Most household cleaning chores have a range of commercial cleaning products that are intended to make the job easier. Keeping a ready stock of these products is not only expensive; it also takes up a lot of space under your kitchen sink or in your utility room. The truth is, you don’t even need most of those cleaning solutions. There are plenty of household items you probably already possess that can do just as good a job, if not a better one.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at 5 common products that most people have in their home, each of which can be used as an effective cleaner for a variety of jobs.
Lemon juice
Lemon’s strengths as a cleaner are twofold. The first is its acidity, which comes in handy for polishing metal and removing spots of rust from cutlery and kitchen utensils. Its other strength is the oil found in its skin, which quickly cuts through grease and fat. These two properties combined make it a cleaning force to be reckoned with, particularly in the kitchen, and it smells great too!
White wine vinegar
Distilled white wine vinegar is primarily used as a multi-purpose disinfectant. Dilute 100 mL of vinegar in 2 litres of warm water, and you have a powerful but non-toxic surface cleaner for kitchens, bathrooms, and more. Best of all, because it contains no chemicals, it dries streak-free and does not need to be rinsed.
Baking soda
Baking soda is easy to get hold of, cost-effective, and perhaps the best way to eradicate grease build-up from pans, baking trays, cookers, microwaves, and more. It is a mild alkali, which allows it to dissolve grease and dirt without damaging the appliances or utensils themselves. A small amount of baking soda mixed into a paste and applied across a glass oven door, for instance, will leave it sparkling when you rinse it off about an hour later.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the most obviously “chemical” of all the household cleaning products we’ve listed here, but it does the job. A mix of hydrogen peroxide and washing up liquid (combined in a ratio of 2:1) is an ideal solution for removing spot stains from fabric, carpets, clothes, and upholstery. Whether you need to get rid of wine, blood, grass, or sweat stains, a squirt of the mixture and a soft scrubbing brush are all you need.
Salt
Everyday table salt is a great cleaning agent. Mixed with lemon juice, it’s an effective way to remove stains from wooden kitchen surfaces like a butcher’s block or a chopping board. You can soak your shower curtains in a bucket of warm salt water for an hour or so to remove mildew. Salt is even an eco-friendly option for unblocking a clogged drain. Two tablespoons of salt poured directly into the drain and allowed to settle will make short work of most organic blockages if followed by a kettle’s worth of boiling water.
Everyday products useful for cleaning: Final Thoughts
Not everyone has the time to complete a full cleaning of their property. Fortunately for residents of Burton-on-Trent and the broader Staffordshire area, help is at hand. Here at Prince and Sons Services, we provide a variety of domestic cleaning services for our customers throughout the county. To see what we can do for you or to get a free, no-obligation quote, call today on 01283 242626 or 07968 204999 or send an email to steveprince4@aol.com.
