House Cleaning Tips
Simple food removal for a clean home and oven
Scrubbing the oven is such a tough job and can be a serious problem for people who leave food that has splatter the sides of the oven. Acting quickly is the best way to ensure that the spills do not stick to the oven. To avoid having to spend hours on your hands and knees scrubbing dirty food, sprinkle salt over the spills as quickly as possible. When the oven cools you will be able to brush away the burnt on food with a damp cloth or sponge, leaving you with a clean oven and the feeling of a clean home. Essential tips for cleaning plastic shower curtains Cleaning clear plastic shower curtains can be a nightmare for some people so this could be considered as one of the most sought after tips for cleaning. The shower curtain can quickly become covered in dirt and discoloured because of the daily spray it receives from the shower. Try placing the shower curtain in the washing machine with normal laundry soap and add a cup of white vinegar to the wash. Then simply place it on a gentle cycle. Alternatively, hand wash the curtain using the same two chemicals. However, be sure to use rubber gloves if cleaning the curtain this way! White vinegar is acidic and is an excellent rinsing agent for soap and water stains that have been left by the shower. |
Dusting the back of the radiator made easy when cleaning your home
There is nothing more annoying than looking for ways to remove the dirt and dust from behind the radiator when cleaning your home. Although out of sight, the back of the radiator can build up dust quickly without you realising and is a difficult area to clean, especially if you have big hands or an extremely tight space between radiator and wall.
Try hanging a damp cloth or sheet of damp newspaper behind the radiator and blowing the radiator with a hairdryer. This will force out the hidden dust, forcing it to stick to the cloth or newspaper that you have strategically placed behind the radiator.
Sparkling glasses mean you will be giving out tips on cleaning
When entertaining friends and family there is nothing more unsatisfying than realising that stubborn price stickers have left a mark on your cocktail glasses or have not been fully removed.
To remove the stubborn stickers easily, simply rub smooth peanut butter all over the sticker area. Toothpaste can also be used to make the glasses sticker free. Use a moist cloth or sponge and rub the area gently, leaving you with sparkling cocktail glasses.
This tip can be passed around the dinner party and will make you the envy of your guest, with many people coming to you for tips on cleaning.
Removing carpet impressions makes cleaning a home easy
When moving a living space around or replacing old furniture, it can be disappointing to see that the old furniture has left a dent in your carpet. It is always exciting to see new furniture take shape and see it fit in to your living space until you notice the impressions left by old or moved furniture.
This is unavoidable but can be erased with this simple and effective tip that could be regarded as one of the most useful tips for cleaning a home.
Go straight to the freezer when you realise that furniture has left impressions in your carpet. Place two ice cubes on each impression. As they melt they will loosen the carpet fibres so that they stand, rather than look flat. Let the area dry overnight and then vacuum, leaving your carpet looking as good as new.
Domestic cleaning that makes the sink sparkle
Cleaning the sink is a chore that all parents hate, especially after the children have done their best to ensure it is constantly piled with dirty plates, mugs and dishes. It is also an annoying chore after a long day at work to come home and scrub the sink.
After emptying the sink of the days used crockery, use this simple but effective tip to make you feel like a domestic cleaning god or goddess. To make sure that the sink sparkles, shake baking soda on to a sponge and rub the sink gently all around. Rinse the sink after this has been done and watch your sink sparkle back at you.
When cleaning the house organisation is required
Organisation is as important as cleaning the house itself. By ensuring that all equipment is prepared before starting your daily cleaning duties, a large amount of time can be saved so that you can enjoy the rest of your day, without having to move back and forth between your cleaning area and the cupboard where your cleaning products are stored.
Using a bucket to place all of the equipment you feel you made need to use whilst cleaning, is a massive advantage and can be kept within reach at all times. It may sound like a no brainer, but it comes as no surprise that often you require an extra cloth, bottle of spray or sponge.
Are there non eco-friendly products for the home in your cupboards?
Do you have expensive, potentially toxic cleaning products – all in brightly coloured plastic containers - lurking there?
Why not consider natural alternatives that are cheaper, readily available and probably just as effective - sometimes more so? No need to seek out a load of highly priced 'natural' branded items and obscure ingredients – just make use the eco-friendly products for the home such as lemons (the cheap bottled juice will often suffice) distilled white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, soda crystals, salt and old fashioned soap flakes. Of all these bicarbonate of soda is probably the most versatile. It shifts grim from sinks in a flash (pun not intended) and really makes them sparkle.
