[Guest Post by Katie Jones]
It’s a fact that multitudes of products used for various house cleaning jobs contain chemicals. There’s no denying that these chemicals are indeed effective for cleaning but many homeowners overlook their side effects. They are mostly irritants and can cause serious and permanent damage to your health if exposed for too long.
Fortunately, there are plenty of effective, cost efficient, and environment-friendly alternatives which you can use instead. Below is a list of DIY and safe home cleaners.
Rust Removal
What you need: Just salt and lime
Procedure
- Apply a small amount of salt on the rusted area.
- Squeeze the lime so that its liquid extract will cover the salt residue until it’s completely wet.
- Wait for 2-3 hours for the mixture to work
- Wash and scrub the lime and salt residue
Air Fresheners
Aside from the obvious chemical ingredients used by commercial air fresheners, these products only cover the smell and even numb your sense of smell. With this combination of DIY methods, you’ll have an odor-free room without using harsh air-freshening products.
Method 1
Place houseplants to clean your air naturally. Aloe plants, bamboo palms, and snake plants are among the most popular and effective air-freshening greenery you can place in your home.
Method 2
Create a lavender air freshener
You will need:
- 2 tablespoons of real vanilla extract
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 5 drops of chamomile essential oil
Directions
Mix all the ingredients and pour them into your spray bottle for a smooth and aromatic air freshener that’s made up of essential oils instead of chemicals.
Method 3
Mix vinegar and lemon juice and place them in small open containers and be sure to spread them out throughout your house. This mixture absorbs odors while leaving a sweet and fragrant lemon scent.
Removing mold and mildew with Vinegar
It’s not surprising that vinegar can be used in general home cleaning due to its antimicrobial properties. You can apply it directly or pour the vinegar solution in a spray. Some of you may be worried about the acrid odor that vinegar leaves behind but the smell disappears if given time. Of course, you can just mix vinegar with a citrus fruit extract in order to have a fresher scent.
Drain maintenance
First of all, this method is better used as maintenance instead of an actual solution for unclogging drains. A lot of heavy clogs are caused by deep obstructions within the pipeline; something any drain cleaner will have trouble dealing with. If heavy clogs occur, your best bet is to hire a plumber since this type of work is deep-rooted and requires professional hands.
Method
Baking soda and vinegar mixed with lemon or any citrus fruit extract
Procedure:
- Pour a cup of baking soda on the drain
- Pour vinegar a cup of vinegar
- Pour your chosen fruit extract so that it will mix with the baking soda and vinegar. This will cause the two to have a foaming effect.
- Leave the foam for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Run or pour boiling water into the drain
- Repeat if desired
Katie Jones is a passionate content creator who has multiples blogs regarding home improvement and maintenance, general plumbing, etc. Visit www.drdripplumbing.com.au to get her latest tips and tricks.