Top eco-friendly cleaning products

With an increase in the number of allergies caused by the use of harsh cleaning products and, not to mention, the damaging effect on our delicate environment, the professional house cleaning experts at MOLLY MAID recommend that it is high time to start thinking about changing our cleaning habits to incorporate more eco-friendly ones.

In fact, to some it will come to no surprise that we are going back in time and using some old recipes that our Grandmothers may have used in the home. This in itself gives us a clue that they are indeed tried and tested ways to cleaning in a more eco-friendly manner. What’s more, the below ingredients are far more cost effective than off the shelf ones! Why not try some of our below tips:

White Vinegar

This has a variety of uses from cleaning to disinfecting, but should also be used with caution on some surfaces. :

As a disinfectant or glass cleaner:

Use a 50-50 vinegar-water mix to wipe down telephones, doorknobs, taps and so on, particularly when your family has been struck down with illness or you have a pet in the home.

As a toilet cleaner:

Pour a cup of vinegar in the toilet and leave overnight. The next morning, sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda, give a brush and then flush.

General bathroom cleaning:

An undiluted solution can be poured onto a cloth and then used to clean bathroom tiles, washbasins and so on.

Microwaves:

Place half a cup of vinegar and fill the rest of the cup with water and pour into a bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until it boils. Then, wipe away any of the build up inside.

Lemons & Citrus Fruits

Their natural acidity supplies antibacterial properties which make them the perfect purifier for sinks, fixtures, kitchen surfaces (not marble or stone), fridges, dishwashers and oven spills. Try rubbing the inside of the dishwasher with half a lemon and then turn on a hot wash and you will notice the difference! Why not instantly kill any germs lurking on your chopping board (especially wood) by giving it a wipe with a left over half lemon and leaving to sit overnight?

Ash & Lemon Juice

Ever wondered how to spruce up dull and tarnished looking copper or copper pans? All you need is to fill up half a cup with ash from the fire or your woodburner and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the ash and mix. You will hear the acid and alkaline react, giving a ‘fizzing’ noise. Your aim is to create a paste that can then be applied to the copper with an old rag and plenty of elbow grease!

Crushed Eggshells & Lemon Juice

Crush two eggshells into a cup and pour over the juice of two lemons. Allow the shells to dissolve over 48 hours and then strain the cloudy liquid. Using this liquid is particularly satisfying when you see how a cloudy flower vase or glass transforms into a bright, crystal clear vessel.

Salt & Lemon or Grapefruit

Not only does grapefruit give off an invigorating smell, but when sprinkled (when halved) with coarse salt, it can transform baths, showers and taps when rubbed with half a grapefruit. By squeezing some of the juice onto taps which are badly marked and then giving them a gentle scrub, you will soon see the shine return. What could be easier than using this great value and effective eco-friendly cleaning product!

Bicarbonate of Soda

The power of Bicarbonate of Soda as an eco-friendly cleaning agent is limitless. It is extremely versatile. It can be used to remove a smell in dozens of ordinary household contexts as well as an ordinary eco-friendly cleaner. The most common use of it is to remove an unwanted smell in a fridge – simply place a small bowl or box of it in the fridge. It can also be used for some of the following:

Smelly Drains

Pour a few tablespoons down a drain and run the hot water tap for a few minutes. This will help to deodorise anything causing a smell.

Smelly Shoes

Sprinkle a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into your shoes when you notice them becoming wiffy and leave overnight! Then empty the shoes in the morning.

Unpleasant vacuum odour

By simply sprinkling a little bicarbonate of soda onto the carpet before vacuuming, should both remove smells from your carpet as well as neutralise odours in your vacuum. Do remember to change your vacuums bags regularly too!

Cleaning Oral appliances

Dissolve two teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water and soak retainers or braces in the solution. If using a toothbrush or an electric toothbrush, do the same with the head.

Tea Tree Oil

It is a well proven fact that Tea Tree oil has numerous benefits and uses around the home. With its revitalising scent and antiseptic properties, a few drops of this oil mixed in with a cleaning solution made up of white vinegar and water mix will work wonders to kill the unwanted germs.

Olive Oil

It is fairly common to hear of people using Olive Oil on their body as a moisturiser, or to help with removing paint from hands, but if you pop a drop of olive oil on a cloth and use on stainless steel appliances, then you will quickly restore the shine!

Surgical Spirit

As well as being widely available from chemists, surgical spirit remains a favourite eco-friendly cleaning product to have in the home. It can not only remove sticky residues left behind by price tags for example, but by simply dabbing some onto a clean cloth can clean a whole manner of items, such as eyeglasses, removing nail polish or permanent marker from plastic laminate, but can also be used to wipe down electronic devices and telephones to disinfect them. A truly useful product.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is underrated when it comes to recognising its superb abrasive qualities. As it’s so easy to dispense, it makes it a very user and eco-friendly cleaner. Try using a small amount on an old toothbrush to clean grouts, or use a small pea size amount on a soft cloth to buff metal surfaces – a top tip is to try it on the metal plate of a steam iron, where you often find mineral deposits!

Feel good about yourself and the environment by trying out some of these eco-friendly cleaning products.

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