of vinegar and linseed oil (1:1). There is also a recipe for reviving the wooden surfaces of furniture or wainscotting, which became matt and grayish. Just wipe them with a mixture of water, vinegar and olive oil (1:2:2). This mixture also works well when there are traces of dishes, such as small circles of wet glasses, on the table top.
On the other hand, dust or pet fur can be removed from the upholstery by sticking adhesive tape to it.
What to do if a chewing gum sticks to the sofa? Rub it with an ice cube and once it hardens remove it with a pin. Using an ice cube you can also "iron" folds in velvet upholstery by rubbing them until the ice melts.
Grease stains can be removed from furniture, as well as from a floor lining or carpets with a talcum powder, flour or baking soda. Sprinkle the dirty area and wait a few hours until the fat is absorbed, then remove the "remover" with a vacuum cleaner.
Flowers at home: banana peel versus leaf polishing products
Do not wash matted and dusty leaves with water, because you will only smear the dust like this. Besides, not all plants really like such a bath. Instead of this, rather wipe the leaves with the inside of a banana peel. In this way, you will not only remove dirt, but also make them shine. If you want to water plants standing high on a closet or hanging high you do not have to (and you should not!) take a stool. You can water them by dropping ice cubes in the flowerpots. The ice will slowly melt and gradually water the plants. When planting flowers, place several tea bags on the drainage layer of the pot. They will keep moisture in the soil and release nutrients.