Whether you need to clean on a budget, or you’re just looking for less toxic substances to use in your home, there are a variety of options probably already lurking in your kitchen.
Vinegar
Not only can vinegar be used for cooking, it’s an all purpose liquid. It can be used to disinfect (it kills E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus, among other harmful bugs), deodorize, remove tarnish from metals, clean stains, remove hard water build up, clean glass, unclog drains, kill mildew, remove adhesive residue, and even clarify your hair and prevent dandruff!!
Many comprehensive articles have been done on the many household uses of vinegar including this one by Reader’s Digest, 150+ Household Uses for Vinegar.
My favorite uses;
- Use at full strength to disinfect your kitchen or remove mildew
- Remove salt from your shoes in the winter with undiluted vinegar
- Add a little to your dishwater for sparkling glasses
- Use 2 parts vinegar to 1 part water to clean out your coffee maker
Baking Soda
Baking soda, everyone knows that baking soda neutralizes odor, but it’s also great for exfoliating your skin, removing stains, scrubbing pans, brushing teeth, putting out kitchen fires, and even works as an antacid for indigestion!
For more ideas on the use of this natural (and cheap) product check out Life Hackery’s 75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda.
My favorite uses;
- Pour a cup of Baking Soda in your toilet, let it sit for an hour then flush. It will remove stains and odor
- Use it as a cleaning scrub for your sink, counter, bath tub, dishes . . . almost anything, plus it removes grease
- Deodorize storage containers
Lemon Juice
Also a completely natural substance that can be used to clean, dissolve hard water deposits, clean and shine metals, polish hardwood furniture, clean the garbage disposal, disinfect minor wounds and even repel fleas and insects!
Check out Huffington Post’s Lemon Juice: 20 Unusual Household Uses for more information on this handy product.
My favorite uses;
- Cut up a lemon and pour a pint of nearly boiling water over it, let it sit overnight and put it in a spray bottle. Use to repel fleas and other insects
- A mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water can be used to clean around your home
What other surprises can you find in you kitchen?
- Ketchup removes tarnish
- Uncooked rice can be used to scrub the inside of vases or glassware with a small neck, just add warm water and rice and shake
- Cornstarch removes grease and odor from a carpet, simply sprinkle on and let it sit for 30 minutes then vacuum it up
- Olive Oil to polish wood furniture
- Vodka to remove odor from clothing
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