Do we have to use strong chemicals to achieve a clean effect at home? This question shouldn’t be asked only by allergy sufferers. It’s worth to make use of our grandmothers’ knowledge, because their ways of cleaning up were natural and effective. We can easily create many natural cleaning products using the ingredients that we all certainly have in our kitchen.

Even though using baking soda, lemon, vinegar or citric acid as household detergents has been forgotten for a while, they are now coming back to glory. Encouraged by ecology, the new generation is starting to experiment with these kitchen ingredients and what a surprise – it turns out that they’re working perfectly. See how to create handmade products that will help you in everyday cleaning.

Multifunctional baking soda

The basic equipment of an ecological detergent laboratory is certainly baking soda. Besides being a cheap, easily accessible and ecological product, it is also great for tackling dirt and stains. Using it in the kitchen, we can see how strongly it reacts, even with water. That is why it’s perfect as an active ingredient of a surface cleaner. Baking soda can be used as a scrubbing powder, and with the use of water it creates a paste that will clean heavily stained grouts or a microwave. When mixed with water, it also becomes the easiest floor cleaner.

And for fighting with limescale? Vinegar!

Available in every grocery store – the product may not be sophisticated, but it is certainly effective! Vinegar is a natural preservative which is used for preparing tasty vegetable preserves. Diluted with water and poured into a spray dispenser, it helps to clean every single surface – from the fridge to the toilet. It’s disinfectant and descaling, so in many households it’s still being used to refresh the inside of a kettle. Its effects are increased by the temperature, so for special tasks, use it in combination with hot water. The smell of vinegar evaporates quite quickly, but if you want to neutralize it more, use lemon juice or essential oils.

Lemons not only for tea

Who doesn’t have a lemon at home? After all, it has both taste qualities and positive effects on our health. Its properties can also be used while cleaning! The scent of lemons is energizing and fresh, so for example, wiping the interior of a trash can with half of a lemon will neutralize its smell. Additionally, it has whitening and antibacterial properties. With the addition of salt, it will create a paste that can be used in fighting the mold forming on the silicone around a bathtub. And a lemon peel in the dishwasher will make your dishes shine beautifully.

Citric acid – for baking, cleaning and care!

Citric acid in the form of granules is an agent which may replace lemon. It has antibacterial, anti-mold and anti-fungal properties, and it additionally disinfects and lusters. Dilute it with water and use it to descale a kettle or add it to a washing powder to enhance its brightening and refreshing effect. With the help of this liquid you’ll be able to clean most surfaces in your house.

How to make an all-purpose cleaner?

Simple all-purpose liquid cleaner, useful for everyday messes, can be made at home. What ingredients will we need?

• lemon juice (use 3 lemons)
• 1 glass of boiled water
• 4 tablespoons of vinegar
• 1/3 of a glass of baking soda

Mix the ingredients together and pour them into a bottle with an atomizer. You’re done! This inconspicuous mixture can be stored up to a few months. If you want to get a nice scent, add your favorite essential oil.

A sustainable and shiny house? Let’s do it! Try out the new-old cleaning supplies from your kitchen. Use Velvet paper towels while cleaning, which leave no fibers and wipe the surface well. Effectively and without any problems, cleaning up at home has suddenly become more pleasant!