Many cleaning products you find in-store can contain harsh chemicals that are damaging to your skin or to your body when breathed in. As the awareness of this concern grows, people are ditching these cleaners and beginning to turn to more natural-based products, often influenced by how houses have been cleaned in the days gone by. So sit back, relax and let’s take a few tips from granny. Here are six safe, natural and inexpensive ways to clean:

Vinegar

If you want an affordable and non-toxic cleaning solution, then vinegar is your guy. Gus Portokalos uses windex for every ailment, but we recommend vinegar–it can basically clean anything and everything in your house. Foul smell? Place a bowl of vinegar out overnight and that badboy will absorb the smell faster than the ghostbusters bust them ghosts. Carpet/clothing stains? Mix a solution of half vinegar and half water, and that stain will clear out faster than a tiger in a tornado. Dirty windows? Vinegar. Washing produce? Vinegar. However, as great as it is, just don’t use it on the following items: granite/marble countertops, stone floor tiles, egg stains or spills, your iron, hardwood floors and certain stubborn stains. Read more here.

Baking Soda

Make a baking soda paste and clean grout in your bathroom and kitchen, wash clean an old tub and make it look brand new or even deodorize a pet’s litter box. It’s great for scrubbing pots and pans, freshening up sponges and cleaning stains from glass and plastic containers. Have some funky smelling drains? Toss some baking soda down, let it sit and fight that stink, then rinse it all away. Baking soda? More like magic soda.

Hot Water

Plain old, steamin’ hot water isn’t always the solution, but for some situations, using anything else is actually going overboard. Don’t forget that hot water has the ability to sanitize and kill germs! It’s great for cleaning floors, tabletops, lightly used dishes and clothing. Four for you hot water, you go hot water!

Hydrogen Peroxide

On its own, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful cleaner. When it joins forces with other cleaners, there ain’t nothin’ that can stop it! We’ll get into what hydrogen peroxide can handle on its own first. Use hydrogen peroxide to wipe clean the top of your stove or your fridge. In the bathroom, hydrogen peroxide is super effective against your toilet bowl! Attack that beast and you’ll be amazed. Mixing it with baking soda will create a SuperPaste that could take on the world–well, the world that is your home. Use this paste to remove those hard-to-clean mineral deposits on coffee and tea kettles, stubborn stains and microwave splatters you’d rather not speak about. And finally, mix with a bucket of hot water to clean your floors. FUN TIP: add some lemon essential oil to give it that lemony fresh aroma.

Castile Soap

First, ensure that it is 100% organic. Too expensive? Hey look at that, we’re on the internet, find out how to make your own. Dilute it and extend its life with water and use it in place of liquid plumbing chemicals. It can be used to clean your drains, wash dishes, clean floors and bathroom fixtures. Combine with a disinfecting essential oil and water and you have yourself a non-toxic cleaning solution. Similar to our hydrogen peroxide tip, use a cinnamon or orange essential oil to spread a nice smell around while you cleanse.

Olive Oil

Get this: olive oil can repair scratches in leather furniture. What? WHAT? And we’re not talking about a special leather couch flowing with self-healing adamantium like the stuff in Wolverine’s bloodstream–we’re talking about normal leather couches. Olive oil is also a great substitute for wood cleaner, it can keep your stainless steel appliances fresh and shiny, and keep your precious wicker furniture from crack-a-lackin’.

Did we miss anything? Do you have some of your own secrets from granny herself? Comment below and help out the whole cleaning galaxy.

If you need any assistance, remember Go Green Plumbing is here for you! E-mail us at info@gogreenplumbing.ca or call 289-244-9843!  Thanks for tuning in.