Simple ingredients such as these can literally work wonders – just like a magic wand. Take a look at the tips below.
Eco-friendly products for the home
1. Make your own window cleaning mix with ½ pint cold water and three tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. This mix works a treat when wiped over windows, mirrors etc., allowed to dry off for a minute or two and then polished up with scrunched up newspaper. The Daily Telegraph seems to work particularly well. Two eco-friendly tips for the home in one here. Plus any left over mix keeps well.
2. Make a paste from bicarbonate of soda and white distilled vinegar to remove lime scale from taps.
3. Bicarbonate of soda is now being hailed as the 'wonder' cleaning aid and is certainly a superb eco-friendly product for the home. Mixed into a paste with cold water it can be used for cleaning stains on the glass hob of a cooker. This is particularly good where manufacturers urge caution against using abrasive cleaners. This simple remedy is also fine for cleaning sinks. It works wonders on ceramic butler sinks that absolutely gleam after the 'treatment'. This mixture can also be used to clean the inside of badly stained cups, also to polish silver and stainless steel cutlery. Bi-carb one of the most eco-friendly products for the home and even better, is also so versatile and inexpensive to buy.
4. Distilled white vinegar will also remove lime scale from kettles. Fill the kettle to lime scale level, leave to stand overnight. Empty kettle in the morning and flush out well. Some folk like to boil up the kettle with clean water to avoid any lingering taste of vinegar in the early morning cuppa.
5. To clean/deodorise a chopping board, spread bicarb over the surface, spray with white vinegar. Leave it to bubble for a while then rinse off with hot water. Don't spend good money on buying a spray bottle, re-cycle/use an empty one from another 'commercial' product.
6. To clean burnt pans put half a cup of soap flakes or washing detergent in the pan, cover with boiling water, leave to stand overnight and wash out in the morning.
7. Distilled white vinegar - another one of the superb eco-friendly products for the home - works well on cleaning mould on tiles and shower screens.
8. Lemon juice works well for cleaning brass and copper. Rub on and then polish with a soft cloth. Use the old, cut-up T shirts as a polisher.
9. Half a lemon in a small bowl half filled with water and heated in the Microwave for two minutes works wonders where cleaning and degreasing is concerned. Just carefully remove the bowl when the timer indicates and wipe out the microwave with a damp cloth. A lemon is surely one of the top-class eco-friendly products for the home - it even comes in its own packaging.!
10. A strong mix of household salt in boiling water will kill weeds between paving stones. Use on a hot sunny day.
11. To remove red wine from clothing, cover with household salt, allowing the salt to absorb the wine, then launder as usual.
12. To clean really grimy windows try mixing 1 tablespoon cornflour with 1/2 pint water. This removes both grease and grime. Use a cloth to apply and polish with a clean cloth. Another one of the eco-friendly products for the home that are becoming invaluable.
13. If your pet should have an 'accident' on a carpet, remove the urine (and smell) with a cloth dipped in a strong solution of household soda and water. Press the cloth down hard on the stain. Repeat this several times until your cloth comes up clean. The smell and the stain should be gone.
14. The smell that clings to plastic food containers, - particularly lunch boxes which can be closed for several hours, and that are in use every day - is notoriously difficult to remove. Try filling them with very hot water, add 1 tablespooon bicarbonate of soda, a few drops of liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes. Rinse clean and allow to air-dry.
Additional home housekeeping the Eco way
We have already gone through the various uses for distilled white vinegar, lemons and bicarbonate of soda. Not only are they cheaper than your usual cleaning products, by substituting them with these natural alternatives you will significantly reduce the amount of harsh chemicals that float around your home.
These natural products will make your home housekeeping routine easier because they tackle problems that store-bought cleaners can’t. They quite often do a better job in half the time too!
If you don’t like the thought of using vinegar or lemons as a cleaning product, then there is an alternative to the harsh cleaning products on the market. Many companies now have eco-cleaning ranges that miss out the toxins and you can find them in your local supermarket or online.
Swapping the toxic chemicals for eco alternatives isn’t the only way you can be more eco-aware when cleaning. When our glorious British weather allows, you can use your washing line instead of the tumble dryer, saving electricity and making your washing smell fantastic at the same time.
