Everyone enjoys a sparkling clean home. Most of us can't find the time or don't want to do it. Not everyone can afford to pay someone to clean their home and give it a sparkling shine and a refreshing smell. However, there are a few genius cleaning tips and hacks that can be used to clean your home and keep it sparkling.
This guide will cover genius cleaning hacks, DIY cleaning recipes, and non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products that can be used in the home.
Safe Products to Use in the Home
Here is a list of ingredients that you may have in your home that are deemed environmentally safe:
- Baking soda
- Vinegar (apple cider, white distilled)
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Rubbing alcohol
- Vegetable oil and/or olive oil
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Citrus solvents
- Salt
- Tea tree oil
- Fresh lemons
- Essential oils
DIY Cleaning Recipes
These recipes can be used to clean virtually any surface and fabric in your home.
Multi-purpose cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4; cup baking soda
1 gallon of water
Mix ingredients together and use to clean water stains. You can also omit the baking soda and add the vinegar and water mixture to a spray bottle with a few drops of lavender or lemon essential oil for a non-abrasive cleaner.
Disinfectant
¼ cup rubbing alcohol
4 tbsp vinegar
3 cups hot water
3-5 drops of lemon essential oil
3-5 drops of tea tree essential oil
Combine these ingredients in a clean spray bottle. Shake and spray.
Oven cleaner
To make oven cleaning paste combine the following:
1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup of water
The two ingredients should be mixed together until it turns into a paste. After the paste is applied let it sit for a few hours and remove with white distilled vinegar.
Bathroom cleaners
For tub, shower, sink
¼ cup vinegar heated in the microwave
¼ cup liquid dish soap
Pour ingredients into a clean spray bottle, shake well and spray tub, shower, and sink. Rinse and wipe clean after 30-45 minutes. Discard any remaining solution.
For toilet
In a spray bottle combine 1 cup of vinegar and 1/2 tsp of tea tree essential oil. Spray and wipe the seat, lid, and outside of the toilet. To clean the toilet bowl, use baking soda and toilet brush and scrub clean.
Window and glass cleaner
The secret ingredient for streak-free windows and glass- cornstarch.
In a clean, unused spray bottle combine the following ingredients:
1/4 cup of vinegar
1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol
2 cups of warm water
1 tbsp cornstarch
Shake well before using.
Granite and marble countertops
For natural stone countertops, you need to make a separate cleaner. The acid in the vinegar will break down natural stone and damage it.
Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle to make your own granite and marble surface cleaner:
2 cups of water
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
6 drops dish soap
2-5 drops of your favorite scented essential oil
Shake, spray, and wipe.
Genius Cleaning Hacks
These cleaning hacks will make cleaning your home a breeze, not to mention cost-efficient. Cleaning your home doesn't get any easier than this.
The Sock Trick
Dusting is one of the most dreadful tasks of cleaning your home. The most avoided place to dust? Blinds and when the dust accumulates on the blinds it can be hard to remove. Grab an old tube sock and spray it with the DIY multipurpose cleaner without baking soda. Using the tube sock wipe the blinds clean.
Coffee Filter Trick
Coffee filters are used for more than just making coffee. These can clean those delicate electronica screens, such as your computer, TV, or tablet.
Quick hack to clean curtains and pillows
Freshen pillows and curtains by throwing them in the dryer for a few minutes. Add a couple of dryer sheets, and you will have soft, clean, and fresh smelling curtains and pillows.
Scented Disks
Do you need to get rid of odors around the home? Make scented discs that last for a month. Mix 2 cups of baking soda, 1 cup of distilled water, 3-4 drops of lavender or lemon-scented essential oil, together and place in a silicone muffin pan. Wait for 24-48 hrs for the molds to dry and you have scented discs to use all over the home.
Freshen your laundry
When doing your laundry, add a 1/4 cup of baking soda to the washer drum as a way to brighten your clothes and minimize the amount of laundry soap that you use. Need fabric softener? Add 1/4 cup of vinegar to your wash to soften your clothes. Out of dryer sheets? Dip a cellulose sponge in fabric softener and toss in the dryer with your clothes.
Toilet Paper Tube
Need to vacuum hard to reach spaces? Toilet paper tubes make the perfect vacuum accessory. They can bend and twist to remove dirt, debris, and dust in tight hard to reach spots.
The Lint Roller Trick
Clean lampshades, stuffed animals, and remove pet hair from upholstery with a lint roller. Lint rollers aren't just for removing lint. It's an easy and efficient way to dust around the home.
Dishwasher Purpose
Despite the name of the appliance, your dishwasher isn't just for washing dishes. You can use it to sanitize and clean your kid's plastic toys.
Iron Your Carpet
When you need to get tough stains out of your carpet and you don't own a steam cleaner, use an iron. Spray stain with vinegar based solution, put a wet rag on top and set your iron to the steam setting. Put on top of the wet rag and wait 30 seconds.
Baby Wipes and Dryer Sheets
Need to clean your baseboards? Use dryer sheets or baby wipes to clean them. Dryer sheets can also be used to remove stains out of furniture and carpets while adding a fresh scent to your house.
Coconut Oil and Baking Soda
Cut through hard to remove oil and grime on kitchen cabinets, handles, and other oily surfaces with a mixture of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part coconut oil.
To round things up!
Making your home sparkle doesn't have to be a grueling task, nor do you have to hire a professional to do it for you. This guide provided you with enough genius cleaning tips for a sparkling home using environmentally friendly cleaning products.