If you do have to resort to the tumble dryer, invest in some dryer balls to pop in with your washing. They will speed up the drying time, reduce creasing and save the need for dryer sheets. This will also make home housekeeping easier by helping to reduce your time ironing and saving money on other fabric softening products.
By ensuring that your washing machine and dishwasher are both set to an eco wash you will save water and energy. If you don’t have this setting, when it comes time to replace your white goods look for ones that do. Energy efficient white goods are becoming more popular now and prices are similar to regular models.
There is nothing more annoying than looking for ways to remove the dirt and dust from behind the radiator when cleaning your home. Although out of sight, the back of the radiator can build up dust quickly without you realising and is a difficult area to clean, especially if you have big hands or an extremely tight space between radiator and wall.
Try hanging a damp cloth or sheet of damp newspaper behind the radiator and blowing the radiator with a hairdryer. This will force out the hidden dust, forcing it to stick to the cloth or newspaper that you have strategically placed behind the radiator.
Sparkling glasses mean you will be giving out tips on cleaning
When entertaining friends and family there is nothing more unsatisfying than realising that stubborn price stickers have left a mark on your cocktail glasses or have not been fully removed.
To remove the stubborn stickers easily, simply rub smooth peanut butter all over the sticker area. Toothpaste can also be used to make the glasses sticker free. Use a moist cloth or sponge and rub the area gently, leaving you with sparkling cocktail glasses.
This tip can be passed around the dinner party and will make you the envy of your guest, with many people coming to you for tips on cleaning.
Removing carpet impressions makes cleaning a home easy
When moving a living space around or replacing old furniture, it can be disappointing to see that the old furniture has left a dent in your carpet. It is always exciting to see new furniture take shape and see it fit in to your living space until you notice the impressions left by old or moved furniture.
This is unavoidable but can be erased with this simple and effective tip that could be regarded as one of the most useful tips for cleaning a home.
Go straight to the freezer when you realise that furniture has left impressions in your carpet. Place two ice cubes on each impression. As they melt they will loosen the carpet fibres so that they stand, rather than look flat. Let the area dry overnight and then vacuum, leaving your carpet looking as good as new.
Domestic cleaning that makes the sink sparkle
Cleaning the sink is a chore that all parents hate, especially after the children have done their best to ensure it is constantly piled with dirty plates, mugs and dishes. It is also an annoying chore after a long day at work to come home and scrub the sink.
After emptying the sink of the days used crockery, use this simple but effective tip to make you feel like a domestic cleaning god or goddess. To make sure that the sink sparkles, shake baking soda on to a sponge and rub the sink gently all around. Rinse the sink after this has been done and watch your sink sparkle back at you.
When cleaning the house organisation is required
Organisation is as important as cleaning the house itself. By ensuring that all equipment is prepared before starting your daily cleaning duties, a large amount of time can be saved so that you can enjoy the rest of your day, without having to move back and forth between your cleaning area and the cupboard where your cleaning products are stored.
Using a bucket to place all of the equipment you feel you made need to use whilst cleaning, is a massive advantage and can be kept within reach at all times. It may sound like a no brainer, but it comes as no surprise that often you require an extra cloth, bottle of spray or sponge.
Are there non eco-friendly products for the home in your cupboards?
Do you have expensive, potentially toxic cleaning products – all in brightly coloured plastic containers - lurking there?
Why not consider natural alternatives that are cheaper, readily available and probably just as effective - sometimes more so? No need to seek out a load of highly priced 'natural' branded items and obscure ingredients – just make use the eco-friendly products for the home such as lemons (the cheap bottled juice will often suffice) distilled white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, soda crystals, salt and old fashioned soap flakes. Of all these bicarbonate of soda is probably the most versatile. It shifts grim from sinks in a flash (pun not intended) and really makes them sparkle.
Simple ingredients such as these can literally work wonders – just like a magic wand. Take a look at the tips below.
Eco-friendly products for the home
1. Make your own window cleaning mix with ½ pint cold water and three tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. This mix works a treat when wiped over windows, mirrors etc., allowed to dry off for a minute or two and then polished up with scrunched up newspaper. The Daily Telegraph seems to work particularly well. Two eco-friendly tips for the home in one here. Plus any left over mix keeps well.
2. Make a paste from bicarbonate of soda and white distilled vinegar to remove lime scale from taps.
3. Bicarbonate of soda is now being hailed as the 'wonder' cleaning aid and is certainly a superb eco-friendly product for the home. Mixed into a paste with cold water it can be used for cleaning stains on the glass hob of a cooker. This is particularly good where manufacturers urge caution against using abrasive cleaners. This simple remedy is also fine for cleaning sinks. It works wonders on ceramic butler sinks that absolutely gleam after the 'treatment'. This mixture can also be used to clean the inside of badly stained cups, also to polish silver and stainless steel cutlery. Bi-carb one of the most eco-friendly products for the home and even better, is also so versatile and inexpensive to buy.
4. Distilled white vinegar will also remove lime scale from kettles. Fill the kettle to lime scale level, leave to stand overnight. Empty kettle in the morning and flush out well. Some folk like to boil up the kettle with clean water to avoid any lingering taste of vinegar in the early morning cuppa.
5. To clean/deodorise a chopping board, spread bicarb over the surface, spray with white vinegar. Leave it to bubble for a while then rinse off with hot water. Don't spend good money on buying a spray bottle, re-cycle/use an empty one from another 'commercial' product.
6. To clean burnt pans put half a cup of soap flakes or washing detergent in the pan, cover with boiling water, leave to stand overnight and wash out in the morning.
7. Distilled white vinegar - another one of the superb eco-friendly products for the home - works well on cleaning mould on tiles and shower screens.
8. Lemon juice works well for cleaning brass and copper. Rub on and then polish with a soft cloth. Use the old, cut-up T shirts as a polisher.
9. Half a lemon in a small bowl half filled with water and heated in the Microwave for two minutes works wonders where cleaning and degreasing is concerned. Just carefully remove the bowl when the timer indicates and wipe out the microwave with a damp cloth. A lemon is surely one of the top-class eco-friendly products for the home - it even comes in its own packaging.!
10. A strong mix of household salt in boiling water will kill weeds between paving stones. Use on a hot sunny day.
11. To remove red wine from clothing, cover with household salt, allowing the salt to absorb the wine, then launder as usual.
12. To clean really grimy windows try mixing 1 tablespoon cornflour with 1/2 pint water. This removes both grease and grime. Use a cloth to apply and polish with a clean cloth. Another one of the eco-friendly products for the home that are becoming invaluable.
13. If your pet should have an 'accident' on a carpet, remove the urine (and smell) with a cloth dipped in a strong solution of household soda and water. Press the cloth down hard on the stain. Repeat this several times until your cloth comes up clean. The smell and the stain should be gone.
14. The smell that clings to plastic food containers, - particularly lunch boxes which can be closed for several hours, and that are in use every day - is notoriously difficult to remove. Try filling them with very hot water, add 1 tablespooon bicarbonate of soda, a few drops of liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Leave to stand for at least 15 minutes. Rinse clean and allow to air-dry.
Additional home housekeeping the Eco way
We have already gone through the various uses for distilled white vinegar, lemons and bicarbonate of soda. Not only are they cheaper than your usual cleaning products, by substituting them with these natural alternatives you will significantly reduce the amount of harsh chemicals that float around your home.
These natural products will make your home housekeeping routine easier because they tackle problems that store-bought cleaners can’t. They quite often do a better job in half the time too!
If you don’t like the thought of using vinegar or lemons as a cleaning product, then there is an alternative to the harsh cleaning products on the market. Many companies now have eco-cleaning ranges that miss out the toxins and you can find them in your local supermarket or online.
Swapping the toxic chemicals for eco alternatives isn’t the only way you can be more eco-aware when cleaning. When our glorious British weather allows, you can use your washing line instead of the tumble dryer, saving electricity and making your washing smell fantastic at the same time.
If you do have to resort to the tumble dryer, invest in some dryer balls to pop in with your washing. They will speed up the drying time, reduce creasing and save the need for dryer sheets. This will also make home housekeeping easier by helping to reduce your time ironing and saving money on other fabric softening products.
By ensuring that your washing machine and dishwasher are both set to an eco wash you will save water and energy. If you don’t have this setting, when it comes time to replace your white goods look for ones that do. Energy efficient white goods are becoming more popular now and prices are similar to regular models.